What does it mean???

Scott Stone

Scott Stone

New member
When someone says they are licensed, bonded, and insured, in this industry, what does a license mean.
For example, in Arizona, there is no requirement for a business license to operate a pressure washing business. For doing the type of pressure washing most contractors do, there is still no licensing requirement, even a business license is not required, because services are not taxable in Arizona, at this time.
I have a contractors license. Because of the type of work I do, and the customers that I have, it is required. In addition to that, I also am required, by the registrar of contractors to have a business license, which is also a tax license, bonding, and insurance. They check on it.
Yet there are people in my area that say that they are licensed, bonded and insured, since no licensing is required, and no bonding is required. This lack of honesty really drives me nuts. I have spent years developing my business. I have worked to gain the experience I need to be an effective, productive contractor, and yet others are capitalizing on the ignorance of others by saying they are licensed, and bonded.

So, what do you as cleaning contractors say? If a license is not required, and you don't have one, can you ethically say you are licensed? If there is a possibility of getting a contractors license, should you be able to say you are licensed?

Now for the fire storm to start...
 
In my area licensed means you have a Bizz. lic. and most dont around here as for bonded not sure why u would want it. I am insured so i say i am. IMO it goes to show you are not a fly by night company and you care about your work.
 
We are required by law to have a seperate business license for every town we operate in, A simple state license will not cover it, it has to be seperate. To be honest I have several but not all of them, if they catch you its simple, they write down the info and they give you x number of days to get it or go to jail.
 
They don't even have a contractors or home builders license in Indiana. Some metro areas have their own. The only thing that resembles a business license is a "Retail Merchants Certificate" which is only needed if you collect sales tax. There is no sales tax on labor. Yet.

Some register a DBA with the county clerks office. But most don't.

If people ask if we are licensed and bonded I just tell them it's not required or offered. We have the same bunch of goofs claiming they are licensed and bonded here. You may need a performance bond for state or large commercial jobs but that's different than a surety bond.

You guys issue a PWI license. Then we can all be licensed.
 
Many here in Florida are not licensed, bonded, or Insured either.
I actually had a customer call and try to cancel a roof cleaning because we were not bonded!
I apologized for not being bonded, got out my bible, placed my hand on it, and swore in the name of Almighty God we would not "steal her satellite dish" if she hired us!
My brother, who is an air conditioning contractor is bonded.
It is a necessity in the A/C business. He might go into peoples houses to repair an air handler for instance. There is nothing to "steal" on a roof, although I have been known to "pocket" a few Golf Balls I fished out of Gutters :indecisive:
 
Apple Roof Cleaning said:
although I have been known to "pocket" a few Golf Balls I fished out of Gutters :indecisive:
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You are a bad, bad man...:nono::nono::nono::grin:

So, is it dishonest to say you have those credentials, when they are not truly offered? I think it is. Maybe I have a Utopian concept, that if a person says something, it means something.
 
Unless you charge the customer up front for all the work to be completed what would be a reason you need to be bonded? Are entering their house full of antiques?
 
We are licensed and insured, but LICENSING requirements are ridiculous!!! To be completely legit, we have to have licenses in all the cities you work in - hence pay taxes on your labor. We have licenses in the cities we do "significant" business.

What about UPS? Do you think they file and pay taxes in every US city??? Does the truck driver pay taxes on the 20 minutes of labor everytime he drives through a city??? Licensing is SKETCHY...
 
Scott Stone said:
You are a bad, bad man...:nono::nono::nono::grin:

So, is it dishonest to say you have those credentials, when they are not truly offered? I think it is. Maybe I have a Utopian concept, that if a person says something, it means something.
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They lie down here all the time Scott. Many CLAIM they have "Workers Comp", but they don't! What they do is go get a Workers Comp Policy under a low cost janitorial code, and proudly CLAIM they have Workers Comp, LOL There are different codes for workers comp to really be covered for being on a roof, and the proper Workers Comp for a roof cleaner will make you non competitive here. But they lie about it all the time anyway.
 
It's just like the mob - You pay them their cut and they 'muscle' everyone they can and you get to charge more. I haven't seen a license that was worth anything, we've all seen the most ridiculous hack work done by 'licensed' businesses. Why would it mean anything, when the licensing 'agency' can't be fired or go out of business regardless of performance or value of their 'license'.
 
