In the fourth surprise sweep in Washington state since August, construction compliance inspectors with the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) visited 63 work sites in Chelan and Douglas counties, citing 11 contractors for either lacking a state registration, or not being registered for the work they were doing. The infraction carries a $1,000 fine for a first-time offense.
“An unregistered contractor typically has no liability insurance, no bond and pays no taxes or workers’ comp,” said Dean Simpson, manager of L&I’s construction compliance program. “That means they’re leaving consumers unprotected and are unfairly competing with reputable contractors who do great work and meet the requirements.”
Mark Straub, executive officer for the North Central Home Builders Association, said his organizations received numerous calls from consumers “who thought they were getting ‘a great deal,’ only to discover that they have little or no recourse when they’re ultimately left in a lurch by these bad actors. Straub said the association “fully supports such efforts by L&I in rooting out unregistered contractors in North Central Washington.”
Simpson said his program has stepped up staffing and focus in the past year and a half, with the support of builder groups. In the last fiscal year alone, L&I inspected more than 10,000 jobsites – 56 percent more visits and 39 percent more violations uncovered than in the previous year.
“We want to show people we’re out there, even on the weekends,” Simpson said. “We want unregistered contractors to know we will find them and for honest contractors to know we’re not ignoring this problem.”
Similar sweeps have taken place in Walla Walla, Spokane and Tacoma. L&I has carried out surprise inspections at 257 work sites since the agency began sweeps in August, and issued 41 citations for registration problems. The agency also found a number of other violations relating to uncertified plumbers, underage workers, and unpermitted work on manufactured homes.
Working as a contractor without registration, even advertising to do so, can result in a minimum $1,000 penalty for a first offense. Penalties climb with each resulting citation. Inspectors typically issue seven such infractions in an average month.