On August 15, 2014, Governor Christie signed a law requiring home elevation contractors (HEC) to register with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs. The law defines home elevation as raising an entire residential or noncommercial structure to a higher level above the ground. The law requires that persons who offer to perform, engage in or attempt to engage in the business of home elevations are registered with the Division as home elevation contractors, on and after October 1, 2014, and that the registration is in effect and certified to when applying for a permit to perform a home elevation.
This law requires, among other things, that to be registered with the Division:
- The home elevation contractor has a named person in an ownership, employee, or consultant position who has a minimum of five years of experience in home elevation; and
- The home elevation contractor maintain $500,000 per occurrence of commercial general liability insurance required of all home improvement contractors, and a minimum of $1,000,000 per occurrence of cargo or other insurance that specifically covers damages or losses to the homeowner, lessee, tenant or other party resulting from home elevation activities.
