Do I Have To Register In West Virginia As A Independent Contractor

The license requirements for contractors are pretty strict in the state of Due west Virginia, which is why nosotros have put this all-encompassing article together to help you get a better understanding of the regulation, to ensure that your dwelling improvement projects are carried out legally, whether you lot're a homeowner or aspiring contractor.

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West Virginia Contractor's License Lath

The Contractor Licensing Lath, under the state of West Virginia'south Sectionalization of Labor, handles the issuance of contractor licenses, every bit well as the regulation of contractors in the land. This board was established in the state in response to the crafting of the WV Code §21-11, which is part of the State Code, in 1991 past the West Virginia Legislature.

The state's Division of Labor itself also handles plumbing licenses, although licenses of plumbing contractors are under the jurisdiction of the Contractor Licensing Board.

To contact the Division for all license-related concerns, you may send an email to Licensing@wv.gov or fax using this number: (304) 558-5174. You can as well phone call them at (304) 558-7890. If you want to personally drop by, their office is located at 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East, State Capitol Complex – Building 3, Room 200 Charleston, WV 25305.

Out-of-state corporations may likewise do contracting work in the state, provided that they obtain their Certificate of Dominance that is issued past the Secretarial assistant of Country of West Virginia. You tin can contact the Secretarial assistant of Land's office by calling (304) 558-8000, emailing wvsos@wvsos.com, or past going directly to the headquarters at Building i, Room W-139 1900 Kanawha Blvd. E Charleston, WV 25305 if y'all represent an out-of-state corporation that wants to be licensed.

All contractors that take construction projects that cost $ii,500 or more in terms of the total contract, including the price of materials and labor, are required to be licensed in West Virginia. If the contract is less than that amount, only the West Virginia State Taxation Business organization License is required to be obtained by the contractor. You tin acquire more than about the Country Taxation Concern License, including how to utilize for one, through https://labor.wv.gov/Licensing/Contractor_License/Documents/contractor-forms/04%20-%20WV%20TAX%20and%20SOS%20APPLICATION%20and%20INSTRUCTIONS%20FOR%20BUSINESS%20STARTUP.pdf.

Due west Virginia also classifies construction managers that primarily oversee a construction project, every bit well every bit those who act equally consultants for such projects, to be licensed as contractors if they volition be charging a professional fee for their services.

For electricians that are need to be licensed, applications are handled by the West Virginia Land Fire Marshal'southward Role, or WVSFMO. To contact them, telephone call their function at (304) 558-2191 or fax them at (304) 558-2537. Yous may also direct your inquiries to the State Fire Commission, Office of the Land Fire Marshal at 1207 Quarrier St., 2nd Floor, Charleston, WV 25301. Annotation that licenses for electric contractors are under the Partitioning of Labor of Westward Virginia and not the Fire Marshal's Office and that the WVSFMO likewise issues temporary electrician licenses.

Contractor License Classifications

Contractors, in general, are those who are permitted to construct, add, alter, annihilate, improve, decrease from, or move different structures, highways, buildings, roads, railroads, etc. in connection to a construction or development projection that costs a minimum of $2,500 (see reference). However, not all those who do structure work tin exist considered past the land as a contractor and are required to be licensed. Exceptions are:

Those who deliver construction materials and other supplies to any structure project, only they are not the ones who fabricate or use these materials
Those who practice structure work on properties under their name, which are beingness used or leased equally residential or commercial property
Professionals who primarily focus on selling real estate, as well as appraisals, maintenance, and direction of these backdrop, who do what can be considered as contracting work but merely in connection to their profession in the existent estate trade
Operators doing pest control piece of work who are licensed via West Virginia's Code, specifically through its section seven, article sixteen-a, chapter xix provisions, if they will non be conducting structural repairs that cost more $1,000 in any building
Sole proprietors, partnerships, or corporations that primarily prepare or craft construction blueprints, plans, and other specifications and accept a registered architect and/or engineer that is licensed by the state and piece of work total-time for them

W Virginia's Licensing Board has several classifications available for contractors applying to exist licensed at the state level. These classifications are:

