There is almost always a big demand for services in the Florida construction market. In the weeks, and now months, following Hurricane Ian, that demand is even bigger than ever before. It is important to protect yourself by hiring only a licensed carpentry contractor.
Demand and Desperation
High demand and low supply of carpentry contractors can create an environment where unlicensed individuals can find it easier to convince consumers to hire them. Add to that the desperation some may feel when they are trying to get their home or business repaired after the storm and get their lives back to normal. Con artists and unlicensed contractors prey on situations like this. Even though it may feel like a formality to have a license, there are many good reasons that they are required.
Legal Requirements
Florida devotes an entire Chapter (489) of state statutes to contracting and 489.101-489.147 deals specifically with construction contracting. There is a lot of legalese in these statutes, but the takeaway for the layman is this: It is a crime to engage in construction contracting without proper licensing.
How to Verify
Verifying if you are dealing with a licensed carpentry contractor is not difficult. A contractor can be either licensed through the State of Florida or in the county they are operating in. If your prospective contractor is licensed through the state, you can verify the license Department of Business and Professional Regulation at their web portal. They also have a useful feature that allows you to search for unlicensed activity complaints. This allows you to see if the state has investigated them before for this activity.
Verifying that a carpentry contractor is licensed in Lee County is also easy to do. Simply visit the Lee County Community Development page and select the trade your contractor is engaged in. You will find that Waldron Carpentry is license CP04-00770.
Collier County is also easy. Visit the Collier County Growth Management page and select whether you want to verify a state license, local license, a contractor’s insurance or any complaints. You’ll be able to verify Waldron Carpentry’s active license #C29813.
It is worth noting that a local Business Tax Receipt (BTR) is not a license and should not be used as proof that the contractor is licensed to do the work he/she is contracting to perform.
Why Does it Matter?
Unlicensed contractors may tend to do lower-quality work. That is reason enough but there are other ramifications to hiring them. First, an unlicensed contractor may not pull permits for the work. That means their work will not be inspected by impartial government inspectors to make sure that the work is done according to building codes. Those codes are in place to protect consumers from sub-standard, even dangerous work product. Lack of permits can also negatively affect the value of your property when you sell it later. If you decide to sell the property, you have to disclose the work that was done. Even if you don’t, there is a good chance it will be discovered during their due diligence activities.
A licensed carpentry contractor has insurance and can use construction bonds to cover the expenses involved in your project. An unlicensed contractor doesn’t have the ability to do this and it places you at risk financially. Suppliers, sub-contractors or workers can place liens against your home or business if they don’t get paid.
Liability
This is possibly the biggest risk of all, at least in terms of financial risk. One of the biggest is the risk of liability for injuries. If the unlicensed contractor or his/her sub-contractors injure themselves on your property, the liability falls on you. A serious injury or death can cost hundreds of thousands or more. Even relatively minor injuries can become expensive quickly.
Lack of a Contract or Warranty
A licensed contractor should give you a written contract. An unlicensed one really doesn’t have that option. Even if they give you some paperwork, the contract is virtually unenforceable because they are engaged in illegal activity. That will also invalidate any warranty they promised you.
Waldron Carpentry is a licensed carpentry contractor with over 20 years of history in Southwest Florida. Our reputation in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples and Lehigh Acres is one we are proud of. When we say we’ll do something, we’ll do it. It’s as simple as that.
Waldron Carpentry does wood rough carpentry, exterior trim and siding, wood framing, custom roof trusses and finish carpentry. If you need a licensed carpentry contractor you can rely on, we would love to hear about your project. Contact us at our website or call us at (239) 707-1770. We look forward to building a relationship with you.