May 2008 NewsBuilder
Executive Officer Kathy Maisonville Visits Washington, DC
As a part of the 2008 Spring Legislative Conference, Kathleen Maisonville, HBAGTA Executive Officer, makes time to visit our legislative officials in Washington, DC. Kathy is pictured with representatives of the Michigan Association of Home Builders (MAHB) along with representatives from other Michigan associations.
The Home Builders Association, statewide, locally and nationally has a mission to influence legislation that affects our industry. Our association leaders represent not only the members, but the organization and industry as a whole when visiting government officials who influence legislation that has an affect on the home building industry.
Code Corner - Ask a Question
Ask your questions regarding Code or Licensing Issues by posting your question on the comments section of this page and the answers will be posted. If you would like to send a question via email, send an email to the Home Builders Association of the Grand Traverse Area, Inc. and Roger Papineau, our resident "Code Guru". Questions that are emailed will also be posted for everybody's benefit.
You can also visit the Code Corner web page on the HBAGTA web site for more information.
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Questions & Answers
2006 Michigan Residential Code Books Available Soon
The 2006 Michigan Residential Code Books and 2006 Michigan Building Code Books will be available by the end of April. If you would like to order any of the required Michigan Code Books in advance, download the attached form. Instructions are provided on the form.
NMC Green Build Cold Climate Presentation
If you would like to download a copy of the Doug Garrett Green Build Cold Climate Presentation - you can download the file in 2 parts from the Northwestern Michigan College web site.
The file will be available soon on the HBAGTA web site.
New Legislation Affecting Residential Builders and Maintenance and Alteration Contractors
The HBAGTA General Membership Meeting held on Monday March 10, 2008 included a presentation and panel discussion on the changing license laws for builders and maintenance & alterations contractors in the State of Michigan. Click on the links below to download the information that has been distributed to this point. Any updated information will be posted to our website at www.hbagta.com.
If you have questions regarding the new licensing requirements, you can call the State of Michigan Builder Unit at (866) 630-6608 or visit their website at www.michigan.gov/builders.
The HBAGTA will also attempt to answer your questions - please send your question via email to:
The following forms can be downloaded in a pdf format:
Informational Handout Regarding License Requirements
Trades Requiring Licensure in Michigan
Qualifying Officers Application
March 2008 General Membership Meeting Presentation on Licensing
Qualifying Officers Come Under the Increasing Professionalism Laws
PA 157 of 2007 requires all Qualifying Officers for a corporation, limited liability company, or partnership to hold an active license as an individual Residential Builder or Individual Maintenance and Alteration Contractor in order to serve as a Qualifying Officer.
If a Qualifying Officer for one of these entities does not hold an active individual license on June 1, 2008, the residential builder or M&A contractor license for the company will be suspended.
The Bureau of Commercial Service within the Department of Labor and Economic Growth has instituted an expedited process for those Qualifying Officers without an active individual license to obtain one. A corporation, limited liability company, or partnership will have to continue to maintain its active license as well.
The Bureau will be sending all Qualifying Officers who do not have individual license a letter explaining the situation and the process that will be used to issue those individual licenses.
Qualifying officers already holding active individual licenses will not be affected by this requirement.
The Bureau has also established a toll-free number, 1-866-630-6608, to answer questions concerning the new professionalism requirements. At the prompt, 2 will take you to the renewal section, and 3 will take you to the builder’s section for all other calls.
Information provided by Lee Schwartz, Executive Vice President for Government Relations, Michigan Association of Home Builders, 1-800-748-0432