Contractor licensing will now be required in Omaha

[Shawn Prentice]

Well, it's finally here. The city council approved it a couple weeks ago and the P&I dept. will start taking applications in January. The city to the south, Bellevue, has required licensing for a few/couple years and until now they have been the only ones in the state as far as I know. Though so far, I haven't needed one for what I have done in that city.

But, I will be doing some work there in the near future that will require licensing, so I am getting ready to take the test 767 for home improvement contractors. The nice thing is that Bellevue's test is the same as what Omaha's will be.

So, I just got my copy of the 2006 IRC and I am trying to prepare for the exam. In the framing sections, which comprise most of the questions for the exam, there are parts on steel framing and seismic connections and you just don't see that type of stuff in residential here. The foundations section has parts on wood foundations and other foundation construction techniques that either aren't common or I have never heard of being used here. I'm sure there are more details I haven't got to yet in the book that aren't typical here.

Nonetheless, I've been skimming all of it just for good measure, but are the tests structured to include the typical construction practices for the area or is it based on whatever is in the book regardless of whether it's common practice? Any study tips or methods of approach? Thanks.

[tjbnwi]

Here the test also includes questions on the state amendments to the code.

Nice to see they are testing, in Illinois and Chicago, just get your insurance, plunk down your money and your a licensed contractor. you just need to buy one for every town. Electrical requires a test here and in Chicago, but not other areas of Illinois.

Mechanical/HVAC also required a test here, and the EPA freon certificate.

Tom

[Dutchman]

Nice to hear that as well, hope our dopey state does it soon.

[davenorthup]

Shawn our test up here was open book(code book) and had some very weird questions in it - many were down right idiotic.

If there is a prep class I'd advise it to help navigate some horrible questions. Maybe there is an offering in the town south...

A friend much more knowledgeable than I was took the test 3 times and failed - took the class and I think he only missed 1 or 3 instead of the 30 or so.

[kfc510]

There are a whole bunch of random questions on the CA test that you'd never know unless you took a prep class. "How high can you stack a lumber pile?" "By hand? By machine?" It seems intentional- there's almost certainly a financial synergy between the testers and the preppers (and the legislature/governing board). The prep course I took had a "surprising" number of the random questions covered.

Most of the test is real construction/code knowledge, and I think you only had to get 70% right, so you could ignore the bizarre questions, but there's enough weirdness to justify taking the classes, if any are offered (and it's anything like our test).

Is there a Business/law section there?
kevin

[Shawn Prentice]

Tom, before, there was no licensing required for contractors. They just had to register with the state. Basically, to make sure your business is paying taxes and carries comp for employees. However, HVAC/electrical have testing and need to be licensed by the state. Plumbing is by the city, so some plumbers around here have 3 different city licenses.

Dutchman, it's simply a money grab. Although the intent is to "qualify" contractors, the ones who already work illegally will continue to operate as they always have. It didn't change with the lead laws and won't change with this. But, that is the reality everywhere. From what I understand, there was a lot of opposition to this. They ended up reducing the licensing fees, changed it so landlords don't need to be licensed, and a few other things I believe.

Dave, no prep class that I can find. Though there is a review of you test for $50 if you don't pass:)

Kevin, they will require 75% to pass. The only reference given and allowed for the exam is the '06 IRC. Here is the content:

Administration 3 ques. 5%, Footings/Foundations 7qs. 12%, Masonry/Fireplaces 6 qs. 10%, Framing 33 qs. 55%, Roofing 3 qs. 5%, Decks/Guards 2 qs. 3%, Egress 4 qs. 7%, Fire 2 qs. 3%

[tjbnwi]

The plumbers here are state tested.

No matter what community I go into I must register. Because of this and it being the same way in Illinois (less the initial test) I end up paying for more than 60 licensees and registrations. One side of the street I need one the other side of the street I need one for that community. Most I have to pay a fee for each of the 3 trades I am registering.

Tom

[Shawn Prentice]

...I end up paying for more than 60 licensees and registrations. One side of the street I need one the other side of the street I need one for that community. Most I have to pay a fee for each of the 3 trades I am registering.

