Long answer: On July 1, 2009, the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act (Senate Bill 100) took effect. This law requires most home improvement contractors to register with the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. Additionally, these contractors must maintain minimum insurance coverage and utilize contracts that comply with a number of consumer protection requirements specified in this law. The Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection is responsible for enforcement of these requirements.
Pennsylvania doesn’t have a licensure or certification requirement for most construction contractors.
As Mobility123 mentions, in 2009 the state passed legislation requiring home improvement contractors to register with the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office however it isn’t a “license” in a strict sense - there is no board exam or previous work experience required although registrants do need to provide evidence of insurance covering personal injury and property damage.
YES!!! It is the law. Anytime we submit for permits, we are required to provide our PA HIC license number. It eliminates any question that the homeowner or township may have regarding our insurance policy status (this includes General Liability and Worker’s Comp.) I believe this law was designed to protect the consumer AND the contractor and I certainly don’t mind renewing my license every few years as required. If you want to become/continue to be competitive and relevant in this industry, this is one piece of red tape you shouldn’t mind dealing with. If not, you should not be offering your services to the public.
