Working with Contractors and Agents in Applications

Use the Contractor page to view or update license information for contractors who are performing work for a permit application, as well as contractors registering with the agency. If the intake form for the permit application collects contractor or authorized agent information, the Contractor page initially displays the information provided during the intake process.

Depending on the type of application and agency setup for managing contractors, the process of adding contractors or entering contractor information can vary.

For example, agency staff and contractors or contacts with permit application access working on their own applications can make updates until the application is closed or canceled, whereas only the agency staff with an appropriate role can manage contractors until the transaction is closed or canceled.

Applicants can designate a contact person for a contractor license and give the contact access to the application. Agency staff and contractors or contacts with application access can indicate whether a contractor is currently performing work and also refresh contractor data from the agency's contractor records or integration with an external source. Other contractor information is read-only except for system administrators.

The Contractor page in the application or transaction details also displays validation alerts for contractors added during application intake and after submittal. Agencies sometimes add extra validations when you add contractors to make sure that contractor licenses meet certain requirements. The license requirements can include a specific license type, classifications, job cost for permits, and insurance attributes. Validations can also check the license expiration date. The alert lists the missing requirements for the active licenses associated with the transaction. Depending on the validation setup, you may not be able to submit the application if requirements aren’t met, unless you are agency staff with a contractor management role.

Adding Contractors to an Application

The fields on the contractor pages for a contractor license associated with a permit application correspond to the same-named fields on the agency's main contractor pages. For descriptions of these fields, see Working with Contractor Licenses.

You can add contractors and their license information to a transaction, but the steps may vary slightly depending on agency setup. Permits that require applicants to select a contractor license from the agency's list of approved contractors can add contractors as described here.

The Limit License Usage to Authorized Contacts switch in the agency-level contractor license options determines whether an applicant can search the full listing of approved contractors or only those they have been approved for.

If the switch is turned on, only the contractor licenses that you are authorized to use are available for selection. If no licenses are available, you won't be able to add a contractor license to the transaction.
If the switch is turned off, you can select from any of the agency-approved contractor licenses. Here are the steps for adding a contractor when you have access to the complete contractor list:

Here's how to add contractors to a permit application:

On the Permit Applications list page, click the row for the permit application you are working with.
In the left navigation panel of the permit application details, expand the People section.
Select Contractor in the expanded section.
If the applicant is either a contractor or a contractor's authorized agent, turn on the switch to indicate yes.
On the Contractor page for the permit, click the Add (+) button.
On the Add contractor drawer, select a contractor license related to the application from the Select a Contractor drop-down list.
Click the Select Contacts button to select a contact, contact type, application access level, and indicate whether this is the primary contact and click Done.
Click the Add button to save the contractor to the application.

Using Advanced Search to Find a Contractor

On the Contractor page for the permit, click the Add (+) button.
On the Add contractor drawer, click the Advanced Search link.
Mark the I know the exact license number. check box if you want to retrieve the contractor information by the exact license number, and enter the number in the License Number field.

This option is only available when your agency integrates with a licensing body. The search looks for a matching license in the agency-maintained contractor list then in the licensing body's database.
To find a contractor using the search, enter text in the Business Name, Owner Name, or License Number fields, or select a License Type from the drop-down list.
Click the Find Contractors button.
Select a row in the search results that appear on the drawer to select a contractor. Only approved contractors appear in the results.

If the agency has turned on the switch to Limit License Usage to Authorized Contacts during setup, then you can only see the contractor licenses that you're authorized to use.
Click the Select Contacts button to select a contact, contact type, application access level, and indicate whether this is the primary contact and click Done.
If one or more conditions have been applied to the license that prevent you from selecting the contractor, you can click the View Details link to view the condition summary for the license. Click Cancel on the Add contractor drawer to exit or start over if you want to find a different contractor.
Click the link to Find Recently Selected and Associated Contractors to return to the Select a Contractor drop-down list.
Click the Add button to save the contractor to the application.

Updating or Deleting Contractor Information for an Application

On the Contractor page for the permit, you can update or delete contractor information.

If you're agency staff, turn the switch on for yes or off for no to answer Is the applicant either a contractor or a contractor’s authorized agent?. Public users, who are usually homeowners, are not contractors or authorized agents. This switch is only available on permit and planning applications.
Click the three-dot Actions icon button and select from the available actions for a contractor license row, depending on your permissions and contractor implmentation:
- Edit - Click to open the Contractor details drawer. You can also click the row in the grid to open the drawer.
- Refresh - Administrators can use the refresh option to retrieve any updated contractor information from the agency's contractor records.
- Delete - Only system administrators and agency management with appropriate permissions can delete contractors from the grid after application submission.

On the Contractor details drawer, you can make these changes:

Page Element	Description
License Type	Update the license type by selecting from available types in the drop-down list.
Status	Update the license status by selecting from available statuses in the drop-down list.
In Use	Turn on this switch to indicate whether the selected contractor is currently performing work. Contacts for contractors that are in use appear on the Contacts page in the application details.
Applicant Role	Indicate whether the applicant is a contractor or authorized agent. This field is only available on permit and planning applications if you turned on the switch to indicate that the applicant is a contractor or a contractor's authorized agent.
Issue Date Reissue Date Expire Date	Update dates when the license was issued, reissued, or expired, if applicable.
Contact Persons	Add or change the contact person for the contractor. You can select multiple contacts for the license. For each contact, you must choose the contact type. The available contacts are people associated with the contractor license on the Contacts page in the contractor record details. The contact initially has a level of application access based on the agency setup for the Contact Type that you select. But access can be upgraded in the application details. For more information, see Working with Application Contacts.
Business	Update business information, such as the DBA (Doing Business As) name, owner name, ownership type (such as corporation), and business contact information.
Classifications	Add or update the classifications details. Code: From the drop-down list, you can select the classification code. Note: Your agency sets up classifications on the Classifications tab of the Contractor Setup Options Details page.
Contractor Bond	Add or update the contractor bond or assigned savings account of the contractor. Company Name: Indicates the company name. Policy Number: Indicates the policy number. Amount: Indicates the bond amount. Effective Date: Enter the effective date of the contractor bond. Cancellation Date: Enter the cancellation date of the contractor bond.
Other Bonds	Add or update the details of other bonds or certifications. Qualifier Name: Indicates the qualifier name. Company Name: Indicates the company name. Policy Number: Indicates the policy number. Amount: Indicates the bond amount. Effective Date: Enter the effective date of other bonds. Cancellation Date: Enter the cancellation of other bonds.
Insurances	Add or update the insurance details. Insurance Type: From the drop-down list, you can select the type of insurance, such as Workers' Compensation Insurance. For each insurance, you can update this information: Company Name: Indicates the insurance company name. Policy Number: Indicates the insurance policy number. Exempt: Indicates whether the contractor is exempt from this insurance. Effective Date: Enter the effective date of the insurance policy. Expiration Date: Enter the expiration date of the insurance policy. Cancellation Date: Enter the cancellation date of the insurance policy. Suspend Date: Enter the date the insurance policy was suspended. Note: Your agency sets up insurance types on the Insurance Types tab of the Contractor Setup Options Details page.

Click Update to save your changes and close the contractor details.