And I'm guessing the government is still broke...

[philthegreek]

The plumbers here are state tested.

No matter what community you go into I must register. Because of this and it being the same way in Illinois (less the initial test) I end up paying for more than 60 licensees and registrations. One side of the street I need one the other side of the street I need one for that community. Most I have to pay a fee for each of the 3 trades I am registering.

Tom

They need to realize .................. there's an app for that, ;-)
or at least could be if they wanted it.
Phil

[tjbnwi]

As long as the app accepted payment for the registration, I'm sure there could be. Getting them certificates of insurance and the bonds would be easy. Except for any municipality in Lake Co. In., I have to go in and record it with the County Recorder, you better bring enough copies for them to have sealed, you need a sealed one for each municipality. Without the seal, they are useless.

Not sure if they're really broke, but they will tell you they are.

Tom

[philthegreek]

In CT it's a single state license. In NY it's county by county with locales able to issue as well. It's kinds crazy. In Putnam cty you are required to get a bond but not in Westchester. Dutchess cty does not require a license but Poughkeepsie does and i don't know what other town in Dutchess requires one. No tests in any of those places, but Westchester is supposed to be starting to require contract law classes and LRRP certification.
Each of the boroughs of NYC is a county. Yonkers requires an additional license and I can't afford to do that anymore.

Of course then you have the potential clients telling you that you're too expensive and should be charging less, lol, sheesh!

Phil

[Norm Yeager]

When I was in Pa. there were no licensing requirements. I understand there are now. In SC there is a license requirement. I don't think it is an accurate appraisal of whether a person is a competent contractor. In SC it's an open book test. Learn how to navigate the books for the 5 hour, 100 question open book test and you will pass the test. Don't take the books with you. or become familiar with them and you'll almost certainly fail.
I've passed the commercial tests in Ga., NC, Tenn. & SC. You never know what questions you'll be asked. In Georgia I had 10 questions on pretressed concrete. I've never worked on a job with PS concrete. If I hadn't known where to look I'd have missed many of them. The test was multiple choice and you have to choose from 4 answers.
I don't think that taking and passing the tests have made me any more competent, nor do I think that the non licensed contractors I knew in Pa. were any less skilled or qualified than the many licensed contractors I know in SC. I do know several licensed contractors in SC who are novices at best when it comes to actually building , but they are skilled in test taking.

[tjbnwi]

Norm,

I used to travel to work in Pa. the year before my customer moved to Atlanta, Pa instituted the license. Did you know a T&M contract is illegal in Pa?

So now the Ga. test. A license was not require there until 6 months after I did their master bath. They have a kitchen and deck job for me so it is worth it Had to change my insurance company because they did not cover Ga.

Tom

[Norm Yeager]

Of all the tests I took, Georgia was the most difficult. Since I had to travel several hours and stay overnight I took the Construction (5hours,100 questions) and the business and law (2 hours, 50 questions) on the same day.
These were the commercial GC tests. I've never taken any of the residential tests b/c if you pass the commercial test you are automatically approved for the residential license.
If it's an open book test I think it's essential to have all the books and be familiar with how to navigate through them. You may get a question such as "what type and thickness of glass is required for a 40 sq.ft. pane located 30' above ground in a class 3 wind zone" Unles you are real familiar with glass your chances are 1 in 4 of getting it right. You neede 70% to pass the tests.
I know several skilled tradesmen who have been unable to pass the tests.
I passed the SC journeyman's plumbing test despite the fact that I know several plumbers who have forgotten more about plumbing than I know.
You are supposed to have two years of documented experience to take the journeyman's test, and four years for the master's. When I called the licensing board to schedule the test I told the lady that I'd been supervising jobs for 20 years but couldn't document two weeks of actual plumbing work. I'll always remember her response. "I've been asking that question for many years and you're the first person to tell me they didn't have the experience. Because of your background I'm going to let you take the test, and if you pass and want to take the master's test I'll OK that also" I passed but never did take the master's test.