How To Get Your Contractors License | Fast And Easy| THE HANDYMAN BUSINESS

@TheHandymanBusiness 8 months ago

This is the business management app I use to run my business go.getjobber.com/thehandymanbusiness Let me know how you like it.

@GarwoodNick 3 years ago

Finally got my contractor's license a few days ago after 7 years in construction/remodeling and 3 years operating as an unlicensed handyman. It was a major psychological hurdle for me.

@jrmendoza9141 3 years ago

I’m 13 years old I am an upcoming contractor hopefully I have been framing with my dad this whole pandemic thing and I have gotten a lot of knowledge and I’m already learning to cut roofs he always tells me to Learn everything so one day i can be the boss

@KensDIYandHowTo 2 years ago

It's crazy you can get a trade school education on youtube just researching videos and watching diy. It's like a career path these days and you can start even in high school. How many people has youtube helped, countless millions. So glad we have this and I get to be a part of it. Good luck out there everybody. No better place than America to get into the handyman (do it all contractor) trades right now. Lots of money on the table! Go get it =]

@pedrojuarezjr3811 2 years ago

I’m 18 man really looking to get into this field. Been working with my uncle and his company from pouring foundations to doing demolitions to start a new house. I really don’t have a guide for this and this video help me understand much better. Thank you!

@cjsawinski 3 months ago

Nearly 40 years old. Been a carpenter all my life… so a journeyman. I’ve framed houses from the grand up and done all the trim/finish carpentry over my career… I’ve always thought about going out in my own and now this might finally be the year!

@alsworkshop135 3 years ago

I'm in the great state of California where the trades unions and the big construction companies are trying to prevent the little guy from getting a license with all sorts of hoops to jump through. That said, there is light in the tunnel! The State legislature in in the process of passing a Class B2 Remodelers license that I am working on getting. I have spent the last 5 years working on my own (one of the requirements is 4 years experience which if self-employed can be proven with tax returns). It has been a long road but I am really looking forward to being to do jobs over $500 a pop! Great video as always, and thank you for covering this topic.

@tegan71969 3 years ago

Once you get the city government involved and aware of your business all of your costs go up and your headaches. If you do excellent work, are professional, fair, and priced correctly for the market, you don't need to have a contractors license. There's enough folks out there that need work done and as long as you have good references and superb work to show, you'll have no problem securing new projects.

@noncched6839 3 years ago

I all have several friends who work handyman jobs. They stay busy. One use to build houses start to finish and quit doing that to be a handyman because it was less stressful. One was an engineer (mechanic) on a tugboat. 3 of the 4 don't advertise at all, just word of mouth, the other has a Facebook page. They all tell me the number way that get work is by communicating with potential clients. You going to be late call them, you want to meet a little earlier call them, going to take longer than anticipated call them. Communication and doing good work goes far.