Electrical Contractor – works with different kinds of electrical equipment that transmit, generate, and use electrical free energy. It covers the installation, assembly, amending, repair, and maintenance of these equipment
General Building Contractor – focuses on either the supervision of construction projects or is part of those who do the construction of these structures, where people, animals, movable properties, or chattels will be stored or sheltered. The construction projects must involve at least two contractors that belong to whatever license classification.
General Engineering Contractor – can work on projects that are considered as private or public works, including flood control, drainage and irrigation systems, electrical generation systems and facilities, highways, airports, railroads, pipelines for various substances, refineries, piers, and many others
Heating, Ventilating, and Cooling (HVAC) Contractor – applicative to both commercial and residential structures, this contractor can piece of work on a variety of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems and equipment in terms of their installation, repair and maintenance, or modification
Multifamily Contractor – express to working on residential dwellings that business firm multiple families. They can construct, improve, repair, or alter these structures
Piping Contractor – through the use of different connecting methods, such equally weld and solvent weld, thread, or mechanical ways, this contractor tin can piece of work on pipage systems of air, chemic, gasoline, power plants, procedure, and other similar piping systems
Plumbing Contractor – can install, extend, modify, or maintain plumbing equipment, accessories, and appliances, pipage related to plumbing systems, and water supply systems inside or near public and private buildings and structures. Plumbing contractors are also allowed to install gas piping, chilled h2o pipe for processes involving refrigeration, too as condolement cooling, hot water piping for standpipes and heating in buildings
Residential Contractor – limited to working on real estate property that were purposely congenital as residential dwellings, including their construction, amending, repairs, and maintenance works,
Specialty Contractor – any contractor that does not fall into any of the other contractor classifications available in West Virginia only does specialty contracting

Electrical Licenses

To lookup electrical licenses in West Virginia visit the fire marshal's website.

Bated from electrical contractors, electricians are also required to be licensed in Due west Virginia. These electricians are mostly classified as:

Amateur Electrician – considered as helpers and must simply piece of work when supervised by either a licensed journeyman or master electrician
Specialty Electrician – includes the HVAC electrician (can piece of work on wirings non exceeding 600 Five that belong to heating, air conditioning, and plumbing fixtures), electrical sign electrician (limited to the installation, repair, and maintenance of electric sign wirings that are electrically isolated from an adjacent building's wiring system), single family unit habitation electrician (works on wirings and other electric equipment in a single family residence), low voltage electrician (focuses on fire and burglar alarms and other low voltage wirings that exercise not exceed 80 Five), and elevator electrician (can work on wirings connected to elevators, specially in terms of installing and conducting repairs and maintenance work on lift wirings that are electrically isolated from that of the building's wiring organisation)
Journeyman Electrician – can install electrical wires, equipment, conduits, fixtures, appliances, and other appliance, as long equally information technology is done under the supervision and guidance of a master electrician. Designing electrical systems is prohibited for a journeyman electrician.
Master Electrician – able to piece of work on electric wirings, calculate electrical load demands of any structure, and read electrical designs, drawings, and plans.

Plumbing Licenses

To lookup plumbing licenses in Westward Virginia visit the website of the Segmentation of Labor.

Plumbers are also required to obtain their respective licenses in Virginia if their contracts are more than $1,000 in cost. Their licenses have the following classifications:

Plumber in Training – those who are interested in the merchandise or take some bones knowledge of plumbing. They are also required to be mentored by a primary or journeyman plumber belongings a valid license in West Virginia. The plumber in grooming must accept a plumbing experience of not more than viii,000 hours
Journeyman Plumber – has accumulated more than 8,000 hours' worth of plumbing feel and is fully capable of pedagogy and overseeing a plumber in preparation
Master Plumber – with a minimum total plumbing experience of 12,000 hours, he or she is qualified to guide and manage both journeyman plumbers and plumbers in preparation. A chief plumber is also permitted to create plumbing systems himself or herself

Sure conditions exercise non require plumbers to be licensed when working on projects involving plumbing work, and these are:

If the person is employed in a retail appliance store and the plumbing piece of work is done only incidentally, such as when installing or repairing appliances with plumbing systems
When the work is done in their own residences or that of an immediate family unit fellow member's
If HVAC units are being installed and incidental work involving plumbing systems is required
When plumbing work is done in whatever institution or business as part of your duty of being employed by a utility company
In certain facilities, namely natural gas, industrial, and manufacturing facilities, as well as coal-processing facilities and where coal is existence actively mined

How to Go a Contractor'south License and the Advantages of Getting Ane

Applicants for any contractor's license, including electrician and plumber licenses, are required to be at least 18 years former prior to the filing of their awarding. Before they can be issued their respective licenses, they are required to pass the country's Business and Police exam (for contractors) and their respective trade exams. Nevertheless, a few license classifications do not require applicants to accept the exams.

Contractor's License Application

Westward Virginia contractors' license applicants, no matter the classification, follow the same awarding process and use the same awarding forms. To be licensed equally a contractor, yous need to do the post-obit:

Accomplish the application course plant at https://labor.wv.gov/Licensing/Contractor_License/Documents/contractor-forms/CONTRACTOR%20LICENSE%20APPLICATION-Affirmation%202017%20filable.pdf, making sure that you completely fill out the class and indicate the type of contractor license you are applying for
Schedule your exams with Prov. You can bank check out https://labor.wv.gov/Licensing/Contractor_License/Documents/contractor-forms/REVISED%20WVCLB_CIB%202018.07.01.pdf for information regarding the examination
Provide your Business Registration Taxation Number, Certificate of Authority (if applicable) and either an Unemployment Bounty or Worker's Bounty Certificate.
An affidavit of your current wage bond status. If yous will be working on a single family domicile, y'all are not required to provide a wage bond for the project. You are also exempted from this if you or a parent company's subsidiary take been in business doing contracting piece of work for more than five years in another state or take assets worth $100,000 or more
Submit your most up-to-date Alphabetic character of Skilful Standing

Wage bonds required for your license will depend on four weeks' worth of your gross payroll amount. You tin can get more data about the required wage bonds, too as decide the amount using the sample computation, at https://labor.wv.gov/Licensing/Contractor_License/Documents/contractor-forms/UPDATED%20INSTRUCTIONS%20FOR%20WAGE%20BOND%20PACKETS%202017.pdf.

You must also pay the awarding fee of $90 but only in cheque, coin club, cashier's check, or certified check. Information technology should be made payable to the 'West Virginia Contractor Licensing Lath.' The separate examination fee will depend on the contractor's license you lot are applying for. It costs $51.95 for every type of exam you will exist taking.

Contractor licenses volition expire exactly a year afterwards the issuance date.

Electrician License Application

All applicants for the dissimilar electrical license classifications are required to use this class for their application: https://firemarshal.wv.gov/Divisions/Fire%20Services/Documents/Licensing/Electrical%20EXAM%20APPLICATION.pdf. The work experience requirements volition depend on the type of license you lot are applying for:

Amateur Electrician – no work feel is required but you need to be at least 18 years old when filing your application
Specialty Electrician – must have a minimum work feel of 2 years or 4,000 hours in the field that you lot want to exist licensed in as a specialty electrician. The Board tin can consider your taking an educational course that is both related to the trade and is Board-approved as one year's worth of experience
Journeyman Electrician – must provide certification that he or she has completed either an apprenticeship plan, which is U.South. Department of Labor-canonical, or a vocational course that has a minimum of 1,080 hours and has been canonical by the state'due south Department of Pedagogy, or present show that he or she has worked hands-on in the electric trade for a minimum of iv years or 8,000 hours
Master Electrician – must nowadays evidence of having hands-on experience in the electric trade for v years at minimum, or at to the lowest degree 10,000 hours. This work experience must consist of piece of work in above ground structural wiring in residential, industrial, and commercial settings

The exam fees must be paid in check or coin order merely and payable to 'WVSFMO'. All electrician license exams cost $25, except for the apprentice electrician exam that costs $10. The license costs $fifty for all classifications and volition expire annually every June thirty.

If you are applying for a temporary electrician license, which allows you to work every bit an electrician while waiting for the next examination date for the electrician's license, you lot must fill out the forms institute at https://firemarshal.wv.gov/Divisions/Fire%20Services/Documents/Licensing/2017%20TEMPORARY%20LICENSE%20APPLICATION.pdf. Information technology costs $50 for the temporary journeyman and master electrician licenses, which are simply valid for ninety days, and $25 for the temporary apprentice license valid for 180 days. Note that this license is only issued once.

The requirements for the temporary license vary depending on the nomenclature you are applying for:

Temporary Apprentice License – evidence that the bidder is enrolled in or has completed either a formal apprenticeship program that is approved by the U.S. Department of Labor or a vocational program on the electrical merchandise (minimum of 1,080 hours) that has been approved by the country
Temporary Journeyman Electrician License – has the same requirement with the temporary apprentice license, with the addition of the applicant having a piece of work experience of a minimum of iv years
Temporary Principal Electrician License – similar in requirement with the temporary journeyman electrician license, but is instead required to have more than than v years of piece of work feel

Plumber License Awarding

The application form for the plumber license can be found here: https://labor.wv.gov/Licensing/Plumber_License/Documents/plumber-forms/PLUMBER%20APPLICATION%2009012018.pdf. This grade must exist used by all plumber license applicants, regardless of classification.

Aside from the submission of documentary requirements, such as W-2s, employment records, pay stubs, and other supporting documents, the Lath only requires applicants to meet the minimum work experience and laissez passer the necessary examinations to be issued a license:

Plumber in Training – tin work on plumbing projects or do plumbing piece of work only when direct managed past either a journeyman plumber or primary plumber with a valid license. Applicants for this license are not required to take whatever examination
Journeyman Plumber – must have more than than eight,000 hours' worth of experience in plumbing work
Master Plumber – required to have a minimum plumbing work experience of 12,000 hours

The application fee for the plumber in preparation license is $50, while it costs $75 for the journeyman plumber and master plumber licenses. Payments accepted are just those payable to the 'Westward Virginia Sectionalization of Labor' in money club, certified check, or cashier's cheque.

Advantages of Having a License

Any unlicensed contractor who is caught doing contracting work in Westward Virginia will be subjected to penalties, as mandated by their laws. Those who would exist defenseless may need to present themselves in a hearing if they cannot afford to pay the penalties and if they are convicted, they will still exist required to pay the necessary fines, which range from $200 to $1,000 for the offset law-breaking, either a fine of $500 to $5000 or jailtime that does not exceed six months for the 2d offence, and either a $chiliad to $5000 fine or jailtime from 30 days to a year for the third offence. The administrative punishment of not more than than $200 per day of violation may besides utilize.

Simply put, you are breaking the law if you lot practice non get yourself licensed prior to doing contracting work. To salvage yourself from all these consequences, make sure to get licensed.

As well, having a contractor'due south license proves your skills and knowledge when it comes to the trade. This allows you to charge higher rates to your clients. Clients, in turn, are more than inclined to employ the services of licensed contractors considering they know that they will get what they pay for, so they are willing to pay higher rates.

The Importance of Hiring a Contractor with a License

Hiring a licensed contractor will not only salve you from any headache but, reverse to pop conventionalities, it volition also permit y'all save money in the long run. This is because unlicensed contractors are more likely to practice shoddy piece of work, given that there is no proof that they really are skilled enough to practise a proficient job on any projection. Any work they complete may only look proficient for a short time before problems volition eventually ascend. When this happens, yous volition again demand to vanquish out money to make the necessary repairs to your property. Licensed contractors, on the other hand, are proven to accept the needed knowledge and skills, then the projects they do volition likely final a long fourth dimension, even decades.

Due west Virginia Contractor License Search & Lookup

You lot may bank check if a contractor has the necessary license to piece of work anywhere in West Virginia past using their online database, which can exist found at http://www.wvlabor.com/new_searches/contractor_search_new.cfm. Yous can also use this database to manually search for contractors. If you lot accept inquiries about specific contractors who are licensed in West Virginia, you can also call the Lath straight at (304) 558-7890.

For electrician licenses, y'all may employ the database of the State Fire Marshal, which tin be found at https://firemarshal.wv.gov/Pages/licenseesearch.aspx. Yet, this database is only updated every 4 weeks, so for a more authentic search, you lot can phone call their Regulatory and Licensing Section at this number: 304-558-2191, with extension number 53219.

Licenses of plumbers may be checked at the Division of Labor's website at http://www.wvlabor.com/new_searches/plumber_search.cfm. This website likewise has the database in table format, which you can use to manually search for a licensed plumber.

Biggest Cities

The different cities of West Virginia, including its biggest ones, such as Charleston, Huntington, Parkersburg, Morgantown, Wheeling, Fairmont, and Beckley, by and large follow the land'due south regulations when information technology comes to issuing construction-related licenses. However, they may also have their own regulations before a licensed contractor can work in their city.

City of Charleston

Licensed contractors who want work in the city of Charleston are required to be registered first in the city. This applies to General, Specialty (including Sign), Electrical, HVAC, and Plumbing contractors, as well as Sub-Contractors.

