What is Occupational Licensing?
An “occupational license” is, put simply, government permission to work in a particular field. To earn the license, an aspiring worker must clear various hurdles, such as earning a certain amount of education or training or passing an exam. In the 1950s, only one in 20 U.S. workers needed the government’s permission to pursue their chosen occupation. Today, that figure stands at almost one in four.
Floor Sander Contractor (Residential) Occupational Licensing
License required in 27 states
52nd most burdensome licensing requirements among moderate-income occupations
Average Fee for License:$282
What They Do
Floor sander and finisher contractors contract with clients to scrape and sand wooden floors to smooth surfaces using floor scraper and floor sanding machines and to apply coats of finish. Typically, only contractors require licenses, not the floor sanders who work for them. In some states, licensing requirements differ based on the setting. Those with a residential license may work only on residential properties, while those with a commercial license may work on commercial properties. Other states require the same license regardless of the setting, and this report records that license in both settings. Many states have contract minimums before the contractor’s license applies. See Appendix B for details.
Floor Sander Contractor (Residential) Licensing Overview
Twenty-seven states (more than half of states) require a licence to work as a Floor Sander Contractor (Residential). On average, these laws require $282 in fees, 260 days of education and about 1 exam. Floor Sander Contractor (Residential) Licenses have the 52nd most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied. Fees for a license exceed $1000 in Nevada.
Where is a Floor Sander Contractor (Residential) the most regulated?
Out of the 27 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Floor Sander Contractor (Residential) has the highest burden in Nevada. Nevada requires $1040 in fees, 2 exams, 4 years experience, and no education.
Where is a Floor Sander Contractor (Residential) the least regulated?
Out of the 27 states that require an occupational license, an occupational license for a Floor Sander Contractor (Residential) has the lowest burden in Nebraska. Nebraska requires $0 in fees, no exams, no experience, and no education.
Where is a Floor Sander Contractor (Residential) license the most expensive?
An occupational license for a Floor Sander Contractor (Residential) costs the most in Nevada. Nevada requires $1040 in fees, 2 exams, 4 years experience, and no education.
Where is a Floor Sander Contractor (Residential) license the least expensive?
An occupational license for a Floor Sander Contractor (Residential) costs the least in Nebraska. Nebraska requires $0 in fees, no exams, no experience, and no education.
Where does it take the longest to obtain a Floor Sander Contractor (Residential) license?
An occupational license for a Floor Sander Contractor (Residential) takes the longest to obtain in Nevada, California, Hawaii.It takes 1460 days (4 years).
Where is it fastest to obtain a Floor Sander Contractor (Residential) license?
An occupational license for a Floor Sander Contractor (Residential) takes the least time to obtain in North Carolina, Tennessee, North Dakota, District of Columbia, West Virginia, Alabama, Alaska, Louisiana, Connecticut, Washington, New Jersey, Iowa, Arkansas, Idaho, Pennsylvania, Nebraska (0 days).
What states require exams for a Floor Sander Contractor (Residential) license?
To obtain an occupational license for a Floor Sander Contractor (Residential) there is at least one exam required in: Nevada, California, Hawaii, Arizona, Maryland, Virginia, Mississippi, Oregon, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia. California requires 3 exams.
Twenty-seven states license floor sander contractors working on residential properties. On average, states require 287 days of education and experience, $308 in fees, and about one exam. All in all, 13 states require at least one exam (California requires three). These requirements rank as the 53rd most burdensome.
States Ranked by Average Licensing Burden for 102 Lower-Income Occupations
More Burdensome Less Burdensome
Based on data released in November 2022| Burden Rank | State | Occupations Licensed | Fees | Estimated Calendar Days Lost | Education | Experience | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | 75 | $1,040 | 1460 | None | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 2 | California | 75 | $579 | 1460 | None | 4 years | 3 | 0 | 18 |
| 3 | Hawaii | 64 | $694 | 1460 | None | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| 4 | Arizona | 68 | $546 | 730 | None | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 5 | Maryland | 58 | $433 | 730 | None | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 6 | Virginia | 72 | $320 | 731 | 8 clock hours | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 7 | South Carolina | 60 | $50 | 365 | None | 1 years | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Mississippi | 65 | $290 | 67 | None | 3 jobs, contractors | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Oregon | 69 | $310 | 3 | 16 clock hours | None | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 10 | North Carolina | 66 | $154 | 0 | None | None | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | 70 | $200 | 0.8 | 5 clock hours | None | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| 12 | Tennessee | 69 | $307 | 0 | None | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | North Dakota | 65 | $100 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| 14 | Utah | 64 | $405 | 4 | 25 clock hours | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | 61 | $442 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | West Virginia | 67 | $142 | 0 | None | None | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Alabama | 63 | $350 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Alaska | 64 | $350 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Louisiana | 77 | $255 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Connecticut | 65 | $220 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Washington | 76 | $118 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | New Jersey | 54 | $110 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Iowa | 71 | $50 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Arkansas | 72 | $50 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Idaho | 66 | $50 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | 50 | $50 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Nebraska | 61 | $0 | 0 | None | None | 0 | 0 | 0 |
License to Work
The data and information here come from IJ’s License to Work report, released in November 2022.
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