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Doug Commette Posted: Jun 22, 2009 07:09 PM	State License Requirements for Spray Foam Insulators So what do you think? I have heard a bit of discussion about this lately. Many of the veterans think it will be a nice barrier to entry, but a better barrier to prevent crappy quality, lower than cost bidding, and premature failure of an industry with a great future. State License Requirements for Spray Foam Insulators? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Let me know what you think about this..
Posted: Jun 22, 2009 08:01 PM	arrgg... more to follow
Posted: Jun 23, 2009 04:39 PM	Louisiana only requires state licensing for this type on projects over $50K I know, because I fall under $50K on about 90% of my jobs and partner with the bigger GC's when it is over $50K I am not sure how effective it will be since I use it to my advantage also. I don't have a problem with it, because it means that the fly by nighters will give up once you have to produce a Financial Sheet that is verified by an accountant, produce both GL and Workers Comp, not to mention take a test that if you don't read the book, you will fail. Steve
jimcoler I have over 10 years of experience specifying and installing open and closed cell spray foam. I've sold my business but I'm still selling for the new owners and consulting on large and custom specific jobs. I've expanded my knowledge into t Posted: Jun 23, 2009 09:55 PM	Don't we have enough government regulations and code hoops to jump through? Let me ask, what would be the benefit of a license to install spray foam, besides generating revenue for the licensing body. Don't worry about licenses when you'll likely have more fines and fees than you can handle with all of the added auditors and focus on compliance issues. This goes for OSHA, DOT, Unemployment, Labor Laws, Taxes and many others. Most states have hired more auditors to help fill their budget deficits. So, why add another fee on top of the fines and fees they will find even if you're a company trying to comply in every way! This alone will keep the fly by nighters out!
Curtis Bell Posted: Jun 24, 2009 03:44 PM	Crap quality and low-ball bidding are rampant in any of the building trades. We don't need anymore hoops, Im tired of jumping as it is.
Leonard Stansbury Posted: Jun 24, 2009 09:06 PM	As a sprayfoam insulator and roofer id like to say licenses will not stop low balling, or crappy work. I am also a licensed electrician in Texas one of the hardest places to get a lic. and every day i find people doing shabby low price work. just give it time and those people will either be broke or run out,.
Dennis Davidson Posted: Jun 25, 2009 09:55 AM	Having a license doesn't mean you do quality work but it does impress the customer. We don't have a license requirement here but when I show customers my roofing license from other states I usually get the jobs. To the customer, just having a license puts you in a different category. It tells them you are a serious, committed contractor with all the proper requirements to do business.
richard sucher II Posted: Jun 26, 2009 12:13 PM	You just defined a "Gold Star" applicator for NCFI. Not govt mandated - manufacturer's way of identifying legitimater applicators. Way to distinguish ourselves from so many others around us. That is all.
Lane Hogstad Posted: Jun 26, 2009 10:44 PM	I would be in favor of all insulators being licensed. Think if Joe the carpenter had to have a license and certify an installation. Then lets see what that does to the price of fiberglass. As far as crappy instalations they don't get any worse than the fiberglass jobs most carpenters do. Lets get together and go after the real problems fiberglass and cellulose the most miss used products in Lowes. What if we got together and mandated the test that fiberglass insulation may not be able to pass. If we got together we could be as good as the hvac guys, no license no refrigerant made their rates double overnight.
Posted: Jul 02, 2009 06:01 AM	licensure would indeed be a great thing,,, once we have a real certifition process and continueing education program... once we have vendors that will be required to sell only to licensed peeps...juice & goodies!!! once we have universal acceptance of our products thermal performance and application parameters,,,instead of "subject to interpetation" or other inconsistensies...(a much better place for our development $$$ imho,,, we have the spfa right now,,out here in the cornfield very few foam insulators have sat for the spfa's be or other courses,,,many of those that have only have because they have been spf roofers for years(and spfa certified at that!!),,,,,and are expanding to the spf interior market,,,,

Author

Comments

Doug Commette

Posted: Jun 22, 2009 07:09 PM

State License Requirements for Spray Foam Insulators

So what do you think? I have heard a bit of discussion about this lately. Many of the veterans think it will be a nice barrier to entry, but a better barrier to prevent crappy quality, lower than cost bidding, and premature failure of an industry with a great future.

