Illegal builder solution

I know this is a sore subject but this may well help many people out.

As of the 1st of Jan 2011 all builders in spain will need to be registered with the government, to prove they are part of the legal system here in Spain all legal builders will have a TPC card (Tarjeta Profesional de la Construccion).

It is not just a case of applying for one and then off you go, there is an 8 hour course, background/course check and a fee to be paid which i believe is 150 euros.

Also when this new system is started the fines for using illegal and unregistered builders is going to rise quite considerably (there is a crisis, and they need to get their money somehow).

When i have got my card and more info i will pass on anymore info to you.

Just to clear something up for me Mikey. Does this card enforce any standards of workmanship, or give people who employ builders any rights / guarantees, or even provide proof that they're insured (either personally for injuries or for any damage they cause)?
Presumably it does nothing to stop the black economy as any work done by a legal builder for cash would still require them to declare it, which they could well choose not to do.

Thats the sort of questions i will find the answers to when i do my course

Sounds like quite a good idea, there are so many cowboys claiming to be be builders but they clearly do not have a clue. They just go bumbling from job to job, leaving a trail of chaos and poor workmanship. They need to be named, shamed, fined then imprisoned. Maybe a spanking thrown in too.
Good luck with your course Mikey.

84 year old from Europe, come on you can do better than that

I have to ask (maybe I am being gullible here) are you really 19 Dave?

I thought Twisted Fire Starters response was quite sensible, although perhaps imprisonment was a little strong. I'd go for cutting the plugs off their tools and flattening their tyres as a suitable punishment. That, along with a tomato pelting and a hefty fine, would get pretty annoying after a while.

No, Dave's not 19 and Rosie's not 21 either!!!x

and Sally is really about 30 -35ish

Hey, hang on a minute Dave....I haven't ever admitted to being 30 yet!!!x

Just a bit of info for you all, on spanish radio this morning there was a news article about a couple who were fined 9000 euros for using an illegal builder. Not sure what happened to the builder. The guys at work were saying that there are more and more checks going on by the guardia and local police if they see work going on as that is a way of getting the much needed money.

Looking at your first post again, has the registration scheme been brought forward?
More pertinent: how am I supposed to know what this TPC card looks like?

I will try and scan a copy of the card and post it on here, as far as i know i dont think it has been brought forward.

mikey wrote:Thats the sort of questions i will find the answers to when i do my course

Thanks Mike, does that mean you've done your course now?

What about DIYers? We/'im indoors do a lot of building stuff for ourselves. I expect as no money changes hands our situation isn't included?
One more question to ask please when you attend your course!

Pete, no not done it yet but have a pic of it on some info i got, just got to find it.
I am sure doing diy in your own home is ok.

if it is not in the laws of spain yet how can they fine them for being illigal?

I will be getting my card in the next week or two so will scan it and put it on here to show you all what it looks like.
If a builder does not have the card on him when asked to produce it is a warning the first time but then the next two times it is fine and then the after that it is alot more severe, if a builder is working on your property and they are not registered and cannot produce their card then the owner of the property will get a big fine.
As for diy then i am not sure what will happen about that but i can only assume they will be looking for builders vehicles with their names on the side. But i am sure the local police in each area will know who are working as builders. Glad i am working for a legal spanish builder now and dont need to worry.

Forgot to say, yes i did the course and passed.

Yes I was surprised to find when we first arrived, that it is one of the responsibilities of 'The Police Local' to keep a very close eye out for anything building wise, that's not above board and will often turn up and stop building works, if things don't seem correct.

What if your doing a job for someone and no money changes hands?
i do quiet a lot of labouring for a guy on his property and in return he helps me on my build etc but we don't exchange cash?

Seems to me there will be a lot of Grey areas and it could be difficult to police!

True it will be hard to police but i am sure it will stop quite a few illegal builders also.
I think if you turn up to someones house with scaffolding, mixer etc etc then they will maybe class you as a builder or if you are daft enough to advertise your builder while you are not legal.

Just to let you know the builders card is blue with TPC in big letters on it, his name, a photo of the builder, his NIF/NIE number and a unique TPC number. Apparantly according to our health and safety instructor ( yet another course just finished) they have been cracking down on builders without the card and giving customers using the builders big fines, i personally havent heard about any round here being caught but i think it will happen at some point.