Replies

1. 
   toolinaround | Oct 07, 2003 07:54pm | #1

   One of the best ways is at your fingertips.  Go online and search the contractors board for Wa., and they have lots of info.  At least in Ca..... Starting that same process soon.  Good luck.  Beck

2. 
   jimblodgett | Oct 07, 2003 08:52pm | #2

   Jim - Call WA State Department of Labor&Industries in Olympia and they'll send you a packet that will describe what you have to do.  Piece of cake.

   Basically all you'll have to do is get bonded and insured and pay a small fee to get your license.  If there is any testing involved, it will be news to me. 

   You can get bonded pretty easilly through CBIC (Contractors Bond and Insurance Company) in Seattle, or your insurance agent can do that for you. 

   The hard part nowdays is getting affordable insurance - Farmers dropped me last years after many years and zero claims - many insurance companies are getting out of insuring small timers like me, at any price.  I asked around and lucked into a great agent in Olympia - Ben Houk, at Nicholson & Associates, 360-352-8444.  Give him a call, he's a straight shooter and took care of me no problems. 

   Let me know when you come down this way and we'll rendevous for a cup of coffee, huh?  You ever try Batdorf and Bronson coffee?  That alone is worth the trip to Olympia.

   Good luck.
1. 
   JimLovatt | Oct 08, 2003 06:29pm | #4

   JimB, thanks for the info. I called and requested the packet. Now I have to decide if its a good move to get my license now, or put it off as long as possible. Seems to be advantages  for both.

   I'd love to meet for that cup of coffee, thanks

   jim

2. 
   migraine | Oct 20, 2003 05:24am | #7

   I'm sorry, I just about spit beer out my nose when I read this.  Bonded and Insured and a $40.00 application fee?  Should have left Calif.  many years ago.  Maybe that's why the rental home I'm in now (Ocean Shores, Wa.) has MAJOR structural, wiring, water leaks.  Not including the vinyl siding scratch, flapping, and growning in the last storm. And the "drip lip" flashing nailed and set on top of the shingles. 

   At least least calif made me take a test, charge me $300 and have a passing score of about 60%

1. 
   skipj | Oct 20, 2003 05:41am | #8

   migraine.

   Ya gotta love it. Now, sparks and fish have seperate licenses, and they have to test, I think.

   I remember thinking, 'Wow, THAT'S my competition!'.

   skipj

1. 
   junkhound | Oct 20, 2003 05:58am | #9

   They do have a catch 22 here for septic systems the last ten years or so.  $200 for each section plus pass a test for each (fairly easy), BUT

   Part a is for system designer,

   Part b is for Installer

   Catch 22:  You cannot be both the designer and installer of a system, so you gotta have a 'buddy'.

2. 
   blackcloud | Oct 21, 2003 01:16am | #10

   Migraine,

   I know this is off the subject but how are you enjoying the sprinkles over the last weeK (thats 13" for everyone else)

   JasonIf it wasn't for bad luck I wouldn't have Any!

1. 
   migraine | Oct 21, 2003 04:10am | #11

   This was the first "storm" that has come through since we moved up here.  The rental house were are in untill our home gets built is a 4 story piece of $hit and really sways when the wind blows.  They say we get 80+mph winds here and roofs have a 100+mph wind rating.  Not too sure how this place is going to take it.  We'll see.  Over the past year, we have been traveling in and out of Wash and it has been very mild

   On another note, plans went into plan check at the building dept today and the turn around time is 2 weeks, at the lastest.  Excavation starts in 3 weeks.  Should be dried-in in 8 weeks.  House is 1724sqft and the "garage" (shop) is 1950sqft

1. 
   davidmeiland | Nov 16, 2003 05:57pm | #12

   Just a note on the WA contractor's license,  maybe of interest to anyone coming from California. You are required to charge sales and use tax on your work, so you get a resale number, buy materials and pay subs without sales tax, and then charge your customer. It's 7.7% where I am. Also, workers comp is quite a bit lower in many cases (it's a flat rate, not a percentage). I have been told by our accountant to NEVER be late on any payments to the state here, apparently they are brutal (maybe they are everywhere...)

3. 
   junkhound | Oct 07, 2003 10:41pm | #3

   Jim L:

   Here's the toll free phone number of Dept of Labor and Industries Jim B refered to.

   1-800-647-0982

   and the web site:

   http://www.lni.wa.gov/scs/contractors/howto.htm

   Have not registered for many years but back when bond was only $5K (now $6K for 2 specialties, $12K general) they told me I could post my own bond.  So, in today's low interest rate environment, if you have confidence in yourself and $6 or 12 K in long term savings, I'/d bond myself - you essentially assign a separate $6K savings account to the state for the bond, info on the web site.

   Art B.

   PS, forgot to add: I notice on the web site there is nothing about posting your own bond for liability insurance, so that may have to be thru a company, and is probably the big bite Jim B refers to. . 

   
   

   ---

   Edited 10/7/2003 3:48:01 PM ET by JUNKHOUND

1. 
   JimLovatt | Oct 08, 2003 06:34pm | #5

   Thanks Art.  $12,000 - ouch! Appreciate your research and the link

   jim

4. 
   skipj | Oct 20, 2003 04:33am | #6

   Hey Jim,

   All previous posts contain good advice. The bonding company, or your posting 12 grand, is the 'gatekeeper' in Washington. It has recently become very difficult for small contractors to obtain required insurance, and as noted previously, long time customers with no claims have been cancelled. This, I notice, seems to be a function of credit scores; if you are a homeowner with decent credit you should be OK. If you've had a hard time and are looking to make a new start, you could have trouble obtaining the required insurace.

   When I moved here from Calif. in '96, in order to do my share to turn the state into endless tract homes and strip malls, I walked into the Department of Labor and Industries and...

   Me:"Hi! I want to be a licensed contractor in Washington."

   Them: "Are you bonded and insured?"

   Me: "Yes. Now I know that my Calif. license has reciprocal deals in Nevada and Arizona, because I've worked there. Is it like that here ?Or do I have to retest?"

   Them: "Do you have $40?"

   Me:"Huh?"

   Them: "The fee is $40!"

   Me: "Because of the reciprocal deal with my CA license? So I don't have to test?"

   Them: "There is no test. Fill out the form, and pay $40."

   Good luck, and welcome to Washington.

   skipj