The Construction Contractors Board (CCB), the state agency that licenses contractors in Oregon, conducts periodic enforcement sweeps in search of unlicensed contractor activity and other violations. “Unlicensed contractors put consumers at risk,” said Vena Swanson, CCB Enforcement Manager. “By searching for unlicensed contractor activity, we’re helping to protect consumers that hire contractors.” As of last week, CCB’s productive sweep season came to a successful conclusion.
What is a CCB Enforcement Sweep?
An enforcement sweep is a planned effort with Field Investigators working together in designated areas searching for unlicensed contractors and illegal construction activity. This year’s sweep season, which started last spring and concluded at the end of October, touched every region of Oregon. Some sweeps were conducted with other state agencies, while others were conducted as a part of a national sweep effort. The agency conducted 10 collective weeks of sweeps over the last 6 months, sometimes overlapping sweeps in different areas of the state at the same time.
“We completed 1,052 CCB license/jobsite checks, checked the certification on 330 lead-based paint jobsites, and checked credentialing for 170 tradespeople during this collective 10 weeks,” reported Swanson. The result? The CCB issued 226 proposed violations during 2024 sweeps. These proposed violations can lead to civil penalties. Some of the major violations included working without a license, lack of workers compensation insurance, working on pre-1978 homes without a lead-based paint license, and violation of safety practice standards while working with lead-based paint. There were many other offenses as well, such as failure to have a valid contract in place, advertising without a CCB number, and not being registered with the Secretary of State.
While the goal of sweeps is to find illegal construction activity and confront it head on, CCB Field Investigators also encounter CCB licensees in the field. Jobsite checks go fast for contractors in compliance with the law. These encounters give licensees a chance to ask compliance-related questions and develop a rapport with field investigators.
Why Are Sweeps Important?
“When reports of alleged violations are relayed back to our Compliance team, the civil penalty process may begin,” said Swanson. “The desired outcome is to shield consumers from harm and promote a fair business environment.”
Sweeps reinforce CCB’s strong enforcement presence and can help identify, remediate, and stop construction violations. Those in violation of construction laws often take steps toward compliance once a violation is issued.
Dangers of Hiring an Unlicensed Contractor
While CCB can fine unlicensed contractors for violations, consumers that hire unlicensed contractors have little recourse when construction projects go awry. CCB urges consumers to check contractors for an active license before hiring them. Consumers who become aware of unlicensed contractor jobsites should report them to the CCB.
The dangers of working with unlicensed contractors include:
- No ability to look up license history. CCB’s online license search feature allows consumers to look up any license and see its history, including disciplinary history, previous suspensions, complaints and more. No such look up exists for unlicensed contractors.
- No access to mediation. CCB offers mediation services to consumers in dispute with their licensed contractor. Mediations help keep disputes out of court. Consumers in dispute with unlicensed contractors do not have this option, and while some do choose to go to court, others simply give up.
- No insurance, bond, or workers comp policy. Licensed contractors are required to have insurance and a bond in place to protect consumers. Businesses with employees are required to have workers comp. Most often, unlicensed contractors do not have this kind of protection and thus put consumers who hire them at risk.
How Can I Report Unlicensed Contractor Activity?
Reporting unlicensed contractor activity is easy with the CCB’s website. Consumers that are aware of unlicensed contractors working on active jobsites can report the activity to the CCB at this link: https://search.ccb.
Consumers can also find this link themselves through the CCB’s website, www.oregon.gov/ccb
To report activity, look for the button that says “Report Contractor Activity.” Reports can be made anonymously, or consumers can request a follow up phone call to find out what happened to their report.
