CCB Toolbox: Spring 2024 Newsletter for Contractors

 

Board Approves $75 License Fee Increase, Proposes Studying Changes to Promote Fairness and Predictability

Last December, the CCB announced a proposal to increase the two-year license fee by $75. The license fee was set at $325 in 2010. Since 2010, costs have increased significantly and the industry has grown in size. At the same time CCB has held the line on staffing and sought ways to be more efficient with existing staff. The fee paid by contractors has remained at or below the rate established in 2010. The board proposed the increase to ensure the agency will have the resources needed to deliver accountable customer service to the contractors and consumers of Oregon.

Public comment was open until March 14 at 5:00 pm. The agency solicited public comment through multiple announcements and reminders, held a hearing for public comment, and accepted public comments through email. More than 200 public comments were submitted to the agency. The agency also held two informational webinars to give more background on the fee increase and to allow attendees to ask questions.

This March 27, 2024, the agency’s board met to discuss the proposed fee increase and public comments received during the public comment period.

Board Considers Changes Based on Public Comment

At its March 27, 2024 Board meeting, the Board discussed, in detail, comments submitted by contractors during the public comment period. Many contractors suggested a tiered licensing fee structure that would result in smaller fees for businesses with fewer employees or lower annual revenue. Many contractors also requested changes to the continuing education program that would entail more relevant education for contractors while also making education requirements contingent upon a contractor’s years in business.

The Board recognizes the validity of these ideas and has determined more discussion and research is warranted. The Board has provided direction to the agency to research the ways that licenses can be “right-sized” to limit the financial impact on smaller businesses. These efforts will be ongoing, starting with reports from the agency at the next board meeting in April.

In addition, the Board also discussed the potential for future fee increase discussions to be scheduled and indexed to pre-determined metrics to promote predictability. This would allow for smaller increases in the future and enable CCB licensed businesses to plan for increases.

Results of the March 27, 2024 Board Meeting

Board members also spoke strongly in support of preserving CCB enforcement, licensing and other services at current levels in approving the fee proposal.

While the Board does recognize the need to study longer-term changes to the fee structure, the financial realities giving rise to the fee increase proposal warranted moving forward. At the end of the meeting, the Board approved the proposed license fee increase. This increase begins on July 2024 and will be implemented over a two-year period. After full implementation, the two-year fee for both a new license and renewal of an existing license would be $400.

Sign Up For 3 Hours of CCB Laws, Rules and Business Practices This Spring
Residential contractors are required to take 3 hours of CCB Laws, Rules and Business practices (LRB) classes every 2 years to renew their license. Each 3-hour class features a presentation from CCB and presentations from other state agencies.

Classes (webinars and in-person classes) are scheduled through the spring, including live classes in southern Oregon. You can view the CCB’s schedule on this website: https://www.oregon.gov/ccb/Pages/Education-Catalogs.aspx#CCBclasses

Want to take the 3-hour class in Spanish? Sign Up for our live in-person class in Spanish on May 21 in Salem!

Sign up for an online services account
An online services account allows you to check the status of your license, access CCB services, manage your license information and enjoy faster renewal processing times. With an online services account, you can:

Renew your license and pay license renewal fee
Update your address and other contact information
Complete the 3 hours of CCB Laws, Regulations & Business Practices continuing education
View your continuing education history and current status
Access e-watch to track the license status of your subcontractors
Update your workers compensation status (exempt versus non-exempt)
How to register for an online services account.

Visit the online services portal link https://portal.ccb.state.or.us and click “I am a new user”.
Complete the required information and click “Register”.
Watch for an email from the CCB and validate your account. If you don’t receive an email, check your junk or spam folder – the email should come from [email protected]. Once you have validated your email address, you can go to the online services portal and log in.
Are you a licensed home inspector? This is what you should know about continuing education.
As a home inspector, you must complete 30 continuing education units in the 24 months prior to your certification expiration date. These classes must be from approved providers in approved subject areas.

Accredited colleges and universities, as well as federal, state or local government agencies, are all approved. Additionally, certain private education businesses are approved to offer courses. Find approved home inspector education providers on our website.

Article from Building Codes Division (BCD): Oregon ePermitting Offers Electronic Access to Building Permits
The Oregon State Building Codes Division’s ePermitting website (BuildingPermits.Oregon.gov) allows licensed contractors to apply for building permits with just a few clicks of a mouse! Participation by cities or counties is voluntary, but by 2025 all will be required to offer electronic access to building permits via Oregon ePermitting or another substantially similar system. Available in over 80 jurisdictions across the state, ePermitting offers contractors tools to help purchase permits, submit electronic plans, request inspections, receive push notifications from inspectors immediately when an inspection is completed, access all inspection results, participate in remote video inspections and much more.

