Codes
January ’06

Contractor Registration Required

The Contractors’ Registration Act requires home improvement contractors to register with the state Department of Law and Public Safety’s Division of Consumer Affairs. Under the law, those without a new state-issued contractor registration number after December 31, 2005, face civil and criminal penalties for continuing to conduct business in the state; and, building permits will not be issued without the state registration number. The state registration pre-empts any municipal ordinance that requires licensing, bonding or registration of contractors. Application forms and additional information can be obtained at http://www.njconsumeraffairs.com/contractor.htm or by calling 1-888-656-6225.

Due to delays in processing of applications, applicants may find themselves without a registration number and thus unable to obtain construction permits. However, applicants who have not yet received a registration number will be considered registered during the interim when they have: (1) filed a completed application, including the disclosure statement and all related documents prior to December 31, 2005, which was not denied; (2) obtained the required minimum $500,000 per occurrence commercial general liability insurance policy in full force and effect; and, (3) paid the Home Improvement Contractor application fee. In addition, a contractor must provide a Division-issued Consumer Advisory form advising of his/her current registration status to the customer and a Certification To Obtain Municipal Permit form to the building department when applying for construction permits. Both of these forms can be obtained from the website listed above.

Fire Extinguisher Requirements

As of November 1, 2005, any individual selling or renting one- and two-family dwellings must provide a fire extinguisher in the kitchen area. The fire extinguisher requirement is not contained in the Uniform Construction Code, and therefore, building inspectors may not deny certificates of occupancy if the fire extinguishers are not present in new construction. However, the new law requires that one- and two-family dwellings have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen area.

According to the law, the extinguisher is to be: rated for residential use and consisting of type ABC extinguishing agent; no larger than 10 pounds; and, mounted within 10 feet of the kitchen area, unless otherwise permitted by the enforcing agency. Per the law, the installation will be required whenever a structure is sold, leased, or otherwise subject to a change of occupancy, except for seasonal summer rental units. A seasonal summer rental unit means a dwelling rented for not more than 125 consecutive days, but shall not include the use or rental of any dwelling by migrant, temporary or seasonal workers. Violators of the law will face fines up to $100 per incident.

Review of International Residential Code

The Department of Community Affairs (DCA) will be adopting a NJ amended version of the 2006 International Residential Code (IRC) to replace the 2000 edition.  In preparation, the NJBA is thoroughly analyzing changes occurring in the codes between the 2000 to the 2003 to the 2006 editions. A comparison matrix of relevant code changes, developed by NJBA for use as a reference, will be utilized when DCA proposes the adoption, with amendments, of the 2006 edition.  The 2006 “generic” IRC will be available from the International Code Council in the spring of 2006 and DCA expects to adopt an amended version by year’s end.

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