Ok, so I have been told by the old owner of my business that you do not need a contractors license to install irrigation. He told me that you only need a contractors license if you are giving a set bid price. Now, I have other people telling me different. The old owner has a current contractors license and has been doing sprinklers for 40 years and trained me as well. Now I am looking into doing a sprinkler system for a customer and some people on here are telling me I can't do it legally. I have a liability insurance policy with 2 million aggregate coverage, workers compensation, business licensing...but no contractors license. I understand that if this were true it would only be to protect the customer from shoddy installation amongst other things, but as someone as myself who does nothing under the table...thats not my intent. I have done many controllers, whole valve installation assemblies and assisted in 4 sprinkler jobs. Not that any of this matters if I truly have to have a contractors license period. So...do I? I'm in California btw.
Licensing needed for Sprinkler Irrigation Installation
MowinginEureka
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Ok, so I have been told by the old owner of my business that you do not need a contractors license to install irrigation. He told me that you only need a contractors license if you are giving a set bid price. Now, I have other people telling me different. The old owner has a current contractors license and has been doing sprinklers for 40 years and trained me as well. Now I am looking into doing a sprinkler system for a customer and some people on here are telling me I can't do it legally. I have a liability insurance policy with 2 million aggregate coverage, workers compensation, business licensing...but no contractors license. I understand that if this were true it would only be to protect the customer from shoddy installation amongst other things, but as someone as myself who does nothing under the table...thats not my intent. I have done many controllers, whole valve installation assemblies and assisted in 4 sprinkler jobs. Not that any of this matters if I truly have to have a contractors license period. So...do I? I'm in California btw.
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i can see your point, why believe a bunch of strangers with contractors lic. when you can believe a guy that sold you a business? don't look at the ca.gov.cslb web site as it may shock you. and don't trust the folks you're asking for assistance.
i wish you the best of luck
jim
i wish you the best of luck
jim
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Its nothing personal. I just worked for that man for years. Just want to be sure. Also, its North California, sprinklers up here aren't as needed down south because the temperatures stay pretty moderate here. Its been like 70-80 this whole summer. Pretty rainy here too. Anyhow. Im not quite getting the blinker fluid jab. I think it would be funny if I were speaking of something mechanical...I asked for advice, not a condescending tone. Thanks.
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Check with the building dept. in your area. They should have a web site with links to contractors licensing. If you need a license, it should be under " irrigation/sprinkler". Take it from there.
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You dont typically get a repsonse here without a little Jab. Dont take it personal. Welcome to the gaggle of goofy tards.
Get a license. CA, as I recall is one of the bigger sticklers for things like contractors licenses. And I believe it is a state thing, not municipality, but get one at any rate.
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You can install sprinklers, or do any other "construction" work normally covered by a contractor's license under various categories if all you are billing for is your time, and materials and the job is no more than $500.
From the website:
Basic Facts About Contracting in California
* Anyone performing construction work in California that totals $500 dollars or more in labor and materials must be licensed by CSLB.
* The construction industry is one the largest industries in California. www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov
* Licensed contractors must demonstrate at least 4 years of experience/education in the trade for which they are licensed, be fingerprinted, have an FBI background check, and be bonded.
* CSLB's Statewide Investigative Fraud Team (SWIFT) conducts stings and sweeps somewhere in California each week.
* Unlicensed contractors are part of the $60-140 billion dollar underground economy that does not pay taxes, insurance, or follow safety laws. www.dir.ca.gov/EEEC/EEEC.html
* First time offenders are often issued a Notice to Appear (NTA) for misdemeanor charges of contracting without a license or illegal advertising.
The NTA carries a maximum of six months in jail and/or up to a $1,000 fine.
* Additional convictions raise the fines to 20 percent of the contract price for the work performed, (or $4500), along with a 90-day jail sentence.
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Which is about typical for most states with licensing.
How many systems could you put in for 5 hundies or less?
I thought the standard was 1500/zone?
Like I said, save the grief and legal hassle if you get caught... get a license.
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Same as up here; Labor and Industries are infamous for swooping down on a job site and carding all concerned. Two-wire is driving up the per zone price.
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partner, why are you dancing all over the place with weather reports and climate considerations reguarding sprinklers instead of just looking at the states web site. i live three hours away from you and i am required to have a lic.
you cannot tell me that you are going to install an irrigation system of any size for less than $500. i didn't notice in your tag you having a trencher(rent or hand dig costs money) if you spend $200 on parts i'm sure your labor costs as an above board "contractor" will exceed $300. i did a retrofit a few weeks ago and the heads alone were $250, total materials $800 with three men, three days not counting three or four trips to the job for tests and a check up visit a week later( makes people feel special, and good customers are).
i have a gut feeling that you don't choose to get a lic. as long as you can get away with dingbatting.
if i have to have a lic. i don't see why you don't.
