|
 Are
you sure your contractor is licensed or qualified to do the
job?
Who has to be Licensed and
By Who?
What does "Certified"
really mean to you
How does knowing the
answers to all these questions help YOU?
In the state of Florida, there
is currently no licensing for Home Inspectors, Remediation
Contractors, Mold Assessors, Investigators or Mold Testing.
This means many businesses out there are operating without
the ability for the customer to have any assurance of their
competency. Further, there is no one except the Better
Business Bureau to report problems in their performance to.
Fl. HB 315 which required some training, certifications and
insurance coverage for Home Inspectors, Mold Remediation
contractors, Mold Assessors and Testers, was vetoed, despite
strong support from both houses and the governor. Until
similar legislation can be passed, consumers must not assume
the value of certifications, but must check out the
requirements to obtain such certifications.
Do these certifications mean anything?
How do you know?
How do you find out?
What Questions do you need to ask?
“Certified” could mean that a
person or business filled out an application, paid a fee and
became a member of an association or business entity. Or it
could mean that a very stringent process has been completed
that measures the knowledge level of the person and assures
they have sufficient practical experience to complete a
certain type of work. The term “Certified” is not controlled
by law, so the only way to find out what it really means in
the specific credential you are reviewing, is to ask a lot
of questions and check it out.
In every trade or occupation,
certification means that the public, as well as employers
and others within the industry, can judge people’s ability
to perform specific tasks or apply specific knowledge to
specific problems. There are many types of certification
within the indoor air quality (IAQ) industry. In order to
understand what level of knowledge is indicated by holding a
specific certificate, there are some important questions
that should be asked.
1) Who is the certifying body
a) Is it financially
interested in the services provided by those being
certified?
b) Is it a for-profit or a not-for-profit organization?
c) Is it run by a board or by an individual or small
group?
d) Does it represent a diverse cross-section of those
who would be affected by the certification, or does it
represent a narrow-interest group?
e) How long has it been around?
2) What are the requirements
for certification?
a) Does it require a
certain level of education or training?
b) Does it require a certain level of experience in the
area of expertise?
c) Does it require the holder to demonstrate a level of
expertise through a controlled examination?
d) Does it require periodic recertification?
e) Does it require the holder to comply with rules of
behavior or to use certain methods?
3) Does the certifying
authority make provision for following up irregularities
that contravene its requirements for the behavior of, or
methods used by, a certified individual?
a) Is there a complaints
procedure?
b) Is there a disciplinary committee or body that
reviews complaints?
c) Who sits on that committee?
i) other certified
persons?
ii) consumers?
iii) competitors?
iv) code officials or others with a direct or legal
responsibility to the public?
d) What type of
disciplinary actions can be taken by the board?
e) Does the board enforce such disciplinary measures?
Has it done so in the past?
4) Regarding the examination:
a) Who developed the
examination?
b) What is it based on?
i) specific materials?
ii) the state of the industry?
iii) arbitrary opinions?
c) How is it controlled?
d) How is it graded, and by whom?
e) What is the pass/fail rate?
f) How often is the examination updated?”
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Licensed contractors may
provide these services and more protection!
Check contractor license
#’s with the state at
www.contractors-license.org.
License holders are required
to update their licenses on either a yearly or biannual
basis. The state provides current status listings through
the various boards that govern each type of license. License
holders are subject to laws and rules that limit the
services they may provide, and the way contractors must
perform their services. License holders are subject to
reprimand and disciplinary action through the state boards
and consumers can file complaints with the boards.
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