The construction business in Nevada is huge! That’s great news for someone looking to establish themselves as an authority and be trusted with high-value projects. And with the industry expected to keep growing through 2033, you definitely want to settle in your career or business early enough to get the best chances.
This guide uncovers what you need to know about taking your journey to contractor licensing in Nevada. Read on to keep learning!
Importance of a Contractor Licence in Nevada
There are various reasons to get a contractor licence in Nevada, from increasing your marketability and accessing better pay rates to ensuring public safety and improving the quality of your work. Either way, the Nevada State Contractors Board expects you to have a licence when performing almost any kind of construction work.
In a few exceptional cases, you can work without a licence if your contracts are under $1,000. Most contractors dislike the licensing process because it involves taking an exam (in most cases) that you will have to prepare for quite thoroughly. But this shouldn’t be a cause of worry. You can rely on an online Nevada Contractors License exam prep course provider to increase your chances of success. Such a course will not only prepare you to take your exams but also teach you about several other areas of your career.
Steps for Getting Your Licence
Now that you know why you need a licence as a contractor in Nevada, here are the steps you will follow:
1. Meet the Pre-Licensing Requirements
Before acquiring your licence, you must satisfy several requirements, one of them being a minimum of four years of experience within the last 10 years working as a journeyman, supervisor, contractor, or foreman. In some cases, you can satisfy a specific number of years of experience through proof of apprenticeship, education, or technical training at an accredited university or college.
In addition to the experience requirements, you should also prove financial responsibility and may be subject to a background check and fingerprinting. Even after meeting all these requirements, the qualifying individual will, in most cases, have to take the Business and Law and Trade exam specific to your licence classification. If you’re ready to meet these requirements, move on to the next step.
2. Get Your Business Licence
You need to file for a business ID before applying for your contractor licence in Nevada. It’s a rather straightforward process since all you should do is visit the Nevada Secretary of State’s office or website. Keep in mind that you can’t conduct any kind of business in the state of Nevada without first getting your business licence. You can register either as a sole proprietorship, corporation, or LLC.
3. Prepare for Your Licence Application
At this point, you already know the licence classification you need for your business. As a contractor, you can choose from three different classifications:
- General Engineering Contractor: Class A
- General Building Contractor: Class B
- Specialty Contractor: Class C
Class A and B are primary classifications and each has some subclasses, but class C is different because it has 36 different primary licences, all with subclasses. The Nevada Administrative Code has a complete list of the classifications and subclassifications you can apply for. When applying for different primary classifications, you will have to submit different applications. If, however, you want to apply for one primary classification and several speciality classifications under it, you will need only one application.
4. Submit the Application
After determining the kind of licence you want to apply for, you can now move on to filling out the application and submitting it. The board has a free monthly business assistance program at the Reno and Henderson offices if you ever need assistance filling out your application form. As you fill out and submit your application, you also will need to submit an initial $300 non-refundable application fee.
Remember to provide any additional documents required like financial statements (typically determined by the contract monetary limit desired), background checks, and such.
5. Take the Licensing Exams
After the Nevada State Contractors Board reviews your application and accepts it, they will send a letter that informs you of your eligibility to take your licensing exams. You’ll have to pass two of these: a business and law exam, and a trade exam determined by the speciality you chose. There’s a fee for your exams as well. When you take both exams at the same time, you will pay $140 or $95 for each exam you take differently.
You are usually required to pay the fee to PSI, Inc. which is the institution that administers the exam. You can choose to take the exam either in Las Vegas, Elko, or Reno. The results of the exam will be available immediately afterwards. If you didn’t pass, you can retake the exam after two weeks. Failing three consecutive tries invalidates your application, requiring you to wait 30 days before submitting a new one.
6. Meet the Final Requirements
If you’ve passed the exam, you can move on to the last step, which includes posting your surety bond as determined by the board and submitting proof of insurance (Worker’s compensation). There’s also a final licensing fee of $600 which covers your licence for two years, after which you have to renew it.
Residential contractors also have to pay into the Residential Recovery Fund, with the required amount based on the monetary limit of the licence you applied for.
Hassle-Free Contractor Licence Application With RocketCert
Getting your contractor licence in Nevada isn’t a complicated process, especially if you know what’s required. The majority of these requirements are quite easy to deal with. However, the stringent exam ahead of you isn’t something you want to take chances with.
That’s why you should engage a reputable exam prep course provider like RocketCert to not only help you meet the minimum requirements but also learn more about your career or business. That way, you will always know how to handle different situations and offer high-quality services that keep your clients happy.
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