mdvaden
Treehouser
- Joined
- May 4, 2007
- Messages
- 1,481
In Oregon, most tree services are under the CCB / Construction Contractors Board and Landscapers under the LCB / Landscape Contractors Board. The CCB license does not allow planting / landscape work but the LCB enables tree service work. So some tree guys go with the LCB if they want to plant trees too. Landscape maintenance is exempt for lawn and general yard care, needing no state license. The CCB has a "carve-out" for pruning done from below 15 feet and branches a few inches in diameter. The latter is where I started in the 1980's. Eventually I got the LCB license and did a bit bigger pruning and a bunch of landscaping. But nowadays, 95% of my pruning as a semi-retired part time pruning specialist is the sort of stuff that doesn't need a license.
The LCB takes 2 licences. One personal for someone to pass a test and one for the business. Those are now going to be LCB @ $575 PER YEAR !
The CCB license is only $400 PER TWO YEARS.
The landscape board is charging almost triple.
The LCB used to be under the CCB. Way back in the 1990s or so, I was an LCB board member and voted to separate the LCB to be on it's own. It was a small license increase. Ever since, various board members have been adding CEUs requirements and raising fees. But I haven't seen any superior fruit of the investment out in the field.
There's a chance I may go one more year with the LCB renewal in September. But I may opt to go with no state license and just keep my insurance and bond. Plus I'd still maintain being a "Certified Arborist". The other option is just taking a cheap 16 hour class and getting the CCB license which I don't really need but would allow a bit of flexibility. I could gladly set aside planting. And the last 4 months, I only planted 3 small Parottia trees and 3 Camellias.
If I could go back in time, I'd reverse my vote and keep the LCB under the CCB to tame the beast of price increase. Actually, the CEU / CEH thing is pretty annoying too. The LCB wants just 4 hours per year for folks who have been working for quite a while. They may as well skip it altogether. People who have been in landscape work for the longhaul usually learn more than 4 hours worth of learning in a year. They don't need to pay babysitters to document it.
The LCB takes 2 licences. One personal for someone to pass a test and one for the business. Those are now going to be LCB @ $575 PER YEAR !
The CCB license is only $400 PER TWO YEARS.
The landscape board is charging almost triple.
The LCB used to be under the CCB. Way back in the 1990s or so, I was an LCB board member and voted to separate the LCB to be on it's own. It was a small license increase. Ever since, various board members have been adding CEUs requirements and raising fees. But I haven't seen any superior fruit of the investment out in the field.
There's a chance I may go one more year with the LCB renewal in September. But I may opt to go with no state license and just keep my insurance and bond. Plus I'd still maintain being a "Certified Arborist". The other option is just taking a cheap 16 hour class and getting the CCB license which I don't really need but would allow a bit of flexibility. I could gladly set aside planting. And the last 4 months, I only planted 3 small Parottia trees and 3 Camellias.
If I could go back in time, I'd reverse my vote and keep the LCB under the CCB to tame the beast of price increase. Actually, the CEU / CEH thing is pretty annoying too. The LCB wants just 4 hours per year for folks who have been working for quite a while. They may as well skip it altogether. People who have been in landscape work for the longhaul usually learn more than 4 hours worth of learning in a year. They don't need to pay babysitters to document it.