@franktorrano5289 2 years ago

I worked for a licensed General B1 contractor for around 8-9 years in California doing remodels, flips, repairs, deck builds, and just about every trade involved. Luckily my boss was retiring and he wasn't concerned about me going out and taking work from him or it might not have been so easy. I got my license at 26, and I've been licensed for over a year now and operating a home remodel and repair company. In California the requirements for applying to take the test are 4 years in the trade, or in the case of Gen B1( they just came out this year with Gen B2 which is essentially a remodel license and each job you take must have at least 3 trades involved and you are limited on the extent of the work you can preform, whereas B1 you need 2 trades involved and can do whole jobs without limitations for the most part ) as many trades as you can prove with a minimum of 4 trades I believe. My boss had to sign off on the work experience and write in detail the experience I had in each trade, but there are ways of getting it if you do your own home remodels for the same amount of time. You have to at least be journeyman for that 4 years in the trade, or trades if you're applying for a general contractor. You then need to pass 2 tests. A law and business test, which if you know your trade(s) then this is the test you want to focus on studying for the most. Then there's the trade test, which if you're applying for a specific license I.E electrical, and you've been doing the work legitimately and can remember all the codes is much easier. It still took some studying because county to county is different from what the state license board wants to see. Now keep in mind you only need to pass with a 70%, and they only tell you if you pass not what score you got. If you fail they tell you the score so you can see how badly you scored. For those of you who are trying to get the license in California, pay for a school, or don't and pay for the online practice tests. I listened to Cd's on the way to and from work, and attended online classes during Covid lock down, and took those tests until I was getting 98% right every time I took one. If I could go back so I didn't have to pay for so much schooling I would have just taken the practice tests as they were the biggest help in passing the exams. The test isn't as hard as some people may think. If you can read blueprints, remember codes, and study for the law and business you will be in great shape. I know most people pass there first time and there's some that take 3-4 times to pass. The ones that didn't pass right away may have bad test taking abilities and some just don't study like they should. The hardest part really is trying to get the work experience signed off on, and if they conduct an audit for your experience you have to show pay stubs or some form of proof. Also like stated in the video they do sting operations quite often here, even in my small town. I know a tile guy that was licenses ( he did amazing work ) and they trapped him into agreeing to more then he could legally do which is $500 per job for labor & material. The $500 per job really limits you from getting any decent jobs and these terrible people go around ruining hard working guys lively hood and convicting them with a misdemeanor. It's really messed up the state just wants their money from you dues and licensing, although some people do really terrible work unlicensed and screw over their customers so there is some good they are doing. With that being said I know some licensed individuals who I can't believe stay in business due to work quality! Somehow they continue to get work and rip off customers it's mind boggling.. To all you attempting to get your license I wish you the best of luck! Don't be afraid of failing and never get your license, it opens a whole world of opportunity! If you're in CA I highly recommend it so that you don't get busted by a sting. A few weeks of studying and some fees and you and you can do it! Just try to get that work experience signed off on and you'll be through the hard part! The license doesn't mean much in the way of work quality or integrity but for some reason people will trust you way more and it just makes generating a good income much better.

@jmrowland68 3 years ago

I have actually been doing work on the private homes and camps for the head of the licensing board for the state, the local DA and two county sheriffs and still afraid of the potential nightmare of getting my license but it's definitely time to make this happen wish me luck. Thanks for all your content

@jakester455 2 years ago

I sure appreciate you making these videos. Most people don't realize how difficult it is. Filming and narrating can actually double the difficulty as well as the time involved in doing a task. Re the handyman rules, I learned it actually goes state by state and in some states handymen (supposedly) aren't allowed to do heavy projects like dig and lay foundations, pour concrete, install the plumbing in a new build, etc. Sometimes they go by dollar amount on the task, I know a guy who got in trouble for accepting a simple painting job that was bigger in cost than a handyman is "allowed" to do. All he had to to, had he known, was price it lower and accept a gratuity under the table. The whole thing is pretty murky. I recently talked to a local handyman company that was hiring, he told me I needed my own truck and either get my own insurance or be bonded. Then he would send me on jobs and pay me by the project, no hourly. I was thinking, "Why do I need you, exactly? I can do this myself." LOL

@dorantes0106 3 years ago

This is the most straight up YouTube channel I've watched. I've watched several, of all types.

@allysonand 3 years ago

Growing up in Washington state I had no idea it was that difficult to get a license everywhere else in the country! I got my general contractors license this year in Seattle and there wasn’t even a test, just pay the fee and you’re done. Best decision I’ve ever made.

@dsm9785 2 years ago

I’ve had my CSL for about 20 years. Back when I got it you needed 3 years experience in some form of building. My experience was 8 years in concrete foundations, floors, etc. and about 6 years in roofing and siding, hardwood flooring, framing. I went for the unrestricted license instead of the 1&2 family, it was twice as many questions in the same time, but felt it was worth it. If you’re doing any project that requires a permit you have the ability to do so. The license is for building, not for hvac, electrical, plumbing, engineering etc., those trades need to pull their own permit.