The Regulatory Environment
Prosecuting license law & hazardous construction requires due process. Violations must be reported, and Notice to Appear “NTA” served. My State license board’s Press Releases & Consumer Alerts tracks stings & enforcement actions statewide.
However, unless installing fire systems under Fire-Marshal enforcement, licensed contractors are leading the industry’s high-profile catastrophes, which point squarely to complete regulatory failure.
U.S.-Sino Investment laborer Raul Zapata was crushed by an un-shored, water-soaked trench, after “Permit violations” and “stop orders” against a licensed builder could not be enforced. As of this writing, the licensed contractor and his foreman are immune to criminal prosecution. The dead workers family stands alone, relying on donations in hope of financing a civil-litigation effort against this untouchable contractor.
Nevertheless, the process of license-board enforcement against unlicensed-contractors remains swift during job-site stings, customer complaints, or unauthorized lien actions, which invite the lawless to demonstrate their incompetence to a law enforcement official.