City of Jackson announces crackdown on unlicensed contractors

Contractors and subcontractors may be denied building permits if licenses are not kept current.

Jackson's inspection department will be cracking down on contractors who do not have city contractors licenses.

Building and Planning Superintendent Janet Sanders announced Thursday that the city is implementing new building permit software that tracks contractor licenses and workers' compensation insurance expiration dates.

Contractors and subcontractors may be denied building permits if licenses and proof of insurance are not kept current.

"What we're finding is that general contractors don't know that their subcontractors need to be licensed," she said.

A single contractor's license covers only the individual contractor, his company and all direct employees of the company. All subcontractors hired for a project by another contractor must carry separate licenses. Sanders also said that certain construction companies may already carry state licenses, but they need to get city licenses as well.

Unlike other cities such as Cape Girardeau, contractors are not required to take tests. They are only required to pay a fee and, if the contractor has employees, show that they have workers' compensation insurance. Contractors without employees must complete a waiver stating that they are exempt from the state-mandated requirement to carry workers' compensation.

"Before this software, we haven't had a method of effectively enforcing it before," Sanders said.

Failure to obtain a contractor's license could result in a stop-work order or a summons to municipal court. Both would be more costly than getting a license, Sanders said.

The highest fee for any license is a general contractor's license, which is $35 per year. Other contractor's licensing, such as building, brick, concrete, electrical, excavating and grading; plastering, plumbing and roofing are $25 per year. A painting contractor must pay a $10 fee.

Homeowners may perform their own work on their own property without a license, Sanders said. But any time someone gets paid for work, the worker should be licensed with the city.

bmiller@semissourian.com

243-6635