To use the ePermitting website, a contractor must first register for an account on the BuildingPermits.Oregon.gov website. Step-by-step directions to register for an account are provided, but contractors can call the help desk to receive assistance in setting up their account. Training is available to contractors via BCD’s Online Training Documents, over the phone, online and in-person upon request. The ePermitting program works with local building jurisdictions to host in-person contractor trainings across the state at times convenient for contractors.

If you are interested in having a contractor training hosted in your community, email BCD at [email protected]. As of November 1st, all contractor trainings will offer 1 hour of continuing education credit to contractors that participate.

In addition to the ePermitting website, we offer the Oregon ePermitting App that allows contractors to request/reschedule/cancel inspections, check inspection results, submit photos to an inspection at the inspector’s request, participate in live video inspections, subscribe to and receive push notifications of inspection results and direct message with inspectors on the same day of the inspection. The App is available from both the Google Play Store (Android) and the Apple App store. The App has a Menu that offers training documentation as well as contact information for online and in-person training.

With the popularity of the Oregon ePermitting App and ability to schedule multiple inspections at one time we have added an Easy Scheduling link from the ePermitting website that gives contractors a faster and more convenient method to schedule inspections on a computer.

For more information on ePermitting contact Jerod Broadfoot, Outreach & Training Coordinator for the Oregon Building Codes Division, at [email protected] or by phone at 541-240-1256.

7 Things to know about continuing education for commercial contractors
All commercial contractors must complete continuing education unless they are exempt from continuing education. To find out if you are exempt, see our website.

All continuing education must be performed by key employees. A key employee is an owner or employee who is one of the following: corporate officer, manager, superintendent, foreperson, lead person, any other person who supervises construction activities.
Classes do not have to be pre-approved by CCB. Commercial contractors can take a variety of courses on construction methods or business practices to meet their continuing education requirements. You can take classes from community colleges, universities, trade schools, trade or business associations, professional societies, private companies and public agencies.

In-house trainings and safety meetings can count for continuing education. That’s right! If you have regular safety meetings or in-house trainings, document them (how long, when, who attended, who lead the meeting, etc) to count them toward your continuing education.
Classes should be at least one-hour long. Classes are required to be at least one hour to count toward your continuing education.

CCB audits continuing education for commercial contractors. You may be required to show proof of your continuing education following a renewal. Be ready with certificates and other documentation to show that your continuing education was completed.

Failure to comply with an audit could result in suspension of the license. Check your mail for letters that indicate your license has been selected for audit. Don’t wait to respond!

CCB sends emails! Check your spam or junk email folder.
Email spam filters can sometimes send important CCB emails to your spam or junk folders. Make it your habit to check your spam folder from time to time, to be sure you are not missing important emails from the CCB concerning your license.

Have you signed up for E-Watch yet?
CCB’s online service, E-Watch, enables you to monitor the status of any contractor’s license on an ongoing basis. If a license status changes, an email will alert you.

Why Is E-Watch Important?

Even unintentional suspensions and expirations of your license or a subcontractor’s can lead to violations. Quick notification from E-Watch enables you to address issues quickly, allowing everyone to get back to work.

Signing Up is Easy

If you have an online services account, you can sign up for E-Watch.

Sign in to your online services account. (https://portal.ccb.state.or.us/)
Click the E-Watch link, located on the left-hand side of the screen.
Click on an existing tab or create a new tab to start adding licenses.
Enter the license number of any contractor.
Click submit.
If the license expires, is suspended, or becomes inactive, you’ll receive an email about the change.

Know the Status of Any License – Including Your Own

With E-watch, you can monitor more than just a subcontractor’s license; you can also monitor your own. If your license is suspended or expires, you’ll know when it happens. To find out more about E-Watch, visit your online service portal at https://portal.ccb.state.or.us/, or call the CCB at 503-378-4621.

Have you signed up for the homeowner newsletter?
One of the ways the CCB conducts outreach to homeowners is by publishing a homeowner newsletter with information about how and why to hire licensed contractors. The newsletter covers a range of topics including home improvements and remodels. Sign up to stay informed and share the newsletter with your customers!

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