Washington Votes Forum

Introduced in the Senate on January 25, 2012

Click here to view bill details.

NO!!!!!  You just can't leave small business alone, can you.  What will all this cost the plumber and therefore the customer.  I know, you don't care.  All you care about is having them jump through the hoops that you create.  Is surely will not make my plumbing job better.

 This looks like a good bill.  Right now there are many 'internet contractors' who are not paying state taxes, hiring unlicensed people t do plumbing and are basically ripping off the us, the consumers. 

If a contractor objects to being registered and hiring a plumber, then what is their intention?  This is all state law now and this just allows the state to enforce a little more. 

 

I guess It is redundent to point out that WA state already has a state license that plumbers need for work, one which requires testing. And, contractors need to have a license also to legally do work...

So not only is this bill redundant it just shows how out of touch the legislature really is and to what extent they want to charge people and inflate prices that are already too high in some cases (when was the last time you were able to call a plumber?)

This bill was written by a small business,a small plumbing business in fact asking that the existing laws be enforceable. 80% of all the plumbing is being done by unlicensed plumbers and the consumer protections in this bill will make it more transparent to the consumer who is doing the work by requiring the plumber lic# on the invoice. Everybody is cheating - if the existing law was enforceable we wouldn't have this situation.If you are a legitimate plumber, a legitimate business, or a homeowner you will profit from this bill. See the issue at: www.badplumbers.org

M_DragonKnight:

 

I guess It is redundent to point out that WA state already has a state license that plumbers need for work, one which requires testing. And, contractors need to have a license also to legally do work...

So not only is this bill redundant it just shows how out of touch the legislature really is and to what extent they want to charge people and inflate prices that are already too high in some cases (when was the last time you were able to call a plumber?)

Washington State licenses plumbers. Contractors are not licensed - they only register as a contractor. Anybody can register as a contractor here. Unlike other states that require the contractor to be a licensed plumber to be engaged in the business of plumbing (Master Plumber), Washington has no link between the license and the registration. This has opened the door to any contractor to advertise plumbing if they wish. The State assumes that they will hire a licensed plumber to do plumbing but that isn't happening. There is little enforcement of the plumber licensing laws because neither the consumer nor law enforcement have any method of knowing who the contractor actually uses to do plumbing work. The proposed legislation would make it more transparent at the advertising level whether the contractor was in compliance or not.