{"id":2564,"date":"2023-09-27T16:27:06","date_gmt":"2023-09-27T23:27:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/contractorslicensingschools.com\/blog\/?p=2564"},"modified":"2023-10-09T16:33:53","modified_gmt":"2023-10-09T23:33:53","slug":"what-is-a-journeyman-and-how-is-it-related-to-my-cslb-license","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/contractorslicensingschools.com\/blog\/what-is-a-journeyman-and-how-is-it-related-to-my-cslb-license\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is A Journeyman And How Is It Related To My CSLB License?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Just moved to California as a contractor and need your CSLB license \u2013 as any contractor does \u2013 to start doing construction work in the State?<\/span><\/p>\n

Or maybe you\u2019re a fresh-faced 18-year-old, who sees a career in construction in the future, and you are looking for the path to making that a reality.<\/span><\/p>\n

In any case, no matter what type of construction work you want to do in California, you need a CSLB license \u2013 and in order to get a CSLB license, you need to first become a journeyman.<\/span><\/p>\n

But what is a journeyman? And how does it play into getting your CSLB contractor\u2019s license? In this article, we\u2019ll walk you through everything and anything related to being a construction journeyman.<\/span><\/p>\n

Journeymen and Journey-level Experience<\/span><\/h2>\n

The CSLB defines<\/span><\/a> a journeyman as anyone who has \u201cjourney-level experience\u201d, which is anyone who \u201chas completed an apprenticeship program or is an experienced worker, not a trainee, and is fully qualified and able to perform a specific trade without supervision.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike a novice or a trainee, a journeyman is fully qualified and capable of performing their trade without supervision. They are experienced, skilled construction workers who have specialty expertise in their area of operation \u2013 whether it’s a hands-on trade like plumbing or the more general practice of general contracting.<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the ability of a journeyman to essentially perform all of the jobs of a licensed contractor, a journeyman cannot do contracting work on their own \u2013 only under the supervision of a general contractor. That means that even if you have all the skills to <\/span>perform construction work on jobs over $500<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>you still cannot do it.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

If journeymen are found doing contracting work, they are treated just like any other unlicensed contractor in the eyes of the law \u2013 facing all the same penalties, despite their skill and experience.<\/span><\/p>\n

Do not do work on your own as a journeyman \u2013 <\/b>wait until you\u2019re a licensed contractor<\/b>.<\/span><\/a> You\u2019re already on the path to becoming a licensed contractor, so why ruin it by breaking the law?<\/span><\/p>\n

The Journeyman\u2019s Experience Requirement<\/strong><\/h2>\n

One of the essential requirements to obtain a CSLB contractor\u2019s license is <\/span>the journey-level experience requirement.<\/b> This requirement means that you must have <\/span>at least<\/span><\/i> four (4) years of journey-level experience in your area of expertise.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You <\/span>must<\/span><\/i> have four years\u2019 journey-level experience in your trade. If you\u2019re a plumber applying for a C-36 Plumbing license, you need four years\u2019 journeyman experience as a plumber. You can\u2019t, for example, do 4 years of general contracting work, and then expect to get an HVAC contractor\u2019s license.<\/span><\/p>\n

Exceptions From The CSLB Journey-level Experience Requirement<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As always with the CSLB, there\u2019s always exceptions to the rule. There are many situations where one may be exempt from the classical definition of \u201cjourney-level experience\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some situations where you can apply for an exception from the journey-level experience requirement include:<\/span><\/p>\n