Oregon

If you're paid for any construction activity, you need to register with the Oregon Construction Contractors Board.

To find out if a contractor is licensed in Oregon, click https://ccbed.ccb.state.or.us/ccb_frames/consumer_info/ccb_index.htm or call (503) 378-4621. To find out if an electrician or plumber is licensed in Oregon, click http://www4.cbs.state.or.us/ex/all/mylicsearch/index.cfm?fuseaction=main.show_main&group_id=30. For a list of licensed asbestos abatement contractors, go to http://www.deq.state.or.us/aq/asbestos/index.htm.  

• Asbestos Abatement License and Certifications

• Electrician's Licenses

• Plumber's Licenses
    
• Boiler Licenses

• Department of Transportation (DOT)

• Out-of-State Corporations

To get an application to do construction work in Oregon contact:

Construction Contractors Board 700 Summer Street NE, Suite 300 P.O. Box 14140 Salem, OR 97309-5052 (503) 378-4621 ext. 4900 Fax: (503) 373-2007 http://www.oregon.gov/CCB/

To be licensed by the board, you need to:

• complete the prerequisite training and pass CCB's statewide test
• file your assumed business name, corporation or LLC at the Oregon Corporation Division
• obtain and submit a CCB surety bond in the required amount
• obtain and provide proof of general liability insurance in the required amount
• provide evidence of worker's compensation and other applicable employee account numbers
• submit a completed application along with the $260 license fee for two years

Before you can register with the Board, you must identify one member of your business as a Responsible Managing Individual (RMI). Usually the RMI is an owner, partner or corporate officer of the business. The RMI must complete a sixteen-hour course and pass a state test. The sixteen- hour courses cover business practices and laws that pertain to construction contractors.

A link to current education providers is available at http://www.oregon.gov/CCB/Education.shtml under "Approved Training Providers".

After completing the required education, contact Prometric to schedule a test:

Prometric, Inc. 1260 Energy Lane St. Paul, MN 55108 (800) 462-8669 http://www.prometric.com/oregon

The test is open book with 80 equally-weighted multiple-choice questions.

Test fee: The test costs $106 each time it is taken. 

An applicant must select to apply for residential endorsement only, commercial endorsement only, or dual (both residential and commercial) endorsement.

Asbestos Abatement License and Certifications

If you do asbestos abatement work in Oregon, you must be licensed or certified by the Department of Environmental Quality. The Department licenses contractors and certifies supervisors or workers. To get an application, contact:

Oregon DEQ Asbestos Section Air Quality Headquarters 811 SW Sixth Avenue, 11th Floor Portland, OR  97204 Portland-Metro Area: (503) 229-5359 Toll Free (800) 452-4011 Fax (503) 229-5675 http://www.deq.state.or.us/aq/asbestos/index.htm  E-mail: airquality.info@deq.state.or.us

To get a contractor's license, you must:

• be or employ a certified supervisor
• read, understand, and comply with the applicable Oregon and federal rules on asbestos abatement
• prove workers' compensation coverage (not required for independent contractors)
• register with the Oregon Construction Contractors Board
• register with the Oregon Business Registry (Oregon Secretary of State)

Asbestos abatement license fees: The license will cost $1,000 and it's good for one year.

To be certified as a supervisor you must successfully complete the supervisor level training and exam approved by the Department. You must also have one of the following:

• three months experience in asbestos abatement and five separate asbestos abatement projects
• a current Oregon Worker Certification and six months experience as supervisor in general construction, general environmental, or facility maintenance of an asbestos abatement project

Asbestos abatement certificate fee: If you have a certificate, training, and/or experience in another state, Oregon may accept them. The certificate will cost $65 and it's good for one year.

To be certified as a worker you must successfully complete the worker level training and exam approved by the Department. The certificate costs $45 and it's good for one year.

Electrician's Licenses

To do electrical work in Oregon you need a license. You also need to register with the Oregon Construction Contractors Board. To find out about the Construction Contractors Board, see the information at the beginning of the Oregon section. To get an application for a license, contact:

Department of Consumer & Business Services Building Codes Division 1535 Edgewater NW Salem, OR 97310 (503) 373-1268 Fax: (503) 378-2322 http://bcd.oregon.gov/

The Division issues fourteen electrical contractor licenses. Here they are, with the license fee for each:

You don't have to take an exam to get an electrical contractor's license. However you do need to employ an appropriately-licensed person in your company to sign for electrical permits. There are also requirements for four of the licenses.

You need to be registered with the Construction Contractors Board to get any of these licenses.

Plumber's Licenses

To do plumbing work in Oregon you need a license. You also need to register with the Oregon Construction Contractors Board. And you need to register your business with the Oregon Department of Consumer & Business Services. To find out about the Construction Contractors Board, check the information at the beginning of the Oregon section. To register your business with Consumer & Business Services you need to fill out a Boiler/Plumbing Business Registration Application. You can get this from:

Department of Consumer & Business Services Building Codes Division 1535 Edgewater NW Salem, OR 97310 (503) 373-1268 Fax: (503) 378-2322 http://www.oregonbcd.org

This registration costs $150 and it's good for one year.

