2 New Major Bills Effective January 2021: 90 Day Renewal & B-2 Residential Remodeling License

The Contractors Board has passed and will be enacting a few bills effective 01/01/2021. 2 of the major ones are:

1) SB 1474: Retroactive reinstatement of an expired license when a complete application and renewal and delinquency fees are received by the Board within 90 days of the expiration date.

2) SB 1189: The creation of a new B-2 Residential Remodeling license which is limited in it’s scope of work to primarily light renovation/remodel.

Please note that SB 1474 includes wording for delinquency fees. This means the Board will still most likely require late fees to be paid after the expiration date. We will have to wait and see how the Board’s administrative rules change with regards to the new bill.

SB 1189 is essentially the handyman license that’s been missing in the State. It allows a B-2 contractor to make improvements to, on, or in an existing residential wood frame structure requiring at least 3 trades for a single contract. The trades are:

1. Drywall

2. Finish carpentry

3. Flooring

4. Insulation

5. Painting

6. Plastering

7. Roof repair

8. Siding

9. Tiling

10. Electrical fixtures installation, repair, or replace (i.e. dimmers, fans, lights, outlets, switches)

11. Plumbing fixtures installation, repair, or replace (i.e. faucets, sinks, toilets, tubs)

12. Mechanical fixtures installation, repair, or replace (i.e. air filters, air delivery and return grills, preassembled exhaust fans)

B-2 contractors are not allowed to make structural changes to load bearing portions of an existing structure such as footings, foundations, load bearing walls, partitions, and roof structures. And as noted on items 10-12 above, B-2 contractors are not allowed to install, replace, substantially alter, or extend electrical, mechanical, and plumbing systems (fixtures only) unless they hold the appropriate specialty classification.

The B-2 license, although limited in scope, will allow for more applicants to be able to get a contractors license for handyman work since the work experience required will be lesser than applying for a B General Building license.

In addition to the above 2 laws, there are other new laws the Board is enacting, including switching to a public or private organization to administer the State exams (AB 3087). If PSI Exams or Prometric gets the contract, this will give applicants more testing facilities as options instead of just the 6 locations in the entire State, and also allow for out-of-state testing.

You can read the list of the new laws on the Board’s website here. As always, please feel free to call us for any questions at (800) 580-8129.

CSLB Closes Testing Facilities for December

The Contractors Board is closing all testing facilities and public counters for the rest of the month.

The Testing Unit will be calling applicants to inform them of their test cancellation, but rescheduling is postponed to January in case the facilities continue to be closed past December.

The Board is still continuing to process applications, so applicants can still mail in their forms and payments, specially for renewals.

You can read the full post here:

https://www.cslb.ca.gov/Resources/IndustryBulletins/2020/20-24_COVID_Closure_Dec2020.pdf

New Law Change w/ CSLB on Criminal Background History

As of 07/01/2020, the Board is changing how they handle criminal background checks for applicants with the passing of Assembly Bill (AB) 2138.

Disclosure Statements will no longer be required at the start of the application, and applicants will no longer be asked if they have any misdemeanors or felonies. Fingerprinting, however, is still required. The primary difference is that the Board will determine if they need additional information and ask the applicant later in the application process.

You can read more about the CSLB’s notice at the Board’s website:
Criminal History Change

Or, you may call us for a free confidential consultation at (800) 580-8129.

Online Renewals Now Possible for Sole Ownerships Without RMEs

The CSLB has finally allowed online renewals, but the expedient processing is only for Sole Ownership entities without Responsible Managing Employees (RME). Once the payment goes through, the license is updated immediately.

All other entities can still make their payments online, but the renewal form with all required signatures still has to be mailed in with the payment receipt and would have to go through regular processing times.

The Board accepts only Visa or Mastercard, and charges an additional 2.99% for online payment.

You can read the full bulletin on the Board’s website here.

If you have any questions on your license renewal, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (800) 580-8129 for a free consultation.

Our office remains open!

