Who is responsible for establishing that a subcontractor is duly licensed?

Who is responsible for establishing that a subcontractor is duly licensed?

• A. The Owner
• B. The Prime Contractor
• C. The Subcontractor
• D. The Building Official

Answer: (B)

The responsibility lies with the prime contractor. When a contractor hires subcontractors to perform licensed trades, it’s the prime contractor’s job to verify that each subcontractor holds a valid and appropriate license before work begins. This helps protect the project, the owner, and the contractor from penalties for unlicensed work, and it aligns with California licensing requirements that the party contracting for the work ensure compliance. The building official may check licenses as part of permit processing, but the ongoing duty to establish and confirm licensure rests with the contractor who hires the subcontractor.

The responsibility lies with the prime contractor. When a contractor hires subcontractors to perform licensed trades, it’s the prime contractor’s job to verify that each subcontractor holds a valid and appropriate license before work begins. This helps protect the project, the owner, and the contractor from penalties for unlicensed work, and it aligns with California licensing requirements that the party contracting for the work ensure compliance. The building official may check licenses as part of permit processing, but the ongoing duty to establish and confirm licensure rests with the contractor who hires the subcontractor.