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Up here, we have a toll-free number for suspected "rats". I've never used it, but I've sure given the # to a lot of contractors. It's fine to be competitive, but let's play on a level field.
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Ok first of all, as regards the weather, I was replying to the person who commented why I wouldnt want to have a contractors license for sprinkler installation in California, and thats because sprinklers are not in as high of a demand here.
Secondly, I never said I could install a sprinkler system for 500 or less.
Third, your "gut feeling" is wrong. I am attaining my spray license so I never have to spray a single lawn illegally, I never have. As far as I was aware, installing a sprinkler system without a contractors license was not illegal, and I have never installed one myself. So I'm not "dingbatting" and I haven't chosen to NOT get a license. I have been thinking prior to this post of getting one next spring. Especially now as the summer draws to an end. Also, especially here, where its cold and wet all winter, contrary to So-Cal weather.
Fourth, I have assisted in a sprinkler job of this size a few times. Its relatively small and easy, except for the complication of a well, which only was just recently found out. Materials alone would be around 500. A trencher is 70$ to rent for 4 hours. 140 for a whole day, I would only have about a maximum of 8 man hours in the job and about 12 for me, total of 20. Thats not a lot of money. But still way over the 500$ limit.
And fifth, this sprinkler is for a friend of the family who is also a customer of mine. I would not need to budget "extra" trips out there to check on the system because I mow her yard every week.
And lastly. I believe that with available information made available by a few people that it is in fact illegal for me to do this job, which is contrary to everything I had been told by people I know locally. It is a smallish town, so forgive me for my inadequate knowledge on matters I had otherwise been misinformed of by other so called "contractors" and now also "dingbatters". I came on here to ask a question, it has been answered. So thank you, thank you everyone for your kind words and consideration. I only hope that the next time a young rookie who is new in the business who gets some wrong information in a tiny town and is venturing into a new field asks for information, you pounce on him with the some voracity you have me. I'm sure he will not reply to you goofy tards as kindly as I. Thanks.
*trucewhiteflag*:
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I think planning on getting your license is on the right track.
As for the weather, I love it up there. One of my sons attended College Of The Redwoods, and his mom's family had a 1,000 acre ranch on the coast in Petrolia. We looked at buying a place near Alderpoint once upon a time.
I know the area pretty well. It does get wet at times. (Look at the high water marks along the Eel River sometime and it'll blow your mind.)
As for the weather, I love it up there. One of my sons attended College Of The Redwoods, and his mom's family had a 1,000 acre ranch on the coast in Petrolia. We looked at buying a place near Alderpoint once upon a time.
I know the area pretty well. It does get wet at times. (Look at the high water marks along the Eel River sometime and it'll blow your mind.)
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Yup, that's us.
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You're next.
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mowingineureka,
first, i live in a small town in california myself pop.500
second the five hundred dollars is the total allowed for non-contractor lic.limit
third my gut is not wrong, you have not once stated that you have bothered to check the website or call the cslb
fourth you may have under estimated the time you will spend with this system
fifth the board doesn't care about your relationship to the owner, i had to show my numbers for my daughters sewer repair (which i am lic. to do) and they wanted a dollar amount for the permit fees, although we exchanged no money. i received one killer home cooked dinner as payment , (best job of the year)
sixth nobody pounced on you, you came up with excusses for everything, and again never once said that you checked any of the resources available to you.
and lastly i'm new to this forum but i have been watching it for a long time. i joined it because of people like boots,kiril,dana,mitch ect (didn't know how to through mike leary in properly) and for people like mex, and you and myself.
the end
yours truly
1idetard.
first, i live in a small town in california myself pop.500
second the five hundred dollars is the total allowed for non-contractor lic.limit
third my gut is not wrong, you have not once stated that you have bothered to check the website or call the cslb
fourth you may have under estimated the time you will spend with this system
fifth the board doesn't care about your relationship to the owner, i had to show my numbers for my daughters sewer repair (which i am lic. to do) and they wanted a dollar amount for the permit fees, although we exchanged no money. i received one killer home cooked dinner as payment , (best job of the year)
sixth nobody pounced on you, you came up with excusses for everything, and again never once said that you checked any of the resources available to you.
and lastly i'm new to this forum but i have been watching it for a long time. i joined it because of people like boots,kiril,dana,mitch ect (didn't know how to through mike leary in properly) and for people like mex, and you and myself.
the end
yours truly
1idetard.
Hey 1ide,
Can you please fix your punctuations?
I know we all don't follow proper punc's all the time but it's hard to read your typing.
Your going to be hassled hardcore when winter time comes along and there isn't much going on other then winterizing
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