To be registered in Charleston, you need to pay the $xc annual registration fee and you must also submit the following:

Fully achieved application form, a sample of which can be seen at https://www.charlestonwv.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2018-01/2016%20CONTRACTORS%20LICENCE%20APP%20AND%20INSTRUCTIONS.pdf
Your latest Certificate of Liability Insurance, which indicates the 'Metropolis of Charleston' as its certificate holder
Either a worker's compensation insurance (c/o Brickstreet Insurance) or an exemption alphabetic character issued past the state'southward Insurance Commissioners Office
Copy of the state-issued contractor'south license, which must be valid. If you are a licensed Master Electrician, you must also nowadays a copy of your license

City of Fairmont

For contractors to exist able to work in the city of Fairmont, they must apply for a City of Fairmont Business License. Recollect to submit a copy of your West Virginia-issued valid contractor license when applying for it. This license costs $90.

City of Huntington

The urban center of Huntington also requires contractors to have valid licenses that were issued at the state-level, also as a Municipal Concern License. To larn this business concern license, which costs $90, copies of the post-obit should be submitted:

Document of Liability Insurance, which must show that the coverage of the General Liability Insurance is more than $300,000 or $600,000 and that the document holder is the 'City of Huntington P.O. Box 1659 Huntington, WV 25717
Your valid West Virginia Contractor License
Your Business Registration Certificate issued past the State Tax Section of West Virginia

Bated from those copies, y'all also need to file your Business and Tax Return, or B & O, and provide a list of the names of all the subcontractors hired for the project, as well as their contact information, before you can be issued a allow.

City of Parkersburg

While the city of Parkersburg may seem lax when information technology comes to allowing W Virginia-licensed contractors to piece of work in the city, as it allows any contractor who meets the bidding requirements to bid on any project, they do take much more stringent requirements when dealing with housing projects. This is because these projects may only be done by contractors that are certified by the city. In order to be a Metropolis Certified Contractor, you must contact the Housing Inspector of Parkersburg.

Urban center of Morgantown

If you are a licensed contractor or electrician who wants to do contracting work in the city of Morgantown, you are required to accept a Municipal Business License prior to doing so. To get this license, you lot demand to fill out the form constitute at https://www.morgantownwv.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2041/Contractor-Application-for-Municipal-Business concern-License—Effective-July-ane-2018-PDF and pay the necessary fees, which are $90 for the contractor license and $20 for the electrician license. Remember to include your contractor's or electrician's license when yous submit your class.

City of Wheeling

Like the other major cities of Westward Virginia, the urban center of Wheeling also requires contractors, who are licensed at the state-level, to accept a business license issued past the city before doing any contracting work. They also need to pay the B&O tax, which must exist per project that costs more than $5,000.

Subcontractors, even if they are hired by licensed contractors who have obtained the necessary licenses and permits in Wheeling, are likewise required to go their own business organisation licenses and pay the required B&O taxes.

City of Beckley

The City of Beckley also mandates that contractors who will work on projects within the city must register their business concern beginning to exist able to pay the B & O tax, which is required for all contractors in the city. The registration grade, together with the welcome bundle for contractors, can exist institute at https://www.beckley.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/New-Contractor-Packet.pdf.

Contractor's License Reciprocity

License reciprocity agreements be between the country of West Virginia and other states. However, not all licenses issued past the land are covered past these agreements. Plant below is the list of states that have reciprocity agreements with Due west Virginia:

Virginia – simply for licensed Chief Electricians and Journeyman Electricians
Ohio – for Master Electricians and those under the Plumbing Classification. The understanding besides covers the Business and Police force exam
North Carolina – but for Chief Electricians and too includes the Business and Law exam
Kentucky – valid for Chief and Journeyman Electricians simply
Maryland – only the Master Electrician license is covered
Alabama – applies but to HVAC contractors

The Contractor Licensing Board of West Virginia also has a license reciprocity agreement with the Country Burn Marshal'due south function, which only covers the Master Electrician license.

If your license was issued in Alabama, N Carolina, and Ohio, you lot may go the license reciprocity application forms for West Virginia at https://labor.wv.gov/Licensing/Contractor_License/Pages/Reciprocity-Agreements.aspx.

These reciprocity agreements are basically shortcuts – they allow you to become the same type or classification of license in some other country if your license was issued in a state information technology is reciprocal with, minus the hassle of fulfilling all the requirements required to have it. Most of the time, the test requirement is waived for applicants who volition employ for the contractor license using the license reciprocity method.

This ways that if you lot are licensed as a Chief Electrician in Kentucky, yous may obtain the aforementioned type of license in Due west Virginia much faster and easier, since y'all exercise not need to submit all of the requirements of West Virginia for this license and are also not required to take the state-level exam anymore.

Before using this method to obtain your license, make sure to contact the land's licensing board for its specific requirements.