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Thread: Residential Construction Questions...

  1. #1
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    Default Residential Construction Questions...

    Aight fellas....I'll try to explain myself as best as I can here. Long story short, my dad is in the process of finalizing the legal documents for an LLC for his "business" in rental residential properties. He has been purchasing homes, fixing them up, and renting them out and I have just been helping him with the construction part. I am trying to convince him to pursue more of the "buy cash at auction/foreclosure ect, flip, and sell quick" method. The issue we have, is we are having to do all the work "under the radar" in some circumstances, because some counties require a construction permit for renovations. No big deal doing this, but it makes things a little difficult sometimes.

    I have been thinking about getting some type of contractors license, basically for what my future may hold years from now. How exactly is this process started and what is needed to be expected? I know there are basically "general contractors" & then "sub contractors." So I'm not sure which one I may need to pursue. Can you obtain construction permits, loans, ect...with just a certain sub contractor license, or do you have to have a general license?

    As always, all advice and information is appreciated. Thanks Fellas.

  2. #2
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    A GC license is different than a Residential Builders license. You can take the residential test and pull a permit on a single family residence of any size but, you can only permit work of $5K or less on the commercial side. With a GC license your license is divided into 5 classifications depending on the net worth of the company. BD1 & 2 only require a personal financial statement but top out a $200K per contract. BD3 & 4 require certified financial from your accountant and top out at $1.5M. BD5 is unlimited and requires and audited financial statement.

    All the license testing is done through a third party. The best thing you can do is to find one of the study courses that help you take the test. A quick Google search will show you what is near you. After that it is a matter of getting your bond and filing the necessary paperwork with the state. The RB license is easier to get than the GC.
    Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? I wouldn't go so far as to call a dog filthy but they're definitely dirty. But, a dog's got personality. Personality goes a long way.


    You might take out a dozen before they drag you from your home and skull fuck you to death. Marsh Chicken 6/21/2013

  3. #3
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    How we ever allowed our government to stifle us to this point is beyond me.

  4. #4
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    If you are sticking to residential work all you need is a builders license. That will allow you to pull all trade permits.
    Miner's Daughter's Coal Train 'Rosco'

    "The only human quality he lacks is speech" -Alfred Brehm




  5. #5
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    You will have to have another builder sign an affidavit for you saying you have 3yrs experience in order to take the test for RB.

    The test itself tconsists of two parts, business law and code. If I remember correctly business law is 90 questions and code is 120. You have two hours to take the business and 4 hrs for the code part. There is a business law book and the current edition code book that you can take with you to the test. There is some estimating involved but it is a joke. If you can figure area , and a little concrete you should be good.

    The biggest advice I can give is to know your code book. The only way to do that is spend time in it. I had to take a code/license prep class as part of one of my degrees and the ONLY thing we did in that class was take a bunch of practice exams from the code book in order to familiarize ourselves with it.

    I forgot what it costs to take the test but it's not bad ($100 or so). If you fail one part and pass the other you only have to re-take the failed portion but you will also have to repay to take it. When I took my RB test I knew the code book well and finished that part with time left but I used all the time on the business law ( I would read the question several times to make sure I had the gist of what was behind all the legal wording).

    If you decide to take the test find out which business law book they use and if it's the same one they used to use I'll let your borrow mine.
    Last edited by Duck cutter; 12-07-2017 at 10:55 AM.
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  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Glenn View Post
    How we ever allowed our government to stifle us to this point is beyond me.
    Someone has to pay for all that "free" hunting land out West.


  7. #7
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    I took the commercial test about a year ago. The residential and the commercial cost about the same to take, I think the difference is a book or two. The commercial (aka NASCLA) will allow you to do any work (that doesn't require a specialty licence like utilities), including residential, based on your assets and not experience.

    You don't need to take the class ($500ish) but you will need the books $1,000ish) and you will need to tab the books thoroughly. The guy who taught the class I took wasted half a day scaring everyone about the test and then he skimmed through the books at light speed and then told us to go home and read the books. It was a total waste of time and money.

    Back to the books - in the process of tabbing the books, you'll learn where the information is and that's the key to passing the test. You have to cover ground, call it no more than 2 1/2 minutes per question. It's a long test.

    The SC Business Law part is a total chip shot. The NASCLA component is the heavy lifting. And the reason is because you're working out of 15 or more books. Some questions can be answered out of two or more books. You can buy the books from those guys up there at the Ridgeway/Winnsboro exit, Hwy 34 off I77. They have tabbed books for sale at that location. Their web address is http://scexams.com/

    Send me a PM if your serious about this and you want to know more about it.

  8. #8
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    if you are just doing basic carpentry, painting, roofing- just get specialty licenses- you are allowed to have a few different ones, if you need more than allowed- have your dad get the rest. You can get permits with a specialty license. This is what most handyman repair people do.

    Due to liability issues- I would use a licensed electrician /plumber/ hvac contractor- they will provide the licenses and can pull their own permits. Many companies have all 3 working for them.

    I am a licensed GC.

    There are no tests for the specialty- just buy them.
    Last edited by Bad Habit; 12-07-2017 at 10:39 AM.

  9. #9
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    what's a permit?

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by shoooooots View Post
    what's a permit?
    Government selling you back your right to make a living.

  11. #11
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    "yes your honor, i built that staircase for $199.99, do you have evidence to the contrary?"

  12. #12
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    I flip houses in Greenville and have never had a permit problem. If you own the property you can pull your own permit without being licensed. I do have a residential plumbing and home inspector license and both of those test were fairly easy. The law test was the hardest but with the book it is definitely passable without studying. If you want to get licensed but haven’t worked in a certain field for the required amount of time you can go before the LLR Residential Builders board and ask them for a waiver to take the exam. You just have to tell them why you think you should be allowed to test. They actually approve the majority of people who ask.

  13. #13
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    Do what?

  14. #14
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    Owners permit requires you to sign off saying it won’t be sold for 3-7 years depending on city, town etc.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by charlie horse View Post
    Owners permit requires you to sign off saying it won’t be sold for 3-7 years depending on city, town etc.
    Greenville doesn’t give a shit, never has. They want the fees and nothing more. More jackleg “contractors” in Gvlle county than anywhere else.
    Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? I wouldn't go so far as to call a dog filthy but they're definitely dirty. But, a dog's got personality. Personality goes a long way.


    You might take out a dozen before they drag you from your home and skull fuck you to death. Marsh Chicken 6/21/2013

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by win270 View Post
    . I do have a residential plumbing and home inspector license.
    Couldn't pass the RB test, huh?
    Houndsmen are born, not made

    Quote Originally Posted by 2thDoc View Post
    I STAND WITH DUCK CUTTER!
    Quote Originally Posted by JABIII View Post
    I knew it wasn't real because no dogbox...

  17. #17
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    Good grief...I'm with Glenn.

  18. #18
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    i wouldnt admit that

    but enjoy your passion
    Ugh. Stupid people piss me off.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by 2thDoc View Post
    i wouldnt admit that

    but enjoy your passion
    That was well played Doc.....well played

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Saltydog235 View Post
    Greenville doesn’t give a shit, never has. They want the fees and nothing more. More jackleg “contractors” in Gvlle county than anywhere else.
    Those Greenville people sure have stepped in a pile of shit down in Columbia. Everyone tried to tell them that you ain't getting Columbia people to move to an abandoned mental hospital.

    In the first place, nobody wants to live in a Rob Zombie film, and in the second, did they even bother to check out the neighborhood? I mean, if you like being haunted by the ghosts of rapist lunatics and robbed twice a week, by all means, come to Bull Street.

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