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| Hiring qualified, licensed contractors is not just a good idea, It’s the law !!! Protecting Yourself Against Unlicensed Contractors Each year homeowners and businessmen lose hundreds of thousands of dollars, not to mention the mental stress, to uncertified (unlicensed) contractors and craftsmen posing as contractors.
We should all be committed to doing all it can to protect the public against illegal contractors by educating the public and offering the following suggestions. Watch for the following warning signs, these may indicate the person/company is not certified. Warning Signs of an unlicensed contractor
The following is a few of the things you need to know concerning the use of an unlicensed contractor.
According to Florida Statute 455.228, if you hire an unlicensed contractor, the Department of Professional Regulations (D.P.R.) may issue a cease and desist order and also may take you to Circuit Court, which has the authority to impose a civil penalty of up to $5,000 for aiding and assisting unlicensed activity. You could also be liable for court cost. If you pull a permit for an unlicensed contractor, you are held responsible for the work, not the contractor. If you hire an unlicensed contractor, you may actually pay more for the job, than if you hired a licensed contractor. Especially, if the work is done incorrectly or never finished, you may have to pay twice or more for the same job to be corrected or finished. Doing business with an unlicensed contractor exposes consumers to a variety of risks involving liability claims, state and federal taxes, liens by vendors of material or labor, violations of law and the possibility that the job will not be completed in accordance with the minimum standards for the profession. The unlicensed person or firm skirts such responsibilities as liability insurance, worker's compensation, unemployment compensation, social security and reporting withholding of taxes. If the unlicensed contractor fails to pay his sub-contractors or suppliers, you may be required to pay them, even though you have already paid the contractor.
Plumbing, electrical, and heating and air conditioning work should be done only by contractors and craftsmen certified in those trades and require separate permits. Home improvement contractors must be certified by the State of Florida as either a General, Building, or Residential contractor. Roofing contractors are required to be certified or registered by the State. There is no such thing as a “legal” jack-of-all-trades. An “Occupational License” is not a regulatory license or a certificate of competency, but a tax for the privilege of engaging in or managing a business, profession or occupation. You may be held liable for injury on your property if the unlicensed contractor has no insurance or Workman’s Compensation. Links to Unlicensed contractor news and articles http://southeast.construction.com/opinions/law/archive/0408.asp http://www.templeterrace.com/commserv/pdfs/A%20GUIDE%20TO%20PROTECTION%20AGAINST%20UNLICENSED%20CONTRACTORS%20(2).pdf http://www.brevardcounty.us/licensing/home/unlicensed.cfm http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/StatewideSweepsandStings.html http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/os/News/ImportantNewsArchives.html
Links to Check a Contractor License in Florida http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/pro/division/Servicesthatrequirealicense_Electrical.html https://www.myfloridalicense.com/wl11.asp?mode=1&SID=&brd=&typ= | |
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