California contractors license

[Michaeljftsmith]

Hello everyone,
I’ve been doing hardwood, laminate, lvp and tile floors off and on (mostly on) in California for the better part of 20 years. I’ve always been an employee and worked under a licensed contractor. I’m 43 years old, married with 3 children under 4 years old. I’ve been thinking a lot lately that it’s time to get licensed myself. I feel like this will benefit my family and I a lot more. Besides “move outta California,” lol, what advice or words of wisdom do you have for me?

 

[Tile Tom]

Not sure as anyone on here is all that familiar with California laws and regulations for contractors.

All I can say is that if you been doing this for all those years I would assume you have contacts in this business. Don't burn ANY bridges...even if they should be burned. Stay current with all the new material and how to install them correctly. Make a good name for yourself and your crew. Stand behind your work no matter what... Even if it means tearing something out and replacing it on your dime! Don't expect to start making money right away. Treat your help right, pay them right and on time every week. Don't get in over your head and spread out too thin. Complete jobs before taking on more.

Word of mouth is huge in this business!

All the basics I can think of. Do you think you can scrounge up work? Have any shops willing to sub you work?

 

[Michaeljftsmith]

Not sure as anyone on here is all that familiar with California laws and regulations for contractors.

All I can say is that if you been doing this for all those years I would assume you have contacts in this business. Don't burn ANY bridges...even if they should be burned. Stay current with all the new material and how to install them correctly. Make a good name for yourself and your crew. Stand behind your work no matter what... Even if it means tearing something out and replacing it on your dime! Don't expect to start making money right away. Treat your help right, pay them right and on time every week. Don't get in over your head and spread out too thin. Complete jobs before taking on more.

Word of mouth is huge in this business!

All the basics I can think of. Do you think you can scrounge up work? Have any shops willing to sub you work?

Not sure as anyone on here is all that familiar with California laws and regulations for contractors.

All I can say is that if you been doing this for all those years I would assume you have contacts in this business. Don't burn ANY bridges...even if they should be burned. Stay current with all the new material and how to install them correctly. Make a good name for yourself and your crew. Stand behind your work no matter what... Even if it means tearing something out and replacing it on your dime! Don't expect to start making money right away. Treat your help right, pay them right and on time every week. Don't get in over your head and spread out too thin. Complete jobs before taking on more.

Word of mouth is huge in this business!

All the basics I can think of. Do you think you can scrounge up work? Have any shops willing to sub you work?

Not sure as anyone on here is all that familiar with California laws and regulations for contractors.

All I can say is that if you been doing this for all those years I would assume you have contacts in this business. Don't burn ANY bridges...even if they should be burned. Stay current with all the new material and how to install them correctly. Make a good name for yourself and your crew. Stand behind your work no matter what... Even if it means tearing something out and replacing it on your dime! Don't expect to start making money right away. Treat your help right, pay them right and on time every week. Don't get in over your head and spread out too thin. Complete jobs before taking on more.

Word of mouth is huge in this business!

All the basics I can think of. Do you think you can scrounge up work? Have any shops willing to sub you work?

I know people who manage rentals. Also I have a good friend who does remodels and add-ons. Is work that far and in between that I’d have to “scrounge it up?” I’ve never really had much of a problem finding side work. Also I have a decent relationship with the guy I work for now and I see no reason why he wouldn’t sub out work to me. Another thing is that working for him as an employee I make $83,000/year. That might seem like a lot for some people but not here in Northern California lol. Some people might not even see the point if they’re already making decent money as an employee. My whole thing is that I’m not getting any younger and this line of work is all I know. I’m not gonna be able to work on my hands and knees forever. I’m only 43 and I think I have more aches and pains than the normal 43 year old because of the line of work I’m in. So I eventually want to be able to hire people to do it for me and make money off of them. I have 18 month old twin sons right now and by the time I’m 65 they’ll be in their early 20s and can be working for me maybe or maybe their friends will need a job. I don’t know. I guess I gotta start somewhere

 

[Steve079]

I've been a licensed contractor in Calif since 85, installing since 79. What gets most in trouble is not taking care of business and getting those quarterly tax payments in place. The shop I work at has hourly and licensed guys, the hourly guys get the gravy jobs close to home. If you can work for multiple shops and cherry pick the jobs you'll be better off. I'd say get your license, test the waters, it can work out. I have 2 sons, they both worked summers for me: I like to think that experience led to them picking different career paths. My most profitable work was full cove heat welded vinyl, our shop does flooring for out local hospital. I've spent about 4 months out of the year, for many years, doing projects for them. Skilled vinyl guys that can cove and weld, are in high demand.

 

[Tile Tom]

I know people who manage rentals. Also I have a good friend who does remodels and add-ons. Is work that far and in between that I’d have to “scrounge it up?” I’ve never really had much of a problem finding side work. Also I have a decent relationship with the guy I work for now and I see no reason why he wouldn’t sub out work to me. Another thing is that working for him as an employee I make $83,000/year. That might seem like a lot for some people but not here in Northern California lol. Some people might not even see the point if they’re already making decent money as an employee. My whole thing is that I’m not getting any younger and this line of work is all I know. I’m not gonna be able to work on my hands and knees forever. I’m only 43 and I think I have more aches and pains than the normal 43 year old because of the line of work I’m in. So I eventually want to be able to hire people to do it for me and make money off of them. I have 18 month old twin sons right now and by the time I’m 65 they’ll be in their early 20s and can be working for me maybe or maybe their friends will need a job. I don’t know. I guess I gotta start somewhere

Didn't really mean scrounge literally. Just do you think you could get enough work through your network of people to keep yourself and/or your guys busy mon-fri?

Didn't realize Steve was from California. He's the guy you want the advice from about the contacting licensing etc.

 

[Michaeljftsmith]

Thanks guys. I appreciate your input. I think I’m just gonna do it and test the water like you said Steve. Also Tom, I think I have enough people in my network to get a good start. I feel like this is the next step in my career. I almost wish I would’ve decided to do this sooner. I need a few months to save the money to pay for everything and then I’m gonna go for it. Thanks again guys

 

[Steve079]

Good luck to you! One of our hourly guys got his license at the tail end of 2020. He was all about how he was going to book all these jobs and get more money. But, we're in a small town of 5500 people, with a county population of about 60K. The other bookings didn't materialize, and his day to day didn't really change, except the jobs he got weren't what he had been getting as an hourly guy, he's so fast that the shop was giving him the big gravy jobs as an hourly guy, as it made them more money. Once he got his license, that incentive went away and he really struggled, winding up back as an hourly guy this year. He just stepped into waters that moved too fast for him. Flooring does not always attract the best and the brightest, lol. Present company excluded, of course

 

[Michaeljftsmith]

Good luck to you! One of our hourly guys got his license at the tail end of 2020. He was all about how he was going to book all these jobs and get more money. But, we're in a small town of 5500 people, with a county population of about 60K. The other bookings didn't materialize, and his day to day didn't really change, except the jobs he got weren't what he had been getting as an hourly guy, he's so fast that the shop was giving him the big gravy jobs as an hourly guy, as it made them more money. Once he got his license, that incentive went away and he really struggled, winding up back as an hourly guy this year. He just stepped into waters that moved too fast for him. Flooring does not always attract the best and the brightest, lol. Present company excluded, of course

Geez I hope he didn’t give up though. It’s good to have big dreams but not too unrealistic I guess. I live in a city with a bigger population than your county and a county of about 3/4 of million so I have that going for me so far lol. I’m thinking its kind of a “you get as much as you put in” type of thing. I’ll try not to set my expectations too high at first.