New License Added: Irrigation Contractor

Big news has been announced regarding a new contractor category for Irrigation Contractors. As to when this license will be active, all we have heard is “in the near future”. What we do know is that the Irrigation Contractor’s exam will be administered via pencil and paper during the April and June 2013 exams. Even better news is that it will be converted to Computer Based format exam in August of 2013. 

This license has been added so that individuals and businesses who work solely with execution of contracts requiring installation, maintenance, repair, alterations, extension, and design of irrigation systems will now be able to legally provide this service without a separate license that is out of the scope of work performed. It is known that this does not include the installation of backflow preventers, which is work that must be performed by a licensed plumber. The Irrigation Contractor’s domain begins at the downstream side of the backflow preventer. Irrigation systems used for agricultural purposes shall not be included within the scope of this license either.

Contractors that would like to take this exam in April or June will be able to register starting in February. The team at Licenses, Etc. will definitely keep you up to date with any new information as it becomes available.

Congratulations, November licensees!

Congratulations to the following Licenses, Etc. clients who were approved in November: 

• Antonio Uzcategui at Beta Calum, LLC of Jacksonville, NC
• Jeff Lackner at Benchmark Alliance Group, LLC of Naples, FL
• Mike Ricklick at Americold, LLC and RCI Air Conditioning Company of Palmetto Bay, FL
• Charles Everett, Broward Dock and Seawall, Inc. of Pompano Beach, FL
• Maurice Sweet at Tier 1 Custom Builders, LLC of Miramar Beach, FL
• Celia Swink at Swink Consulting and Management, Inc. of West Palm Beach, FL
• Joseph Jack Polansky at JEST Consulting, L.L.C. of Davie, FL
• Brad Lee at Brad Lee Construction, LLC of Havana, FL
• Jason Cline at Cline Roofing Services, Inc. of St. Petersburg, FL
• Mark Raley at Revolution Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc. of St. Petersburg, FL
• Alan Wackes at Allied Bean Demolition, Inc. of Coconut Creek, FL
• Robert Miller at Highland Contractors, Inc. of Wellington, FL

FYI:  Since the rules changed, qualifying an additional business entity application is much easier.  You might want to reconsider that second business you always wanted to open. It’s a great time to do it!

Fictitious Names May Be Up for Renewal

Fictitious names, also known as DBAs (Doing Business As), are valid for 5 years and expire on December 31st of the fifth year. Make sure you do not forget to renew if yours is due this year.

Each Fictitious Name Registration must be renewed between July 1 and December 31 of the expiration year to maintain active status. The Division of Corporations will mail to the last reported mailing address, at least 3 months prior to its expiration date, a statement of renewal. This is one reason it is very important to keep your current address on file with the Division of Corporations.

Remember that a DBA is owned by the business entity not the individual, unless you are a sole proprietorship. Operating as a sole proprietorship is typically not the best choice due to tax issues, the fact that you cannot obtain worker’s compensation exemption, and the lack of liability protection. Always consult an attorney or accountant when making decisions like this about your business.

Let us know if you have any questions about renewal. We are always here to help. Our team is your team.

Foreign Filing Facts

Many have expressed confusion about exactly what a foreign filing is. We would like to take a moment to discuss this subject. What is it and why would you do it?

Simply put if you want to conduct business in a state other than the state in which your business was formed, you need to file for foreign qualification with the new state where you would like to conduct business. 

Common reasons why business owners perform a foreign filing versus creating a separate, new corporation:

• Tax benefits in the home state.
• Ability to file under the same Federal Identification Number.
• Insurance only needs to be obtained by the one entity.
• All employees are under the same umbrella company and able to work on any projects that the company has going.

This is just a bit of information on foreign filings. We are neither accountants nor attorneys and any specific questions as to what would be right for you should be directed to one of these professionals. Remember if you have a foreign filing, you still must stay on top of the filings for the home state or it will become a defunct company! Let us know if you have any questions.

Congratulations, October licensees!

