By Shauna Krause, President, Capitol Services, Inc.
I should get ‘hazard’ pay for answering this one! With Covid stopping production of many TV shows, it’s time for a contractor ‘soap opera’ like Days of our License. Another ‘automatic’ answer and do not miss the special note for Generals that may be some help in these pandemic days…
Q: Does a person/Company need a Contractor’s License to dispose of battery waste, or any toxic waste for that matter?
A: The only type of hazardous materials which require a Contractor’s license or certification is the Hazardous Substance Removal (HAZ) certification. The HAZ certification is only issued to a few license classifications that work around Underground Storage Tanks (UST) and handle soils contaminated by gas or oil and other contaminates. California does not have any type of general hazardous material cleanup “stand-alone” license or anything like that. I would also recommend asking Caltrans and DOSH your question, just in case they regulate it in some way.
Q: Our previous Qualifying Individual left our company back in May and Disassociated from the license. He held both the “A” (General Engineering) and “B” (General Building) classifications. One of our employees who has only been with the company for a couple of years, took the exams for the “B” and replaced the former Qualifier for only the “B”. Now there is a notation on the license stating that the remaining classification will be removed on the 18th of this month if he’s not replaced. My boss has the experience doing “A” work, but he doesn’t want to take the exams. He’s been an Officer on the license for over five years and I read that may qualify him for a Waiver. Can you help with this?
A: While your boss has been an Officer on the license for over five years, the “A” classification was only added to the license in late 2016. Therefore, he would not qualify for a Waiver. The Waiver is only granted when there’s been a total of five years that; a) the classification has been associated with the license, and b) the replacement person has been associated/working for the company for that period of five years.
Q: I was reading online that an individual can get experience credit for those who have served in the military, as well as credit for education. I see that for education, the CSLB grants a person up to three years credit. How much credit do they grant for serving in the military?
A: The CSLB doesn’t automatically grant all veteran’s experience credit to qualify for a Contractor’s License. Your military experience would have had to have been Contractor/Construction related. I can’t give you an exact amount of time which would be granted, the CSLB reviews each application on a case by case basis and would determine whether your military experience is transferrable. You can call me to further discuss your particular background and education.
Attention “A” and “B” Contractor’s:
During the pandemic, you can boost your business by taking part in the Earthquake Brace & Bolt program. The EBB program helps qualified licensed “A” General Engineering and “B” General Building contractors become eligible for residential seismic retrofitting projects through a free online FEMA training. Recently, the program received $23 million in FEMA grants for homeowners to complete seismic retrofits, creating more than 7,600 jobs for licensed contractors. Learn more at earthquakebracebolt.com or on the CSLB website cslb.ca.gov.
While knowledge is power, knowing where to go for the answers is half the battle. Get expert assistance immediately when you call 866-443-0657, email info@cutredtape.com, or write us at Capitol Services, Inc., 3609 Bradshaw Rd, Ste H, #343, Sacramento, CA 95827. Research past columns at www.cutredtape.com.