In light of the coronavirus and the safety precautions being done throughout the State of California, our business remains open as we work from home. Our hours remain the same: Mon-Fri 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

The CSLB is also continuing to process applications. Testing has been postponed to May, but applications may still be submitted. Technicians are still reviewing applications and work experience. Processing times have significantly slowed down to a crawl as most techs are working from home.

If you have any questions regarding what the processing times are for any applications you want to submit, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at (800) 580-8129.

License Renewal Fees Increased

The California CSLB is increasing the renewal fees effective as of 02/01/2020. They have increased it from $400 to $450, and C-10 Electrical contractors are required to pay a higher renewal of $470 to cover the CSLB’s fees of enforcing electrician certification requirements.

This means that any licensees whose renewal is due after 02/01/2020 must pay the increased fees. For example: if your license renewal is due on 02/29/2020 or after, even if you pay early in January, you still have to pay the increased fees.

Delinquent renewal fees have also been increased from $600 to $675 so please make sure to keep an eye on your renewal dates. The renewal form is sent out once to the address on record. If you moved and forgot to change your address, you will not receive the renewal form in the mail and will be responsible with contacting the CSLB for a duplicate copy.

The updated schedule of renewal fees can be found here.

If you have any questions regarding your renewal, or need information on how to get a duplicate copy, please contact us for a free consultation.

Other Trades Allowed to Perform Solar Projects

If you fall under the following list of classifications, you are allowed to perform work on solar construction or installation without needing the actual C-46 Solar classification.

A General Engineering - authorized to install solar energy systems

B General Building - authorized to install solar energy systems within the definition of B&P Code §7057 (the use of at least two unrelated building trades or crafts).

C-4 Boiler, Hot-Water Heating and Steam Fitting - authorized to install solar heating equipment associated with systems installed by C-4 contractors

C-10 Electrical - authorized to perform any solar projects which generate, transmit, transform or utilize electrical energy in an form for any purpose.

C-36 Plumbing - authorized to perform any project using solar equipment to heat water or fluids to a suitable temperature

C-53 Swimming Pool - authorized to include the installation of solar heating in swimming pool projects

Once you have four years of invoiced solar projects according to the work you are authorized to perform above, you may then request the additional classification of C-46 and appear for the test.

Call us for more details on what information the Board would look for in your work experience or how to properly document your work for eventual eligibility.

Contractors Licenses for Real Estate Agents, Brokers, and Owner-Builders

The Contractors Board requires four (4) years of full-time work experience in order to grant a license. Real estate agents, brokers, and owner-builders are generally rejected by the CSLB because they cannot prove their work experience.

The Board is especially strict on these types of applications because they will assume that the difficult work was subcontracted out to other licensed professionals, or that the work being claimed was more of a weekend project than a full time job. The Board will want to see a lot of documentation, including, but not limited to: permits, invoices for materials, a detailed description of the work performed, the number of projects, the addresses of the projects, etc.

The good news is that we have been successful at obtaining contractors licenses for real estate agents and home flippers. But, it depends largely on the quantity and quality of the work experience and how it is documented and communicated to the Board. Contact us and we can discuss your experience and we will make an up front assessment as to your chances, as well as other licensing pathways.

Revive your old license number without showing work experience.

As a former licensee, the Board makes it easy for you to get your old license number back. They don’t require work experience, even if it’s been more than five, or ten, or twenty years since you last had your license number.

You do, however, have to appear for both Law and Trade tests again. But with regards to how strict the Board has been with their work experience requirements for new applicants, not having to show documentation proof of work experience is a huge relief.

Call us for more information!

CFC Certificate Now Required for C-20 & C-38 Contractors

The CSLB is now asking for C-20 HVAC and C-38 Refrigeration Contractors who are applying for a new license to show their EPA CFC Certification. The Board had started asking this certification from first-time licensees before, but have now changed their requirement to include contractors who already hold the C-20 and C-38 classifications. Only Type II or Universal CFC Certificates are accepted. This certification is governed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and contractors can acquire one through their local schools. CFC stands for Chlorofluorocarbon and is required by the EPA to make sure anyone who handles coolants, refrigerants or other like chemicals have gone through the proper training to ensure proper handling, recycling and disposal. 

Renewals are not affected by this requirement.