Congratulations to the following Licenses, Etc. clients who were approved in October:

• William DeBella at Golden Pool Service, LLC of Naples, FL
• Josh Martin at Vermillion Toney, LLC dba ServPro of Cape Coral of Cape Coral, FL
• Thomas Cain at Aluminum FX Construction, Inc. of Plant City, FL
• Anthony Esposito at Dana Engineering, Construction, Consulting Co. of New Port Richy, FL
• Michael Suggs at Michael Suggs Enterprises, Inc. of St. Augustine, FL
• William Green at B. Green Builder, LLC of Naples, FL
• Rick Stephano at Campbell, Rosemurgy, Stephano Construction Services, LLC of Deerfield Beach, FL
• Daniel Zuloaga at Real Rock Company of Naples, FL
• Steven Pittman at Rifenburg Construction, Inc. of Troy, NY
• Brian Machin at Xtreme Home Builders DBA Eagle Fence Corp of Hialeah, FL
• Phillip Grannell at Grannell Enterprises Inc. of Englewood, FL
• Robert B. Krampen, Sr. at Brico Home Conditioning LLC of Fort Myers, FL
• Traci Brentano at Ceco Pipeline Services Company, Inc. of Houston , TX
• Reina Yvonne Longsworth at Longsworth Comfort Air, LLC of Lehigh Acres, FL

And remember if you would like to be set up on Social Media Networking sites, call Lisa at 239.777.8321 for more information.

It is Now MUCH EASIER to Qualify an Additional Business Entity!

The Qualifying an Additional Business Entity application has been streamlined and we are finding that it has helped a lot of individuals be able to realize their goals. The CILB no longer requires CPA prepared financials or letter of capitalization which means that they are not checking for positive equity any longer if it does not go to the board for review. They also do not require 3-months of bank statements, bank verification letter, a list of projects completed by each company, information about vendors or who can pull permits, or a signature from a “responsible party” of each company.

What they do still require is that you own at least 50% of each business independent of each other to have the application processed and approved at the DBPR.  Officially they have 30 days to do this review, but typically things are getting completed in 2 weeks or so. If the qualifier does not own at least 50% of each of the business entities, then the application will have a mandated review by the CILB.  This review will bump the approval process from the 2 weeks to about 3 months.  This is all because of scheduling for the board meeting.  The qualifier would need to attend the meeting and answer any and all questions posed by the board. 

Things to keep in mind:

• The qualifier must either be an equity owner of BOTH companies OR a W2 employee of BOTH companies, or a combination thereof.  If they are not, there is a VERY slim chance that they will approve the application, and it is not recommended to proceed.
• Ideally, the two business entities should be geographically convenient to each other, as the qualifier will need to be able to explain how they will be able to properly supervise the projects being undertaken by both companies.
• The board can ask any other questions that they deem relevant to this process.

In addition to this, they are still looking for open bankruptcies/liens/judgments, but now also look at CREDIT SCORES.  Any applicant with a credit score below 660 is required to get a financial stability bond.  For Division-1 licenses (CRC, CBC and CGC), the bond is $20,000. For Division-2 licenses (everything else), the bond is $10,000.  Bond amounts can be cut in half ($10,000 D-1, $5,000 D-2) by taking a 14-hour financial responsibility course.

We know this is a lot to take in… trust us… WE KNOW. No one likes change, but this could be just the change you have been looking for. The one thing that can be counted on, we are here to help you.

2012 Grandfathering Does Not Apply to Electrical Contractors

There appears to be some confusion over which registered licenses can now submit applications to become certified through the new Grandfathering statute. There were no changes to the Florida Statutes to allow for grandfathering of registered electrical contractors’ licenses. Only registered licensees under the purview of the Construction Industry Licensing Board can grandfather.

The DBPR has stated that some licensees have received letters from county building departments that they can grandfather their registered electrical contractor’s license. These letters are incorrect and there is no grandfathering for registered electrical contractors at this time.

If you are interested in becoming certified, we can help you file an application for the initial issuance of your Certified Electrical license. Or, if you do have a registered license governed by the CILB, you can find more information here:  http://licensesetc.blogspot.com/2012/09/registered-contractors-grandfathering.html