No, that’s not a typo. It’s the number of classes I’ve taken so far in my builder’s licensing class. There are 86 to go.
So far the information hasn’t been that interesting, but I don’t fault the instructor, Sid. He made it clear in the first class that the entire course is geared to helping applicants pass the required state test before they can actually build or remodel something.
For instance, we have learned the difference between a department and a board, between laws and rules, between censure and competence. And we are currently reading the Residential Builder’s Laws and Rules. It’s not a cliff hanger by any means.
We have a syllabus, so I looked ahead to see when we move past the official jargon and into the nuts and bolts (no pun intended) of building. It will be a while because we have to hurdle civil rights, minimum wage law, and employing minors. Then we go into contracts, addenda and change orders, warranties and progress payments.
We’re a third of the way through the course before we get to such topics as masonry, tools, demolition, scaffolding, excavation, and trenching. Reading blueprints doesn’t appear until Lesson 54 while Lessons 55 through 87 are about carpentry and building construction.
The online course is designed so that you can’t skip around. Believe me, I checked that out. I can only hope that the boring stuff is first to get it out of the way, as I’m eager to visit Lowe’s and Home Depot to see actual construction materials up close and personal.
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