(a) Certificate Required. No person shall engage in the business or act in the capacity of a contractor except pursuant to a certificate of registration issued in conformity with this chapter by the Building Commissioner, unless such person is particularly exempted by this chapter.
(b) Exemption for Homeowner. For purposes of exemption from contractor registration only, a “homeowner” shall be defined as a person who owns or leases a parcel of land on which he or she resides or intends to reside, on which there is, or is intended to be, a dwelling of three or fewer units and/or attached or detached structures accessory to such use. A person who constructs more than one home in a two-year period in the State shall not be considered a homeowner.
(c) Qualifications. No person shall be issued a certificate of registration unless such person has been engaged in a recognized building trades business for a minimum of 12 consecutive months prior to making application for such certificate. Contractors applying for registration for electrical, plumbing, HVAC, hydronics, or refrigeration work on commercial of multi-family properties shall provide a license from the Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board (O.C.I.L.B.). After December 1, 2003 (2004 registration work year), contractors in these trades shall be required to provide a State of Ohio license for all work, including on residential properties. Upon good cause shown, this requirement may be waived by the Building Commissioner.
(d) Contractor Defined. As used in this section, “contractor” means any individual, firm, copartnership, corporation, association or other organization, or any combination thereof, who or which, by himself, herself or itself, or by or through others, constructs, alters, repairs, adds to, subtracts from, reconstructs or remodels any building, structure or appurtenance thereto, or who or which undertakes or offers to undertake, or purports to have the capacity to undertake, or submits a bid, to do so. “Contractor” includes “subcontractor” and also “specialty contractor” whose operations as such are the performance of construction or repair work requiring special skill and whose principal contracting business involves the knowledge or abilities of specialized building trades, crafts or maintenance skills.
(Ord. 1994-57. Passed 7-13-94; Ord. 2002-016. Passed 3-20-02; Ord. 2012-07. Passed 1-18-12.)