Licensing Requirements for Landscapers in your area

[start2finish]

There seems to be alot of talk about Landscape Contractors and performing landscape work. This seems to be popping up every time someone posts about help with a bid/estimate. Lets go guys I'm sure lots of you have read my posts about NC's Laws on the "I'm stumped I need help" thread. I am curious about the laws in each area of the country. Especially CA It seems that ideas and regulations there seem to travel east over a few years. May be a clue to the future in my area.

[LandscapePro]

Thanks for starting this thread Start2. It should be interesting.

Mike
La. Landscape contractor #2576

[mdvaden]

I just finished serving my second term as a board member of our Oregon license board. First of all, it's a useful, educational and profitable experience. If anyone has a chance to do something like this, jump on it if you have some experience that can help. Here's my OWN page about my term...

Mario Vaden's term on the board (http://www.mdvaden.com/license.shtml)

Meetings were offered around the state to encourage landscaper attendance.

Here is the Oregon Landscape Contractors Board website...

http://www.lcb.state.or.us

In Oregon, a license is neede for landscaping and irrigation. The word "landscape" also cannot be used without a word like "maintenance" following it if there is no state license. So lawn services can't just call themselves anything they want and put it in an advertisement or on a truck.

Any planting or transplanting must have a landscape license. That includes anybody operating a tree spade.

Water features can be done with a landscape license or a construction board license.

Tree services are primarily under the construction board here, but they can't plant trees with that license alone.

Landscape contractor licensees may do tree / arborist work and plant trees with the landscape license.

Minimum insurance is $1,000,000 and bond of $3,000

There are a series of test, comparable to a set of college finals. 1 out of about 10 people passes them all in one test session.

Landscapers can build decks and fences and arbors with the landscape license, but must raise the bond to about $10,000.

Landscape contractors in Oregon may not CALL themselves landscape architects, but are able to design at approximately the level of a landscape architect for plan details - public works excluded.

And the landscape board reciprocates to the L. architects that they may install without a landscape contractors license provided they passed the architect exam and hold the L. architect license.

Oregon landscapers must get a $225 landscape business license. And to get that, at least one main person must have passed the tests and acquired an INDIVIDUAL license called a "landscape contractors" license. Usually, the owner does that for their own business license. The individual license is $75 - so both are $300.

Even the board is not thrilled about the individual license being called a "landscape contractors" license. It seems confusing. There is talk about how to remedy that. How it acquired that name, or why, we were not quite sure after about 25 years of it being that way.

[mdvaden]

If you Google for it, you will find that Hawaii has a license board too.

They require moral integrity as part of the requirements - I read it; forgot the exact vocabulary, but I don't think a person with a criminal record can get a license there.

The web site that can be found will show the details.

[Grn Mtn]

As long as your not selling yourself as a Landscape Architect, Nursery or Pesticide applicator, other than a DBA, you do not need any licenses in NY.

[AGLA]

No landscape contractor license in Massachusetts. Believe it or not.

[Mike33]

IN the great state of Maryland we are recquired to have a M.H.I.C. ( Md, home improvements licence.) You are recquired to have $50,000 of liability ins., good credit, 5 years of experience and take a one time test. Fees are $225.00 semi -annual. This is for res. commercial not recquired. Many wise tales will say this is not needed, however do not get caught installing a much as a mailbox or mulching as such it is subject to a felony major fine and jail. Cutting and trimmong trees are seperate as Md. tree experts , something on that line recquire licence. Also landscapers handling nursery stock recquires a licences through Md. Dept of Agricultiure. It is very painless not like MHIC but recquire a annual fee of $100.00. I hold an HMIC and Ag. licence

Mike

[lugnut#6]

anyone know what the laws are in mississippi?

[lugnut#6]

http://www.archbd.state.ms.us/pdf/lalaw.pdf

i found this but cant make much sense of all of it.

i cant decipher whether its title only or what.

[General Landscaping]

For my county, landscape is wide open.
Things requiring professional liscensing: irrigation, fencing, decks, pest control (herbicide included), pavers... the list goes on. I was told that pulling out dirt for a stone drive way required excavation liscensing:dizzy:
All these separate things make it nearly impossible to build a well rounded company that can handle things in-house. Even something as simple as adding a zone for a newly landscaped area has to be subbed out:mad:

[lugnut#6]

for the record,im not looking for away around current laws and regulations.
i just want to get a piece of all the rebuilding we have to do around here.ive got kids to feed ya know.
i want to run my business as honestly and ethically as much as i can.its really important to me do succeed honestly.
for my customers whos property was completely wiped clean they're gonna need new installs.im thinking of maybe using a few of the licensed landscape designers that i do know to do the designs and i could use some of the "new work force" that has arrived here for help doing the installs.
and,no, i doubt very seriously that they are all "legal".and thats one of my other concerns....no officials here seem to care less whether they are here legally or not.this place is so tore up that they are overlooking that issue.even openly supporting it.

so thats why im looking for help in understanding my states laws.
i want to expand but my resources for information is limited because i know very few people in my area that are in this business.

[BSDeality]

CT requires nothing as far as landscaping.
you need a supervisor license for pesticides but thats it.

[LandscapePro]

lugnut,

From what I could find looking at the MS. statutes, Landscape Contracting is regulated. (license required). You could try getting in touch with the Plant Board in Jackson or call up to MS. State and speak to Dr. David Tatum he can fill you in on the requirements.

Mike
La. Landscape contractor #2576

[lugnut#6]

yup definitely requires a license in Ms.....as quoted "you cant so much as stick a shovel in the ground."

he did say i could work under someone else's license for a couple years and qualify that way.or go thru a 2 yr Jr college landscape design program.

[irishgoldcleanups]

As long as your not selling yourself as a Landscape Architect, Nursery or Pesticide applicator, other than a DBA, you do not need any licenses in NY.


in suffolk county ny you will need a home improvement license and liability insurance. which for the license it is $500 for two years

[Grn Mtn]

I read that but it looked like that was tied to the landscape architect part.

[D Felix]

IN as a state doesn't require much. The only things I'm aware of that require anything is for pesticides, and handling nursery stock. Obviously, if there are employees, you need to have WC, but I don't know if liability ins is even a requirement. I would think that it is, but can't say for sure.

A very small part of me hopes for regs like other states, but they would have to be as stringent as OR. Stringent regs would help weed out the people who have no business with a shovel in their hands. The rest of me wants it to stay like it is. The OR regs make it even more difficult to start a business- you have to lay out even more $$, and make it difficult to do any "part-time" or "on-the-side" work, even if you have insurance to be doing it....

[TerraVenture]

Well in new hampshire we don't have licensing for much of anything except plumbers and electricians. Pesticide application does require licensing. The new hampshire landscape association, to which I belong, is lobbying to get Landscape Achitects licencsed but not contractors. Licensing has its pluses and minuses. I believe licensing is good as long as it is policied. If it not policied it is just an extra headache to everyone.