Qualifying Agent

[Kilowatt Jones]

Well, I have 28 years commercial experience. I have been on my own more or less for the last 7 years. Good years and bad. I hold contractor licenses in three states. I don't have nor do I want any employees.

I have been approached by a residential home remodeling business to come on board with them and be their qualifying agent.

They are having trouble procuring electrical contractors and just want to do it in house.

I'm not really crazy about residential but, I'm not getting any younger and they have offered me a pretty attractive package.

Would I still be able to pull permits apart from them? Tennessee, Virginia and Kentucky.

 

[augie47]

In TN the requirement would vary depending on State or local jurisdiction.
The State simply wants a contractor to pull a permit to be responsible and could care less who does the work.
Some local jurisdictions want licensed journeymen on your payroll on site.

 

[mtnelect]

It's interesting how different jurisdictions handle this. But, in California you have to be involved at the project level, or it's a violation. It got out of hand when more and more contractors were offering their license to multiple companies, without any supervision. It became a "Cottage" industry. Not anymore !

 

[letgomywago]

Even if you don't have to be highly involved I'd recommend it. You have a chance to help train up their guys and maybe even get some who'd be interested in learning more in the trade that the company could venture into.

 

[Kilowatt Jones]

Oh I promise I will watch them like a hawk and will be on payroll full time. I just have a few honey pot customers I don't want to let go.

 

[mtnelect]

Even if you don't have to be highly involved I'd recommend it. You have a chance to help train up their guys and maybe even get some who'd be interested in learning more in the trade that the company could venture into.

What the CSLB discovered from consumer complaints, that they never saw that person that was supposedly to be supervising's their project. It became a "Scam". You sit back home and collect your fees without ever having any connection with the company you are supposedly supervising. The CSLB discovered that the contractors that were qualifying their license up to 5 different companies at a time. How could you be at 5 different places at a time ?

 

[Strathead]

What the CSLB discovered from consumer complaints, that they never saw that person that was supposedly to be supervising's their project. It became a "Scam". You sit back home and collect your fees without ever having any connection with the company you are supposedly supervising. The CSLB discovered that the contractors that were qualifying their license up to 5 different companies at a time. How could you be at 5 different places at a time ?

The thing is, when do you think the qualifier of Roendin Electric, Helix Electric, Sasco, etc. was on each of the jobs he/she qualified?

 

[gadfly56]

In TN the requirement would vary depending on State or local jurisdiction.
The State simply wants a contractor to pull a permit to be responsible and could care less who does the work.
Some local jurisdictions want licensed journeymen on your payroll on site.

In NJ you can be the qualifier for only one company at a time. If you move from your own company to another, you can't keep your business active.

 

[Todd0x1]

It's interesting how different jurisdictions handle this. But, in California you have to be involved at the project level, or it's a violation. It got out of hand when more and more contractors were offering their license to multiple companies, without any supervision. It became a "Cottage" industry. Not anymore !

As RME you have to be involved with the jobs, but as a RMO you just need to be involved with running the business in some capacity which is very easy to accomplish. CSLB doesn't want people 'renting' their licenses and otherwise having no involvement with the company or the work.