Board denies residential contractor license for applicant who lacks Florida-specific experience

The Collier County Contractor Licensing Board voted Aug. 19 to deny the residential contractor application of Aslan Casey, who told the board he has more than 15 years of construction experience but has not performed work in Florida.

Licensing supervisor Michael Bogart told the board staff reviewed five verification letters and supporting documents from New York projects, a New York City Department of Buildings registration and multiple recommendation letters. "Based on the information received, it is staff's opinion that Mr. Casey does not meet the minimum requirements as set forth in the Collier County Code of Laws and Ordinances...as it relates to experience and time required in the trade," Bogart said during his presentation.

Casey described hands-on residential renovation experience, saying, "My name is Aslan Casey, and I'm the owner of Casey Construction of Florida. I have over 15 years of experience of construction," and that he recently moved to Naples and wants to continue his business locally. Board members pressed him on Florida-specific practices they said were missing from his record — including piling work for coastal foundations, shear-wall details and post-tensioned slab experience — noting those items are common locally and affect structural design and inspections.

After questions and discussion about whether restrictions or role-limited licensing would be enforceable, a motion to deny Casey's application carried on a voice vote. The chair told Casey: "We're gonna deny your application, but I would encourage you to go find a contractor that you can work through and work under, get some experience and come back, and we can talk." The board encouraged him to obtain supervised local experience and reapply.

Why it matters: Collier County requires demonstrated local or equivalent experience for contractor licenses because coastal construction and Florida building codes include foundation and structural practices (piling, post-tension slabs, shear walls) that differ from many northern jurisdictions. The board relied on the Collier County Code of Laws and Ordinances sections cited by staff when evaluating experience requirements.

What happens next: The denial stands unless the applicant reapplies with verifiable Florida-trade experience or documentation that directly addresses the county's structural and code-specific concerns.