§ 400.01. Certificate required.

(1)

No person shall engage in the business of construction, contracting or subcontracting as regulated by Florida Statutes or in a [any] categories listed in Appendix A to Ordinance No. 94-16 (copies of which are available in the clerk's office and the building officials office) without a valid certificate of competency issued by the Indian River County Building Department unless certified under Florida Statutes.

(2)

A certificate of competency may be issued only to the holder of an appropriate valid Florida state certificate or to a person who has passed the appropriate Block and Associates of Gainesville, Florida, examination which was proctored by a Block and Associates [employee] on behalf of any city or county situated in the State of Florida, upon payment of the appropriate fee. A certificate of competency issued by the county prior to this requirement to a person without a state certificate or one who has not passed the Block examination shall remain in effect if such certificate is valid on the effective date of this title.

(3)

When a person meets the requirements for issuance of a certificate of competency, that certificate will remain in force unless revoked pursuant to section 400.08 of this article or applicable Florida Statutes.

(4)

The same exemptions from regulation as set forth in Chapter 489 of the Florida Statutes are also exemptions under the requirements for a certificate of competency.

(5)

It shall be unlawful for any person to advertise or hold himself out to the public as a person engaged in a business regulated by this chapter unless that person has a valid certificate of competency issued by the building department and unless the advertisement or sign on the vehicle advertising the business shall clearly display the correct state certification number or certificate of competency number issued by the building department.

(6)

A contractor shall hire a subcontractor regulated under this chapter only if that subcontractor has a valid certificate of competency issued by the building department or is certified pursuant to Florida Statutes.

(7)

Nothing in this chapter shall prevent any homeowner of an owner-occupied, single-family residence from performing any work regulated by this article within the boundaries of his residential property, providing such work is done by himself. Such privilege does not convey the right to violate any of the provisions of this title, nor is it to be construed as exemption from obtaining a permit and paying the required fees therefor. New construction is limited as provided by Florida Statutes.

(8)

Any person with an unpaid fine, imposed pursuant to section 103.08 or section 400.08 of this Code, shall surrender to the building official any Indian River County contractor's certificate of competency, which certificate shall be suspended automatically until the fine is paid, at which time the suspended certificate of competency shall be re-instated and returned by the building official.

Any fine paid in order to continue contracting during any appeal period shall be refunded if the appellant prevails on appeal.

No person with an unpaid fine shall be eligible to obtain a certificate of competency or renewal of a certificate of competency, until the fine is paid.

(Ord. No. 91-11, § 1, 3-26-91; Ord. No. 94-16, § 1, 5-24-94; Ord. No. 95-23, § 1, 9-26-95)