The state of Minnesota requires mandatory continuing education courses for all of its residential and commercial construction contractors to make sure that all contractors have the very latest information. Every contractor is required to renew his or her Minnesota state contractor’s license every two years, and part of that renewal process includes 14 to 16 hours of continuing education courses. The types of courses and number of required hours vary depending on the type of license, and there are a few business-related courses required for each discipline as well.
Each construction discipline in the state of Minnesota has its own continuing education rules.
The Disciplines
There are six different construction disciplines in the state of Minnesota, and each discipline is broken down into subcategories. The number of hours of required continuing education not only varies by discipline, but each subcategory has its own requirements as well. For example, a master plumber requires 16 hours of ongoing education, but a medical gas line installer only requires four hours. The difference disciplines and their maximum required hours of ongoing education are:
- Plumber – 16 hours required (Four hours of business-related content)
- Electrical – 16 hours required (Four hours of business-related content)
- Elevator technician – 16 hours required (Four hours of business-related content)
- Residential builders, remodelers, and roofers – 14 hours required (One hour of energy conservation training)
- Certified building officials – 38 hours of business-related content required
- Pre-fabricated home installers – 12 hours required
Approved Courses
Contractors can choose from a list of courses approved by the state of Minnesota and administered by certified online training websites. Many of the courses that are related to each discipline are grouped together into packages that fulfill the basic requirements. Energy courses include topics such as energy efficient buildings, energy efficient building codes, and using energy efficiency as a business advantage. Non-energy course topics include:
- Flipping distressed houses
- Preserving historic structures
- Understanding contractor documentation
- Lead Abatement
- Real estate sales to younger generations
Remember to renew your Minnesota contractor’s license every two years with the proper amount of continuing education hours.
Non-Approved Courses
Minnesota contractors are encouraged to make certain that the courses they are taking online are certified by the state of Minnesota and will easily qualify as part of their ongoing education requirement. However, it is possible for contractors to take non-approved courses and still get credit for them. If a contractor takes a non-approved course, he or she can submit the proper form and course materials to the state of Minnesota to get the course hours approved for use on the continuing education requirement.
The state will respond to each application and, if approved, those course hours will automatically be applied to the contractor’s profile. If the course is not approved, then the credit hours will not be counted.
Minnesota contractors can start a course with PDH Contractors to satisfy all of their ongoing education requirements for the state of Minnesota. PDH Contractors is a certified online trainer for the state of Minnesota, and all courses offered meet the very latest state standards for contractor education. Contractors can also utilize PDH Contractors for updated information on the construction industry and find ways to stay competitive in an increasingly difficult industry. Start a course today!