State License Requirements for Spray Foam Insulators? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Let me know what you think about this..

Posted: Jun 22, 2009 08:01 PM

arrgg...
more to follow

Posted: Jun 23, 2009 04:39 PM

Louisiana only requires state licensing for this type on projects over $50K

I know, because I fall under $50K on about 90% of my jobs and partner with the bigger GC's when it is over $50K

I am not sure how effective it will be since I use it to my advantage also. I don't have a problem with it, because it means that the fly by nighters will give up once you have to produce a Financial Sheet that is verified by an accountant, produce both GL and Workers Comp, not to mention take a test that if you don't read the book, you will fail.

Steve

jimcoler

I have over 10 years of experience specifying and installing open and closed cell spray foam. I've sold my business but I'm still selling for the new owners and consulting on large and custom specific jobs.

I've expanded my knowledge into t

Posted: Jun 23, 2009 09:55 PM

Don't we have enough government regulations and code hoops to jump through? Let me ask, what would be the benefit of a license to install spray foam, besides generating revenue for the licensing body.

Don't worry about licenses when you'll likely have more fines and fees than you can handle with all of the added auditors and focus on compliance issues. This goes for OSHA, DOT, Unemployment, Labor Laws, Taxes and many others. Most states have hired more auditors to help fill their budget deficits. So, why add another fee on top of the fines and fees they will find even if you're a company trying to comply in every way! This alone will keep the fly by nighters out!

Curtis Bell

Posted: Jun 24, 2009 03:44 PM

Crap quality and low-ball bidding are rampant in any of the building trades. We don't need anymore hoops, Im tired of jumping as it is.

Leonard Stansbury

Posted: Jun 24, 2009 09:06 PM

As a sprayfoam insulator and roofer id like to say licenses will not stop low balling, or crappy work. I am also a licensed electrician in Texas one of the hardest places to get a lic. and every day i find people doing shabby low price work. just give it time and those people will either be broke or run out,.

Dennis Davidson

Posted: Jun 25, 2009 09:55 AM

Having a license doesn't mean you do quality work but it does impress the customer. We don't have a license requirement here but when I show customers my roofing license from other states I usually get the jobs. To the customer, just having a license puts you in a different category. It tells them you are a serious, committed contractor with all the proper requirements to do business.

richard sucher II

Posted: Jun 26, 2009 12:13 PM

You just defined a "Gold Star" applicator for NCFI. Not govt mandated - manufacturer's way of identifying legitimater applicators. Way to distinguish ourselves from so many others around us. That is all.

Lane Hogstad

Posted: Jun 26, 2009 10:44 PM

I would be in favor of all insulators being licensed.
Think if Joe the carpenter had to have a license and certify an installation. Then lets see what that does to the price of fiberglass. As far as crappy instalations they don't get any worse than the fiberglass jobs most carpenters do.
Lets get together and go after the real problems fiberglass and cellulose the most miss used products in Lowes.
What if we got together and mandated the test that fiberglass insulation may not be able to pass.
If we got together we could be as good as the hvac guys, no license no refrigerant made their rates double overnight.

Posted: Jul 02, 2009 06:01 AM

licensure would indeed be a great thing,,,

once we have a real certifition process and continueing education program...

once we have vendors that will be required to sell only to licensed peeps...juice & goodies!!!

once we have universal acceptance of our products thermal performance and application parameters,,,instead of "subject to interpetation" or other inconsistensies...(a much better place for our development $$$ imho,,,

we have the spfa right now,,out here in the cornfield very few foam insulators have sat for the spfa's be or other courses,,,many of those that have only have because they have been spf roofers for years(and spfa certified at that!!),,,,,and are expanding to the spf interior market,,,,

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