Citing the requirement as “…a barrier to entry into the occupation,” the Occupational Licensing Advisory Rules Committee has recommended eliminating the requirement for applicants for builders or M & A license to complete 60 hours of education before taking the licensing exam. Passed by the Legislature in 2007 as a part of the "Improving Professionalism" package, applicants must take at least 60 hours of approved courses considting of at least 6 hours of courses in each of the following areas: The current Michigan Residential Code, Construction Safety Standards promulgated under the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Act, business management, estimating and job costing, design and building science, contracts, liability, and risk management, marketing and sales and project management and scheduling before being allowed to take the licensing exam.
As recorded in the Senate Fiscal Agency analysis of the apckage, the new educational requirements were a consumer protection measure intended to "enhance the professionalism of residential builders and bring a new level of respectability to the home building industry.
The legislative analysis went on to report the "Presently, it is too easy for someone to obtain a residential builder's license and, once licensed, to continue practicing as a builder. Since there have been no educational requirements for initial or continued licensure, all someone has had to do is pass an examination - which a person eveidently could do after simply taking an eight-hour class given by a private provider. While six of the 14 members of the committee were attorneys, no one holding a license as a builder, plumber, mechanical contractor or electirican served on the committee. The committee found that the education requirements were "...excessive for the knowledge needed to take the exam this has done little, if anything, to ensure the competency of home builders." and become licensed to work as a residential builder."
We expect legislation to eliminate the pre-licensure education requirements to be introduced before the Legislature recesses in June.
Lee Schwartz
Executive Vice President
Government Relations
Michigan Association of Home Builders
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