Our Licensing . . .
A pool servicing contractor's
license is required for the replacement of pool equipment or for
pool repairs of any kind.
Ch.
489.115(1), Florida Statutes: No
person may engage in the business of contracting in this state
without first being certified or registered in the proper
classification.
Swimming Pool Servicing Contractor --
Definition and Scope of Work Excerpted from Chapter
489.105(3)(l), Florida Statutes
"Swimming pool/spa servicing contractor"
means a contractor whose scope of work involves, but is not limited
to, the repair and servicing of any swimming pool, or hot tub or
spa, whether public or private, or otherwise, regardless of use. The
scope of work includes the repair or replacement of existing
equipment, any cleaning or equipment sanitizing which requires at
least a partial disassembling, excluding filter changes, and the
installation of new pool/spa equipment, interior refinishing, the
reinstallation or addition of pool heaters, the repair or
replacement of all perimeter piping and filter piping, the repair of
equipment rooms or housing for pool/spa equipment, and the
substantial or complete draining of a swimming pool, or hot tub or
spa, for the purpose of any repair or renovation. The scope of such
work does not include direct connections to a sanitary sewer system
or to potable water lines. The installation, construction,
modification, substantial or complete disassembly, or replacement of
equipment permanently attached to and associated with the pool or
spa for the purpose of water treatment or cleaning of the pool or
spa requires licensure; however, the usage of such equipment for the
purposes of water treatment or cleaning shall not require licensure
unless the usage involves construction, modification, substantial or
complete disassembly, or replacement of such equipment. Water
treatment that does not require such equipment does not require a
license. In addition, a license shall not be required for the
cleaning of the pool or spa in any way that does not affect the
structural integrity of the pool or spa or its associated equipment.
Commercial pool/spa contractor and
residential pool/spa contractor licenses are defined to include the
scope of work of a swimming pool/spa servicing contractor (sections
j and k).
Continuing Education
Requirements
F.S. 489.115(b)1. Each
certificate holder or registrant shall provide proof, in a form
established by rule of the board, that the certificate holder or
registrant has completed at least 14 classroom hours of at least 50
minutes each of continuing education courses during each biennium
since the issuance or renewal of the certificate or registration.
The board shall establish by rule that a portion of the required 14
hours must deal with the subject of workers' compensation, business
practices, and workplace safety.
Insurance
Requirements
F.S.
489.115(5)(a) As a prerequisite to the initial issuance
or the renewal of a certificate or registration, the applicant shall
submit an affidavit on a form provided by the board attesting to the
fact that the applicant has obtained workers' compensation insurance
as required by chapter 440, public liability insurance, and property
damage insurance for the safety and welfare of the public, in
amounts determined by rule of the board.
Florida
Department of Health Certification
Certification approved by the Florida Department of
Health is required for operation of commercial pools (serving more
than four living units).
Excerpt from
Florida Administrative Code, Chapter 64E-9:
Public Swimming Pools and Bathing Places
64E-9.018 -- Public Pool Service Technician Certification
An individual who services
a public pool by maintaining the cleanliness, water quality and
chemical balance of public pools shall be certified. To be
certified an individual must demonstrate knowledge of public
pools. Examples of such knowledge include: pool cleaning,
general pool maintenance, make-up water supply, bacteriological,
chemical and physical quality of water and water purification,
testing, treatment, and disinfection procedures. To ensure that
the pool technicians are knowledgeable, said technician shall
attend a training course of national recognition that is
approved by the department of at least 16 hours in length and
shall pass a test acceptable to the department. Certification is
conferred upon an individual and is nontransferable.
Certification does not imply any licensure and specifically not
that of contractor as regulated by the Department of Business
and Professional Regulation under Section 489.105(3)(j), (k), or
(l), F.S. A certified pool technician may not affect the
structural integrity of the pool or equipment, and shall not
delegate work to others, including employees, that are not
themselves certified under this section, or otherwise exempt
from this provision per Chapter 514, F.S.
(1) Training shall include the following study topics for the
hours indicated:
(a) Swimming pool calculations 1 hour;
(b) Filter type and filtration circulation 4 hours;
(c) Water chemistry balancing & testing 5 hours;
(d) Spas and warm water pools 1 hour;
(e) Pool and spa maintenance 2 hours;
(f) Operational and safety requirements 2 hours; and
(g) State health code Chapter 64E-9, F.A.C., 1 hour.
(2) Course materials must be provided that cover the required
topics in detail. The course approval shall be contingent upon
their meeting the items listed in subsection (1) above and the
subjects listed in Section 514.075, F.S. The test approval shall
be contingent upon all of the questions being related to the
subject areas listed in subsection (1) above and the subjects
listed in Section 514.075, F.S., with at least 10% of the
questions from the subject areas in paragraphs (1)(a) through
(f) above, and the remaining 40% covering any of the seven pool
subject areas listed in rule or Section 514.075, F.S. The
minimum passing score for the test shall be no less than 70%
correct for all questions. There shall be a minimum of 50
questions.
(3) Any individual or organization requesting the department
to review their courses for compliance with the requirements of
this rule, must submit copies of their training materials to the
department prior to providing that training within the state. A
copy of the test to be given, answers to the test questions, and
a statement indicating the length of time a classroom topic will
be conducted shall be included. The department shall review the
materials and inform the applicant of its findings within 60
days from receipt of all training materials.
(4) The department shall deem certified any individual who
has been proven certified by a course of national recognition.
(5) This requirement does not apply to a person or the direct
employee of a person permitted as a public pool operator under
Section 514.031, F.S. Further, persons licensed under Section
489.105(3)(j), (k), or (l), F.S., shall be deemed certified.
(6) Proof of certification shall be posted conspicuously in
the equipment room of each pool serviced or must otherwise be
available for inspection by the department.
(7) Any reference to department approval shall state no more
than: This course is approved by the Florida Department of
Health for student certification as a Public Pool Service
Technician under Chapters 514, Florida Statutes, and 64E-9,
Florida Administrative Code.
Rulemaking Authority 381.006, 514.021, 514.075
FS. Law Implemented 514.025, 514.075 FS. History New 9-25-97,
Amended 5-27-04, 5-24-09.
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