Barefoot Marine Construction recently visited a homeowner with major structural and older wooden bulkhead wall. As we looked at the wall the customer was finishing up a conference call and met with us out back to fill us in on his project. I had noticed a few tools, pumps, jet rods at the top of the failed wooden bulkhead and was curious to find out the details. We were told of a local company that contracted 11 months before and only worked a couple of days to move the rock / riprap away from the failing wooden bullhead wall and has never been back since. In confidence we were told all the details including amount of money the customer has lost. I have reviewed the contract that was provided and signed and wanted to inform other waterfront homeowners of “How to hire a marine construction contractor”.
I am posting this to hopefully protect future customers from making the same mistakes.
Note: You cannot offend a legal operating marine construction business, properly licensed and has the correct insurance for liability and workers compensation.
Why Hire a State Licensed Contractor for Marine Construction?
To get a state license the person has required education ,trade experience, testing, background checks, credit score requirements, insurance and other qualifications to obtain a license. They must pass a (3) exams:
Business and Finance – Exam covers Florida laws and rules, general accounting principles, and contracts. This is a 120 Question Test
Contract Administration – This is a written exam that covers contract negotiation, project scheduling and project documentation. This is a 60 Question Test.
Project Management – This is a written exam that covers project planning, project execution, and project control. This is a 60 Question Test
Choosing a Marine Bulkhead Contractor
Ask for them to send you a copy of the state issued license. This can also be found on the website provided by the state of Florida. Licensing Portal – License Search
Note: Occupational license from the local city or county does not qualify an individual or company to act as a contractor. Only the Department of Business & Professional Regulation “DBPR” has jurisdiction for licensing Marine Construction.
BEWARE of Contractors who claim to be the fastest or the cheapest.
Beware of contractors that say, “No Permitting required”. Many projects involving bulkhead walls are built at the Mean High Tide giving jurisdiction to Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). This is considered sovereign land, if the correct permitting is not followed you will be sued by the State of Florida and be forced to remove the structure. A licensed contractor will know and understand how critical this information is and following the appropriate state guidelines to prevent being sued by the state of Florida to remove the newly completed wooden bulkhead wall.
Get a written project quote.
Make sure the project quote includes all the measurements, description of work, materials, treatments, lengths, equipment and methods of installing. This will allow you to understand what each contractor is proposing to build and the exact methods and materials they are using to build your project. Make sure they have a Terms and Conditions section in the quote. If your project changes for any reason you need a path to follow to protect you and the contractor from something that changes or is unforeseen. Don’t accept quotes that have limited information, you need a company logo, licensee number and the holder of the licenses and a certificate of Insurance “COI” to understand your complete project quote.
Summary:
- Contractors Name, Street Address, Telephone Number and State License Number.
- Exact description of the work to be performed/completed, including timeline, payment schedules and a list of materials and detailed methods used to install and build.
- Read your contract carefully and make sure what your wanting and have discussed has been properly quoted for your project.
- Get a Certificate of Insurance for the company and your name is on the bottom left that comes from their insurer. Do not trust photo copies these could be altered, it must have your name listed on the bottom left.
- Make sure you meet the license holder he is who your ultimately doing business and should be all over the contract.
- Get a minimum of (4) references of recent jobs to include at least (3) of them to be your type of project. Should get recent and as far as 12+ months back to see how what was built is doing.
- Don’t get in a hurry do the work and the money you spend will bring value to your property.
If you have any question about your project don’t hesitate to contact Barefoot Marine Construction 904-821-5744