The Division also issues the following plumbing licenses:

• Journeyman plumber
• Solar heating and cooling installer
• Residential water-heater installer
• Water treatment installer

The Division will review your application and if you're eligible they'll send you information on the exam they require. For the journeyman license you need a high school diploma or equivalent and four years of plumbing experience or completion of an approved apprenticeship program. For the water treatment installer license you need a high school diploma or equivalent and 18 months of water treatment installation experience or a plumbing apprentice program or 3,000 hours of work experience. The Division may accept military experience if it's relevant and properly documented.

The journeyman exam is closed book with 100 questions and lasts three hours. It covers:

• drains and vents/sewers
• water supply/backflow prevention
• code
• general knowledge
• installation practices/methods materials
• special wastes/roof drains
• fixtures/trim
• excavation
• inspection/test/permits
• mathematics, pressure, volume, grade, offsets

After you pass the exam with a score of 75% or better, you need to pass a practical exam which tests your mechanical skills on fabricating and assembling pipes, fixtures, and other apparatus.

If you have an active journeyman license from another state, you may be able to apply for a reciprocal journeyman license in Oregon. Check with the Division for details.

Here are the licenses and what they cost:

Boiler Licenses

Contact:

Department of Consumer & Business Services Building Codes Division 1535 Edgewater NW Salem, OR 97310 (503) 373-1268 Fax: (503) 378-2322 http://www.oregonbcd.org

To get your license you must first pass an exam. Applicants approved to take an examination will be sent a Letter of Authorization. The letter will explain the procedure for taking the examination. You must take the exam within 60 days of receiving the Letter of Authorization.

With a Class 1 license you can install, alter, or repair boilers or pressure vessels by any non-welded method of attachment as a helper or trainee.

• the work must be done under the supervision of a qualified certification holder
• the direct supervision must be on a ratio of one qualified certificate holder to one trainee
• there are no required qualifications for this certification

With a Class 2 license you can install or repair unfired pressure vessels by any non-welded method of attachment.

• there are no required qualifications for this certification
• you must pass an exam 

With a Class 3 license you can install or repair boilers (including boiler and non-boiler external piping) and unfired pressure vessels by a non-welded method of attachment.

• must have at least 2,000 verifiable hours of experience involving installation and repair of boilers.
• exam, knowledge of building service systems (hydronics) for boilers and related appurtanances
• exam, knowledge of structural and mechanical blueprints with the ability to interpret specifications

With a Class 4 license you can install, alter, or repair boilers and pressure vessels, but not non-boiler external piping, by welding or other methods of attachment.

• at least 2,000 hours of verifiable experience doing welding and 2,000 hours of verifiable experience hours doing non-welded applications involving boilers or pressure vessels
• you must pass an exam 

With a Class 5 license you can install, alter or repair all boiler and non-boiler external piping and to install boilers and pressure vessels.

• at least 2,000 hours of verifiable welding experience and at least 2,000 hours of verifiable experience doing non-welded applications involving boiler and non-boiler external piping.
• exam, knowledge of structural and mechanical blueprints with ability to interpret specifications
• exam, knowledge of steam, hot water systems, pressure piping  and controls

With a Class 6 license you can weld on a boiler (including boiler and non-boiler external piping) or pressure vessel. The welding may only be done under the supervision of a Class 4 or Class 5 certificate holder. The person holding this certification may do the welding only while employed by an approved welding employer.

• you must be qualified as a welder according to American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section 9 
• you must have a written statement from the employer that the applicant is currently qualified under that code section and is currently certified to the manufacturer's welding procedures

To obtain copies of current codes, contact:

Building Tech Bookstore 800-275-2665
ICBO 310-692-4226
IAMPO 800-85-IAMPO

Boiler license fees: The application fee is $82.50. Check with the Division for license fees.

Department of Transportation (DOT)

To bid as a prime contractor on Oregon Department of Transportation jobs, you must be prequalified. Suppliers and subcontractors don't need to be prequalified. To get an application, contact:

Department of Transportation 307 Transportation Building Salem, OR 97310 (503) 986-3877 http://www.odot.state.or.us/home/

The application will ask you about your company organization, equipment, experience, and what licenses you hold. You will also need to fill in a table telling the maximum dollar amount you're capable of performing, maximum dollar amount you're qualified for in other states, and years of experience for these classes of work:

Department of Transportation application fee: It costs $100 to file the application for prequalification. Once you're prequalified, the DOT will notify you when you need to be prequalified.

Out-of-State Corporations

Out-of-state corporations must register with the Oregon Secretary of State. For information, contact:

Corporations Division Oregon Secretary of State 255 Capitol Street, NE, Suite 151 Salem, OR 97310-1327 (503) 986-2200 Fax: (503) 378-4381 http://www.sos.state.or.us/

Find an error? Please e-mail the Web Master

© 2004 Craftsman Book Company