AZ ROC Investigators Target Unlicensed Construction During Annual Enforcement Effort
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Fri., June 30, 2023
CONTACT: Jessie Winter, Public Information Liaison
AZ ROC Investigators Target Unlicensed Construction During Annual Enforcement Effort
PHOENIX, Ariz., (June 30, 2023) – On Thurs., June 15, 2023, about 30 investigators from the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (AZ ROC) participated in a statewide effort intended to combat unlicensed construction activity and provide education and outreach to support the agency’s mission of promoting quality construction performed by licensed Arizona contractors.
AZ ROC investigators patrolled cities and towns throughout Coconino, Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, Pinal, and Yavapai Counties as part of an annual nationwide operation planned in coordination with the National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies (NASCLA). The effort resulted in 20 unlicensed entity contacts, with 11 receiving warnings for compliance violations and 5 being issued cease and desist orders.
During these interactions, investigators provide information about Arizona laws that regulate construction activity and encourage unlicensed entities to take advantage of the agency’s resources to help them apply for a license, such as AZ ROC’s free online Applicant Education Seminars, held every month in order to explain application requirements and answer questions in real time.
Investigators also engaged with 226 licensed contractors, yielding 6 warnings issued for compliance violations. Additionally, contacts were made with 2 building officials, 4 law enforcement officers, and 38 property owners. In all, the annual enforcement effort resulted in 290 total contacts made, with 268 of those providing education and outreach information.
Interactions with homeowners are especially important, as the agency commonly receives complaints where the person hiring was not aware that AZ ROC’s administrative complaint process and Residential Recovery Fund, a form of financial protection provided by licensed Arizona residential contractors to residential homeowners, is only available to those who hired a licensed contractor. These protections are not available to consumers who hire an unlicensed entity.
AZ ROC reminds home and property owners that if the entire cost of the project, including labor and materials is over $1,000 or requires a permit by the local municipality, Arizona law requires the person or business performing the work to be licensed. Always check the license before hiring a contractor at www.roc.az.gov or by giving the Agency a call at (877) 692-9762.
AZ ROC also invites those who are working unlicensed to contact the agency to find out how to apply for a contractor’s license in order to avoid regulatory action. Contracting without a license and advertising without a license are both Class One Misdemeanors in Arizona. Many changes have been made over the past several years to streamline the application process and AZ ROC encourages all, including those who may have experienced difficulty applying in the past, to reach out for assistance in getting licensed.
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