Installing

In my last post I mentioned not having a contractor’s license. One comment cautioned against performing installations without one. So I thought I should take the time to clarify that…

In my last post I mentioned not having a contractor's license. One comment cautioned against performing installations without one. So I thought I should take the time to clarify that point.

The work around for me was simply to never do any onsite work outside of maybe going back to the job site to make small adjustments or do minor touch-ups. Contractor laws vary from state to state but here in California the law prohibits you from doing any work with a value over $300 without being licensed. In the beginning, I separated the installation and often times offered the installation as a free service. But that did not work because the law binds any onsite work to the contract.

Ultimately, I quit doing installations altogether. Either the general contractor took responsibility for the installation or I worked out a separate arrangement with a one of several subcontractors with whom I developed working relationships. They contracted directly with the clients and I provided any necessary oversight.

Not doing installations might have cost me a job or two but I simply did not want to end up being a contractor and being bound by laws that made it almost impossible for me to work out my own payment arrangements. By staying out of the contracting business, I was able to finance my jobs with the customer's money instead of my own.

D.D.

David DeCristoforo possesses an extensive resume as designer/maker of fine furniture, high-end cabinetry and architectural woodwork. His experience in professional woodworking spans a period of 35 years. For the past 20 years David DeCristoforo Design has been located in Woodland, California. During this time David's shop has ranged in scope from a "full on" cabinet production shop with as many as 15 employees to a small fine furniture and custom millwork shop, working with his son, David RBJ, a highly skilled maker in his own right.