Having been a licensed contractor for 21 years and in the business for a lot longer, I am completely in tune with an uneven, unlicensed playing field. Florida which was supposed to be a pretty heavily regulated state, was actually very relaxed on enforcing illegal activity, yet they were tough on licensed contractors themselves.
Texas which requires no license at all, didn’t have too many issues. I know it sounds counter intuitive, but it’s true — deregulation could quite possibly be the answer to normalizing the industry, although, this isn’t a blanket statement that could apply to every region of the United States. One notable point I can share, is the level of professionalism and code of conduct in Texas, was the highest I have experienced. Drawing a similarity between regulations and my professional experience, are my own of course.
As a licensed contractor here in California [the swimming pool capitol] to my astonishment, many advertised pool companies are either unlicensed, expired or suspended. Not just small pool companies, but even large franchises and pool builders as well. Even further, you have pool maintenance companies with public health department numbers on the side of their trucks, trying to deceive people into thinking they are licensed.
Where am I going with this? Homeowners and companies looking to hire a swimming pool company, must put in the necessary time to ensure the company they choose to work with, is licensed.
There is absolutely no recourse if a project or service goes unsatisfactorily with an unlicensed contractor.
