Mobile Apps for Contractors Part 2

Mobile apps make people’s lives easier, even in the workplace. Information is faster to retrieve and communication happens faster. Mobile apps aren’t just for games anymore. Employeers can use these apps to track time, share projects, research information and more. As a contractor, you can use many mobile apps out there whether you’re in the field or in an office. And, many of these apps work offline, so you’re able to record or access information even in a remote, offline area.

Mobile apps are becoming increasingly popular in the contracting community. Here is a few quick statistics: 48 percent of construction companies use mobile technology to get customer and job info, and 47 percent of construction companies use mobile apps for drawings, schedules, photos, and documents.

Below, we wanted to share with you some of the newest mobile apps out there for you to use in your daily life on the job.

BlueVue Plans – This app gives contractors quick and easy access to construction plans and revisions.

FTQ360 – This app helps contractors focus on tracking and improving quality, safety and subcontractor performance. There are more than 150 quality control checklists.

Estimate Rocket – This app helps contractors with estimating, invoicing, scheduling, project tracking and CRM; contractors can create and send digital estimates and invoices from the field.

Autodesk BIM 360 – This app helps an employer keep employees up-to-date with documents, plans, and models. This is a document management software.

Safety Meeting – This app covers 34 different trades and meets OSHA’s required meeting laws; it stores records electronically.

Fast Concrete Pad Calculator – This app calculates quantities of concrete and rebar required for a concrete-pad project. It also calculates cost, waste, and allows people to email estimates.

Looking to get your Florida contractor’s license? You want to make sure you’re licensed, so you don’t get in trouble for practicing illegally. If you’re looking to get a contractor license, let our team help you. We are a contractor licensing team in Southwest Florida. To get the process started, click here or call 239-777-1028.

Contractor Products Worth Checking Out Part 2

We live in a high-tech world; people need answers fast and are working more efficiently than ever due to new and improved technological advancements. We wanted to share with our contracting community some new and useful construction products that are currently on the market.

CYBERWATCH SAT – this is a satellite, wireless alarm and location meter, specifically designed for remote locations. In a remote location, a contractor can connect his or her phone to the device mounted on a piece of equipment. With this device, a person can send an email or text.

New Book – “A Guide to Building Natural Swimming Pools” by Schiffer Publishing covers management, excavation, lining, walling, plumbing, electrical. Planting, structure, maintenance and more.

ThermalTech – This company has released a solar-powered smart fabric. It is made from stainless steel yarn, is lightweight, and keeps the body warm even at night. This fabric is not bulky and more fashionable looking.

Starlock Multi-Tool System – This system gives a person a quick-change blades with a color code system so a person chooses the correct blade for the job at hand.

Paperlight – PaperLight is a projection display that is touch enabled; it connects to a computer so a person can view and share full-size drawings digitally.

Live streaming – TrueLook, which produces camera systems for construction project monitoring and time-lapsing, now offer a live-streaming option. Employers and managers can watch a live stream of any job site through a web app.

MyServiceWhale – This is a widget that business owners and contractors can install on their websites to give potential clients accurate quotes.

Liquid Nanotint – This product can reduce radiant and conductive heat from windows, making them more energy efficient. You can paint this product on.

New technologies in the contracting business is exciting, but only if you’re a licensed contractor! Otherwise, it’s illegal for you to be working a job. If you’re interested in becoming a contractor, you’ll want to get your Florida contractor’s license. We are a contractor licensing company. We also help people get their Georgia contractor’s license. To get started on the licensing process, click here or call 239-777-1028.

Make Sure You’re Covered with Worker’s Compensation Insurance

Workplace accidents happen. This is why it is important for a contractor to have general liability and worker’s compensation insurance (that is updated and sufficient), especially when on a job site. Florida’s insurance coverage requirements are always in effect for active licenses, regardless if there is a current project going on or not.

When you get your Florida contractor’s license, the state gives licensees a 30-day period from when your license was issues to get worker’s compensation insurance or an exemption. Exemptions are used when a licensed contractor has no employees. However, when it comes to general liability insurance coverage, Florida contractor licensees must obtain the minimum coverage immediately. Whether you plan to work a job immediately or not, you still need to get coverage right away to avoid fines and penalities.

If you move places of employment or ceased the operation of a company, you need to take the proper steps to deactivate the license or move it to a new entity. As long as your license is in an active status, you are required to be properly insured, so make sure your status is inactive if you plan on not working.

Just a reminder: insurance is required to pull permits, so remember to keep your coverages updated and make sure you are covered in all ways you’re legally supposed to be.

If you have any questions about worker’s compensation insurance, exemptions, or general liability insurance for Florida contractors, we can help you. We can also help give you an insurance referral. If you’re looking to get a Florida contractor’s license, we can help you start the process today. We make the process easy and quick. We do all the heavy lifting for you! We know how to properly fill out forms and file to ensure your application will go through and not get denied. Contact us by clicking here or calling 239-777-1028.

What is a Residential Contractor?

Ever thought of a career in contracting? Like building things? Working with your hands? Thinking critically? Solving problems? If you said yes to all of these things, you may want to look into being a contractor. A contractor is a rewarding career. You get to work on a project and see the fruits of your labor. Hard work pays off in this industry. Plus, you’ll most likely stay in great physical shape because of it. There are also a number of different specialties in the contracting community. One of the biggest contracting specialties is a residential contractor. A residential contractor must obtain a license in the state of Florida to work.

What does a residential contractor do? A residential contractor constructs, remodels, repairs or improves homes (single, two-family, three-family etc) that do not go above two stories. If you want to work on buildings more than three stories, you must get another license, a Florida building contractor’s license. Or, if you want less restrictions on what t=you can build or work on, a general contractor’s license would be your best bet.

