The world of work appears to be becoming more and more flexible, with many people seeking independently paying projects, which can allow them a greater sense of freedom and security.

An area unlikely to lack good opportunities for work in the future is that of home repair and construction. Contractors working in this area often operate in a freelance or self-employed manner so it may offer a promising route to independent income streams. 

You may have offered handyman services to friends or neighbors and been paid for work, but it is likely that everyone will eventually hit some kind of barrier in terms of trust and reputation. To charge more than $500 for specialized services, you are required to register in your state and ensure you provide financial protections for clients in case of accidents. 

One of the clearest ways past this impasse is looking into professional accreditation and in the United States, acquiring a contractor’s license has traditionally been seen as the established route for a trusted tradesperson. So in this article, we will examine some of the reasons that regardless of your business’s size, you may wish to look at the advantages offered by a contractor trading center:

1. Investigating Licenses Relevant to Any Industry

For contractors, licensing offers a sense of security in an array of fields, be it plumbing work, construction projects in people’s homes or demolition work.  

Some states with a large supply of contractors also provide more specific classifications with specialties offered in residential home improvements. With this assurance, work can be carried out with the homeowner and tradespeople at ease. 

A useful link is the US Small Business Administration, which can help you to work out which licenses and permits may be needed for any state and county. 

2. Routes to Becoming a Contractor

General contractors often start as construction workers. As they acquire experience of work, they can develop knowledge of different elements of construction, masonry, carpentry, or plumbing. Many also take the route of working as an apprentice tradesperson initially. 

Over time they can specialize in one area and through contractor’s exams can display knowledge they have built up. It is also, of course, possible to develop skills in home improvement or construction through personal or smaller projects and this provides another avenue to becoming a contractor.

3. Building Up Expertise

Contractor’s licenses are designed to demonstrate a level of established work and in order to go for a certified license which will allow businesses to work anywhere in a given state, they must have at least four years experience (one being as a supervisor). This experience also needs to be verified by a Certified Contractor or other licensed individuals in the field.  

4. Studying for Exams 

Trade projects can take many forms and there is a huge range of exams and licenses to reflect this. 

Some such as the National NASCLA Accredited Contractor Exam are designed for those hoping to work across multiple areas and provides licensing for contracted work across different states. 

Others take varied forms such as the Business Law or Home Builders exam, showing how you can specialize in whichever area suits your needs. 

Alternatively, you may only want to work within the state you reside in, and there are state-specific exams designed for this. 

5. Flexible Study 

While you may think that studying for exams such as these would likely involve a large time commitment, technological developments have greatly transformed the world of work and study. A contractor training center can often now offer seminars live-streamed online, making hassles of traveling for classes a thing of the past.