Carpenter license, money grab or what?

[rogerius]

Just wondering if the carpentry profession is regulated or not in your state/province. In Ontario our "sweet government":thumbdown: is planning to impose carpenters to have a licence. Already plumbers and electricians are regulated professions here and I understand for electricians but for plumbers or in future for carpenters why is require? So more restrictions will be in place about who can build your house, barn, shed, etc. and also our pocket will be hurt as well because they need to recover the money for licence and they will ask more money for the job. I'm not sure if that piece of paper will make a better craftsman but I'm sure the experience, talent and knowledge can make one. For government is a good deal as they will collect more taxes but for rest of us.....

 

[Steppenwolfe]

A true professional will always be licensed. Not so with the part time, I got a hammer carpenter.

 

[TnAndy]

Licenses are merely a way of controlling competition, and increasing the power of minor govt officials.

 

[300UGUY]

We have rules on folks needing a contractor's license, and insurance, but it doesn't seem to be enforced around here. Lots of guys working out of a pickup truck, doing remodeling, repairs, plumbing and some electrical, and most don't seem to be licensed. I'd say most are what you could call "the working poor".

 

[westcliffe01]

Being a South African, my family is now scattered around the world. From what I heard, Australia had taken this kind of thing to the greatest extreme.

My cousin lives near the Australian east coat "in the sticks" as one would say. After buying an old house, she was shocked to discover a few things:

1) to change a "light fixture" she has to call in an electrician

2) To update the kitchen cabinets, she had to hire a carpenter, a plumber and an electrician (some electrical outlets in the backspash had to be relocated)

3) permits are required for just about anything and along with that the intrusive visits of the building inspector, assessor and corresponding tax hikes after doing anything that is perceived to raise the value of the property.

Apparently this degree of "regulation" has been going on long enough that public access to usual DIY materials is restricted and one would need the appropriate license to purchase the materials for the "regulated" work.

My parents and 2 sisters live in New Zealand. 2 sisters in Auckland and parents further south in the countryside. NZ fairly recently passed similar laws to the Australian ones, but they did include the possibility to act as your own general contractor, provided the building inspector accepts your work. It entirely your problem to plan and execute the work in a manner that will be acceptable to your specific inspector, we know how that goes...

So it seems that as usual, these restrictive policies are being "transmitted" from one former British colony to the other for the same reasons ("control" over their subjects, increased taxation opportunities, the means to drive "conformance" on the population).

Given Canada's position regarding unionization, it is only logical that they will follow the same trend. It is all about the benefit of the collective vs the cost to the individual and further erosion of freedom to choose.

 

[cqaigy2]

Licenses are merely a way of controlling competition, and increasing the power of minor govt officials.

Professional licenses are quite often in place because the established professions want to reduce competition and charge higher fees so they lobby/pressure government to establish them.

 

[wolftree]

A back door approach to TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTAION.

 

[two_bit_score]

Licenses are merely a way of controlling competition, and increasing the power of minor govt officials.

Professional licenses are quite often in place because the established professions want to reduce competition and charge higher fees so they lobby/pressure government to establish them.

Exactly!

And westcliffe01 excellently describes the consequences of tolerating this governmental intrusion.

 

[kenmac]

I would like to know what's required to obtain this carpenter's license ?? Just a matter of going to some office and buying a license, taking some state, county , city exam ??? If it's just a matter of buying a license from the state, etc, I would say no big deal... I had to sit /take state exam for ,,, journeyman gas fitter,,,, wait a year take state exam for master gas fitter,,,,, take state journeyman plumbing exam.. wait a year take state master plumbing exam.. take state exam for HVAC... I'm lucky ,,, we don't have journeyman & master exams to take for HVAC. I then have to purchase a bond for HVAC, Gas, Plumbing. Then, purchase a license for every city and county I do business in . I also have to purchase a permit in the cities and counties where I'm performing work. And most people want to know why do you charge xxxxx. That seems high !!!!!

 

[Mace Canute]

Sometimes (ok, a lot...no...make that most of time!) rules like that are just a money grab but sometimes it is driven by having a lot of incompetent people setting up in business. The old "I got a hammer so I'm a carpenter!" thing. It's appalling how some so called "professionals" are so bereft of knowledge of their trade (Remove a load bearing wall? Cut 90% through a main load carrying beam?) and there is a real need for oversight on who is doing work that has the potential to cost a customer several thousands of dollars to repair their shoddy work. The real trick is how do you set it up to make it have a real benefit to both the customers and the knowledgeable competent tradesman? What checks and balances do you need in place? :confused3: