Escambia County board grants contractor exam and reciprocity requests

At its July 1 meeting, the Escambia County Contractor Competency Board approved a group of licensing requests, including: allowing Hien Wen to sit for the residential contractor examination based on W‑2 experience documentation; reciprocating James Walsh’s Santa Rosa County general contractor license (provided test scores and experience); approving Joseph Poole’s reciprocity request by phone (test scores and degree documented); and reinstating Jose Barrios’s delinquent license after staff verified payment of a claim from ABC Supply.

Staff recommended approval for each applicant based on submitted experience verifications, test scores and supporting documents. For Hien Wen, staff said W‑2s were accepted in lieu of a former employer’s signature because they corroborated the claimed work history. James Walsh provided passing exam scores (81% general; 76% business and law) and six years of documented experience; the board moved to approve his reciprocity request. Joseph Poole testified by phone that he had a registered license and had upgraded to general-contractor status to pursue commercial work; staff confirmed his experience and the board unanimously approved. Jose Barrios presented evidence that a prior collections claim had been satisfied and the board approved reinstatement.

All licensing motions were seconded and passed unanimously. Board members and staff noted standard documentation requirements for future applications and reminded applicants about local registration procedures.