There is some justification in requiring a Contractor’s license for
construction clean up in some states. – In Michigan at least, construction
clean-up is covered by a different MI-OSHA standard as well.
In addition one would need a contractor’s license, at least in Michigan, to
place a Lien for non-payment on a property.
One would need to check their state laws, standards, statutes, etc.
I’ve found that most of the Window Cleaner’s that advertize as being
"Licensed" are simply lying. – (Perhaps fraud?) Licenses are registered
with the state and are public record, easy to find.
We have a “Builders” License; they are not all that hard to get, just a test
and some paperwork.
I advertize as being “licensed” because I have a city business license. There is not a state license for window cleaning in South Carolina.
The reason why I state being licensed is because there are certain city’s in my work area that require that you be licensed to work within the city. If you do not have a license and are working in the city, they will hound both the contractor and the customer who has hired the contractor! The city of Clemson, SC has all city workers (garbage man, meter reader, police) to stop and ask to see your “license” if it’s not displayed on your rear view mirror in your truck. I won’t hang it on my mirror as it poses a safety issue.
Most business (including window cleaners) here in Greensboro are required to
have a business license ($50 for the first $15k in gross + 50c for each
additional thousand). But it has not always been so. When I started my
business in 1977, no cleaning or janitorial business required a license. Now
the only business I know of where you don’t need a business license here is
real estate investing.
I forgot to mention that a city business lic is different than a Contractor’s lic. City licensing is usually just a matter of paying a fee, but the deal killer here is that they want to see your water capture techniques… For the Contractor’s lic, a state exam is required (usually a year or so out to sched, and then Workman’s Comp is tied to your lic - between a rock & a hard place…!