Before getting a license, a person must take three different exams: the Residential Contract Administration exam; the Residential Project Management Exam; and the Business and Finance Exam. The Residential Contract Administration Exam is 45 questions long, open book and lasts 4 hours and 45 minutes. The subjects on the exam include: pre-construction activities, project contracts, obtaining licenses, permits and approvals, construction procedures and operations. The Residential Project Management Exam is 60 questions, open book and lasts 4 hours and 45 minutes. Subjects in the test include: construction methods, materials, tools, equipment, safety, reading plans and specifications. The Business and Finance Exam is 120 questions is 6 hours and 30 minutes. Subjects on this test include: establishing contracting business, managing admin duties, managing trade operations, conducting accounting functions, managing human resources, and complying with government regulations.

If you have taken the exams and are ready to apply for a Florida contractor’s license, let us help you. The process can be confusing, and often times, people fail to get their license if things are missing or filled out incorrectly. We are an experienced team of professionals who have helped thousands of people get their contractor’s license. Click here to get your license process started today or call 239-777-1028.

What is an Irrigation Contractor?

Contracting is a huge industry. When a person things of contracting, often times, construction or electrical industries, come to mind. However, there are so many specialties in the world of contracting. Whether you like working with pipes or wood or windows, there is a type of contracting out there to suit a person’s interests and skill set. For this particular article, we wanted to focus on: a irrigation contractor.

A Florida Irrigation contractor maintains, repairs, alters, extends, manages, monitors, audits and designs irrigation systems, including excavation work. Irrigation systems including piping, fittings, sprinklers, drip irrigation products, valves, irrigation controllers, control wiring, water pumps, rain sensors, water conservation devices, water harvesting systems, irrigation main lines, utility alternative water supply distribution lines, and dedicated backflow prevention devices.

To become an irrigation contractor in the state of Florida, a person must take and pass two state certification exams. The Irrigation exam and the Business & Law exam. The Irrigation exam is an open-book test consisting of 80 questions and people are tested on the topics of: pre-construction, construction, maintenance and repair, scheduling and water conservation, rules, laws, and codes. The Business and Finance exam last 6.5 hours and is 120 questions. Topics on the test include: establishing the contracting business, managing administrative duties, managing trade operations, conducting accounting functions, managing HR, and complying with government regulations.

People can take classes to prepare and pass for the two exams. If a person does not take the exams, he or she cannot apply for a license.  In-person classes for these exams are not mandatory; there are also online classes. There are also a variety of books available that can prepare a person for these exams.

Thinking about getting a Florida contractor’s license? In irrigation? Or any other contracting specialty? Our team of professionals can help you. We work with our clients to help them get through the contracting process fast and easy. We do in-depth reviews of licenses packages to ensure everything is exactly right and everything is included. Contact us today. To learn more or start the process, click here or call 239-777-1028.

Florida and Georgia Annual Report filing time

The annual report time has come and contractor business owners need to file this report before May 1. If a person or company files late in the state of Florida, there is a $400 late penalty that will be given.

The annual report lists important information about a business including: address, registered agent information, officer information and more. When doing this filing, a person also needs to pay the annual renewal fee; this keeps the company active for another whole year. The fee for a corporation is $150 while the fee for a LLC is $138.75.

Like stated above, this filing is necessary because it lets the Secretary of State know you want to keep your company active for another year. This is also the time for any updates you have to outdated or wrong information about your company.

If by the month of September you still do not file this annual report, the corporation or LLC will become administratively dissolved. You can however reinstate and you’ll be subject to any and all annual report payments missed in previous years. A business name is only held for one year.

In Georgia, the annual report filing fee is $50 for both corporations and LLCs. If you file after April 1, the fine is $25 for being late.

Have any questions about the annual report? Need assistance with the filing of the report? Whether you live in Florida or Georgia, we can help! We are a company who helps contractors get their Florida contractor licenses and their Georgia contractor licenses. We make the process easy and it goes by fast. We will help you with any question you may have. Contact us at 239-777-1028 or at support@licensesetc.com. If you want to learn more about or services or contact us online, visit our website here.

How Do I Get A Florida Contractor’s License?

Are you looking to get your Florida contractor’s license? Great! We hope this blog article helps. In the state of Florida, you need your contractor’s license to practice legally. The Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board issues certified contractor’s licenses to:

Division 1: general, building, and residential
Division 2: Mechanical, roofing, plumbing, Air conditioning class A, Air conditioning class B, Pollutant storage systems, Dry wall specialty, Solar, Sheet metal, Underground utility and excavation, Tank lining applicator, Gas line specialty, Solar water heating specialty, Commercial pool/spa, Residential pool/spa, Pollutant storage systems, Glass and glazing specialty, Pool/spa Servicing, and specialty.

To get a Florida contractor’s license, an applicant must pass an exam. To qualify for the exam, a person must be at least 18 years old and has to meet at least one of the following bulleted items from the list below.

  • A person must have a four-year construction-related degree from an accredited college and one year related experience (that can be proven).
  • A person must have one year of experience as a foreman and no less than three years of credits for any accredited college-level courses.
  • A person must have one year experience as a workman, one year experience (proven) as a foreman, and two years of credits for any accredited college level courses.
  • A person must have two years of experience as a workman, one year experience as a foreman, and one year of credits for any accredited college level courses
  • A person must have four years of experience as a workman or foreman of which at least one year must have been as a foreman
  • A person must have hold an active certified or registered Florida contractor’s license.

If you need help applying for your Florida contractor’s license, we are here to help make the process fast and easy for you. Click here to get started on the process today, or call 239-777-1028.