If you are licensed contractor, the customer has recourse through the registrar in Arizona. Say for example Little Johnny went and washed a house, and really botched it up. They could complain to the registrar, and an inspector will come out and say, A. "Yep, he botched it" and let them file a claim against the contractors bond, or B. "Sorry, this is industry standard." If a claim is filed, it goes against the contractor and he has a chance to repair it, or pay (dearly) for the customer to have someone else do it, and they are reimbursed by the registrar.
I understand the concept of hack licensed contractors, but, you are in the industry, and see it all the time. People are using it as a sales tool, when all they are selling is air and warm, fuzzy feelings.
 
I agree selling yourself as licensed when your not is wrong and I can understand the people that are paying and playing the game would be upset. I just don't think the state has any lawful authority to license (Def. a grant of permission to do something that would be illegal otherwise) any lawful activity period. And if licensing, accreditation etc are useful and needed then free people will fill that need like all others - A 'licensing' agency (non government) whose stamp of approval means something and is worth paying for or they will go out of business.

As an aside on licenses, a marriage license came in to existence when it was required to marry outside your race (do something that would be illegal otherwise), soon enough it's supposedly required for everyone. Drivers licenses were created for those that use everyones streets to make money for themselves - a cab company etc. No one else needs a license to travel on their own roads but soon enough of course - everyones 'required' to get a driver license
 
Here, there is no requirement for a Contrators registration License for the group "Pressure Washing" However, we go ahead and register as it is a 3rd party that we can point potential customers to "verify" us. The Contractor Registration is simply there to hold a copy of our Insurance certs and Workers Comp certs. It is only $30/yr here, but the kicker is that you MUST show proof of these insurances to get the registration number. They require your renewal certs every year.

Like I said it isn't a requirement for our field but we do it jsut because it PROVES through a third party (Governmental) that we carry the Insurances. Mostly because the other washers don't have the license, it can create just enough doubt in the potential customer that they may or may not really have the Insurances. I help with that doubt by nudging the idea that why wouldn't they pay $30/yr to have a place where public could verify thier Business and Insurances unless they didn't have the certs.

I agree with Scott, that it should not be advertised if it isn't so. Most don't know the difference which is sad.
 
Licensed can mean several things in AZ. From what an ROC employee told me, and it is stated on their website, "an ROC is needed for any single job that you charge $1000 or more on." I was also told like stated in this thread, that pressure washing companies don't need a license, BUT, each city has their own rules too. If you do business in Tucson, you need a city license.

We hold business licenses in Tucson, Marana, and Oro Valley (basically to cover all of Tucson area).
 
By licensed we mean we are registered with the counties where we work and the city where our shop is. By insured we mean we carry liability insurance up to $2mln. We also have a valid workers comp with the valid code for the work we do. I think it falls under street cleaning. The biggest customer we have (8 big shopping centers) surely required and checked all that to the last detail.

I think there is no way you can play around with false titles when you are involved in continuous long term contracts and big companies.

Unfortunately, on the other hand, all these titles and requirements cost us so much fixed expenses that sometimes it's just a big money flow and so little left..
 
You do need a license in Arizona for graffiti removal. They actually get sticky about it. If they realized how expensive some pressure washing jobs can be, they would require it for pressure washing, too.
 
Scott Stone said:
You do need a license in Arizona for graffiti removal. They actually get sticky about it. If they realized how expensive some pressure washing jobs can be, they would require it for pressure washing, too.
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I haven't gotten into graffiti removal yet.
 
D38 - Sand and Water Blasting ContractorCalifornia Code of Regulations
Division 8, Title 16, Article 3. Classification


A sand and water blasting contractor uses the force of compressed air in conjunction with abrasive materials or water to clean or prepare surfaces for any protective, decorative and/or functional treatment.

This license is required in the State of California. Many public work pressure washing projects require a D-38 as a requirement of the RFP.

I personally have a business license in many major cities in the Bay Area and then can proudly say I am a Business Licensed Service Provider in that city.

I will be obtaining my D-38 so I can bid several Public Works Pressure Washing projects in California that I have missed because of the lack of my State Contractors license.
 
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