Hi-
I’m starting a part-time (weekends only) small-jobs contracting business (ok, ok, a “handyman” enterprise). I’m talking really small jobs, no structures, just repairs and the like. Do any of the Mass. readers of this forum know if I still have to register as a contactor with the state, or due to the nature of my enterprise just register with the town as a DBA (which I’m going to do anyway)?
Thanks.
John
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Replies
You have to register as a Home Improvement contractor with the state as well as the DBA deal, you'll also have to provide worker's comp. if you have any employees. Not sure if liability insurance is required strictly by law but you better have it...you make one mistake and the customer will own *your* house if you have no liability. If your projects expand to a certain level you will need to carry a construction supervisor's license, proper licenses are required for HVAC, plumbing, and electrical work in Massachusetts.
-Ray
I'll echo what Ray said. Registration is easy and inexpensive. Just pay your registration fee and donate to the 'slush fund' that is supposed to protect homeowners from bad contractors. (I'd like to see an audit of those funds!)
You may discover that insurance is a much greater obstacle to making yourself legitimate.
I am quite disappointed by the enforcement of this registration law. As far as I have seen, the only time the registration requirement has come up is when I have applied for permits, and you pretty much need a Construction Supervisors license for that. The law states that all those advertising home improvement services must show their number in the ad. I see many ads with no number. Who's protecting me?
Why am I hurting my weather-cracked fingers typing this? Only an idiot would pay for registration, pay into the guarantee fund, take courses, take an exam, pay for a license, pay for liability insurance, pay for workman's comp insurance, pay estimated income taxes, pay payroll taxes just to have homeowners expect you to risk your life for 20 bucks an hour....
I'm sorry...what were we talking about??
Al Mollitor, Sharon MA
I echo what everybody else has said. You need to be registered ( pay off the state) home improvement contractor to do any work legally. You should also get some sort of liability insurance before you go a knock over an expensive vase. With this you can basically do simple repairs ( paint, bookshelves, plaster etc) NO structural. No "significant repairs or changes". If you have your name on your truck/van and park in front of your clients home you're asking for trouble. Way back when ( before my supervisors license) I had a building insp walk onto a job site and shut me down till I pulled ( actually the homeowner had to) a permit. I was working on repairing a rail on a set of stairs ( a No No..structural..basically anything that has specs on it in the code you can't touch) If you hire employees you'll need workmens comp. I just had a guy fall off a ladder ( easy to do on ice) and he broke his foot! workmans comp covered the hosptal bill and docs appoint and cover his wages..well worth it. Or just stay small and don't hire anybody. Don't do anything you're not covered for ( elec and plumbing for example even though you can do it with your eyes closed..something goes wrong, even if you didn't touch it, and you'r e going to own a new home! your ins co will not cover you. I kept the cost of my insurance down by getting insurance as a carpenter. If you buy ins as a "handyman" it will cost you more as you have more exposure for screwing up.
Get your pemit, cover your butt with a liabilty ( don't risk being sued for your home or something) and get a CS lic. You might want to register the name of the biz with the state so nobody else can use it. You should also geta DBA in the town where you live. Good luck. Get a few job site signs and smile at the neighbors. I always give my clients a referal gift also when they recommend me to someone new. One more thing, don't do something the way your client wants you to do it if it's the wrong way. Clients quickly forget you told them it wouldn't work and insist you do it over at your own cost. You'll loose money and a client and end up grubling all the way home
Thanks to everyone for your replies. Just out of curiosity, what are some of the liability carriers you (or others) have used? This part of it is new to me and I'm not sure who to call.
Also, one of you touched on something I was wondering about. Exactly how restricted would I be on plumbing/electrical repairs? Could I change a light bulb? Turna breaker on? Replace a light switch? Fix a running toilet? Or should all these things just be avoided?
Thanks again!!
I've asked a similar question to your's before regarding what someone can do w/out a plumber's/electrical license..you could change a lightbulb, fix a running toilet, probably install a low voltage lighting fixture if you had the power source turned off to the track/fixture. Flipping a breaker might be out, replacing a toilet would be out, I've heard conflicting stories on replacing a light fixture with an identical one. Also, you can't touch an air conditioner, boiler, etc.. until you get a EPA license. Don't worry about getting the construction supervisor's license, you don't yet have 3 years construction work experience so you can't sit for the test now anyway, you'll be ok with the home improvement one for the time being as long as you are smart about what you work on...and don't try to make any painting, there are crews advertising painting at 9.50 an hour, in my area where a 1 bedroom condo is almost 300K.
-Ray