N.J. Admin. Code § 13:32-3.3 - Bona fide representative responsibilities

(a) A bona fide representative registered with the Board pursuant to N.J.A.C. 13:32-3.2 shall:

1. Give notice to the Board in writing concerning any change in the name or address of the entity within 10 days of the change;

2. Secure or instruct an authorized employee, or for the purpose of this section only, an independent contractor licensed as a master plumber, to secure all necessary permits as may be required by State and local law for the performance of plumbing work to be performed by the plumbing contractor for which the licensed master plumber acts as a qualified bona fide representative. In making an application for permit issuance, the authorized employee or independent plumbing contractor shall have in his or her possession a letter authorizing him or her to make the application. A letter of authorization may authorize a permit application for a specific period of time, not to exceed 60 days, and shall have affixed to it the seal of the bona fide representative. In all circumstances, the permit shall be signed by a licensed master plumber and all work shall be supervised in the manner set forth in (a)3 below;

3. Supervise, in the manner described in

(a)3i through iv below, the performance of all plumbing work performed by employees of the plumbing contractor for which the licensed master plumber acts as the bona fide representative. Such supervision shall assure the effective compliance with State and local plumbing codes and the performance of work in accordance with proper plumbing practice.

i. If the employee performing the work is a New Jersey licensed master plumber, the bona fide representative shall require at the beginning of the job an initial report on the work to be performed and upon completion of the job a final report on the work performed;

ii. If the employee performing the work is a supervisory journeyman, the bona fide representative or a New Jersey licensed master plumber employed by the bona fide representative shall maintain daily contact with the supervisory journeyman either directly, by telephone, or through writing. Any such contact shall be recorded by and maintained in the files of the bona fide representative or the New Jersey licensed master plumber employed by the bona fide representative;

iii. If the employee performing the work is a journeyman or has completed four years engaged in learning and assisting in the installation of plumbing, the bona fide representative, a New Jersey licensed master plumber employed by the bona fide representative or the supervisor journeyman shall maintain daily contact with the journeyman either directly, by telephone, or through writing and, where the work requires a plumbing permit, shall inspect the work upon completion. Any such contact shall be recorded by the bona fide representative, the New Jersey licensed master plumber employed by the bona fide representative, or the supervisory journeyman; and

iv. If the employee performing the work is an apprentice, the bona fide representative shall ensure constant on-site supervision by a New Jersey licensed master plumber employed by the bona fide representative or a supervisory journeyman during all times that plumbing services are being performed;

4. Be responsible for any and all violations of N.J.S.A. 45:14C-1 et seq. committed by employees of the plumbing contractor for which he or she is serving as a bona fide representative if said violations were committed during the course of work which he or she was required to supervise;

5. Serve as a bona fide representative for only one plumbing contractor;

6. Maintain a place of business in the State of New Jersey; and

7. Provide each supervisory journeyman of the plumbing contractor that performs plumbing work with an identification card that includes:

i. The name of the supervisory journeyman;

ii. The name and New Jersey address of the plumbing contractor;

iii. The name and license number of the bona fide representative;

iv. The seal of the bona fide representative; and

v. The issue and expiration dates of the identification card. The expiration date shall not exceed one year from the date of issue.

(b) Nothing herein shall preclude the Board from proceeding against both the bona fide representative for an entity or any other licensed master plumber employed by such an entity who can be shown to have violated the Board's enabling legislation or any regulation adopted thereunder. Nothing shall preclude any person entitled to maintain an action on a bond from proceeding pursuant to N.J.A.C. 13:32-4.3 against the bona fide representative and any other licensed master plumber who has failed to perform the duties required by N.J.S.A. 45:14C-1 et seq.

(c) The bona fide representative of any plumbing contractor, which contracts to provide plumbing services to a consumer and wishes to subcontract that plumbing work to another plumbing contractor shall:

1. Subcontract only to a plumbing contractor who is either a sole proprietor or which has a bona fide representative who is registered with the Board. The bona fide representative for the original plumbing contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that the subcontractor has a registered bona fide representative;

2. Require of the subcontractor that a copy of any permit applications, permits and changes in application or permit shall be delivered to the original plumbing contractor within five business days of the date the application or permit is filed;

3. Notify the consumer, prior to the beginning of any work, that the work has been subcontracted to another licensed master plumber or legally qualified plumbing contractor and provide the consumer with the name, New Jersey address and telephone number of the subcontractor and the name and license number of the subcontractor's bona fide representative;

4. Advise the consumer prior to the beginning of any work that he or she has the right to terminate the contract prior to the beginning of any work because of the subcontracting;

5. Notify the consumer that the original contractor as well as the subcontractor remain liable for any defects, damages or other losses which may result from the negligence, misconduct or insolvency of the subcontractor;

6. Require that the subcontractor immediately notify the original contractor of any complaints by the consumer or the consumer's representative or by any governmental official; and

7. Supervise the work of the bona fide representative for the subcontractor in the same manner as required by (a)3i above.

(d) The bona fide representative shall have sufficient knowledge of the plumbing contractor's bookkeeping system and financial accounts to inform the Board, upon request by the Board, regarding the plumbing contractor's price-setting, billings, costs, subcontractors, overhead costs and profits.

Notes

N.J. Admin. Code § 13:32-3.3

Amended by 50 N.J.R. 208(a), effective 1/2/2018