Remodel Tampa Bay Fall/Winter 2015 | Page 20

Affects and the Effects of Unlicensed Construction & Remodeling in Florida DOES UNLICENSED REMODELING AND CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY REALLY MATTER? WHY CAN’T A GUY OR GAL EARN A LIVING WITHOUT HAVING BIG-BROTHER WATCHING OVER THEM? W ell, for starters, does one wish to have a lay person, acting as a doctor, perform open heart surgery or remove your bladder? How about a “handy-man dentist” to perform a root canal or extract a tooth? Of course you would not, those are regulated professions, as is the construction industry. And for most people, homeownership is probably the largest or second largest investment of a lifetime so why would a person put that investment at risk by hiring unlicensed individuals to perform work on that investment? So let’s take a look on how unlicensed remodeling & construction activities affect the community and the effects that this activity causes. Homeowner – Hiring unlicensed workers presents many issues, some are even quite dangerous: • Work not properly completed because unlicensed and uninsured individuals cannot pull permits; therefore there is no oversight of their work. Issues include potential fire from incorrect wiring, flooding due to improper plumbing, i