I’m considering getting my contractor license in Pennsylvania - what is the process? How long does it take?
Have you encountered many potential clients who are interested in seeing your license or even know about it?
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Legally, to do the work you are describing - or anything over 5000.00 you need to register at the Attorney General’s Office. There will be some fees but at the end of the day home owners will feel safer knowing you are registered. Plus even just one job per year you get from a home owner that would have tuned you away, had you not been registered, will more than pay for the costs.
Do it.
Here is a phone number: 1-888-520-6680
Also, you need to become familiar with Google, it will help get this ball rolling. Any question you have, there will be an answer there. Good luck.
Check with you local license authority. department of labor i’m guessing. you might need to take the test in order to be licensed. some states don’t require license. But most states do. then you’ll have to get insurance and Works comp. And Fallow the rules with License requirments continuing education etc!
PA requires you have insurance in the amount of $50k per occurance but if you are going to do this for a living, get at least a million dollars worth of liability insurance. The attorney generals office will issue you a HIC# that starts with PA and you can print the certificate from their website until the original is mailed along with a card showing you are registetred.
PA also requires you display the number on your marketing materials to a degree and your vehicles should have your business name, phone number and HIC# on them.
Starting in 2009 all contractors need to be registered with the PA registered contractors Assc. For insurance and advertising purposes.
Visit the website shown below. If you have your certificate of insurance (and a registered agent for out of state businesses) you can finish the entire process in about 20 minutes.
http://www.attorneygeneral.gov/hic.aspxSighn onto the state attorneys web page follow all the instructions it’s pretty simple. And for the fee they charge you will make it up on your first job
Pennsylvania requires any contractor or person who has made $5000 or more in a year performing home improvements, to register with the State Attorney Generals’ Office. The fee is low and the license is valid for 2 years. You need to provide proof of business insurance and answer questions about criminal activity etc. They will assign you a number, which needs to be on all of your paperwork, business cards, vehicle (if you have a lettered truck or van) and on any signage and in any adds.
You must also provide the homeowner with a contract for any work to be performed on the residence that is over $500.
Best of luck to you.