The Block Blog

Product updates, contractor insights, and stories from the field.

Contractor seated on a throne made of gold cinder blocks, overseeing multiple subcontractor crews working on a luxury construction project, with the headline “KING OF THE SUBS” in ornate gold lettering.
Contractor tips

How Contractors Scale Their Business with Subcontractors
Milk carton parody featuring a Pennsylvania-themed "Liberty Milk" carton designed like a missing-person poster for a contractor license. The carton sits on a breakfast table beside a glass of milk and a newspaper with an Eagles headline. Large white text reads: “PA, WHERE'D YOUR LICENSE GO?” against a warm, rustic kitchen background.
Compliance October 20, 2026

Pennsylvania Contractor License and Registration Requirements

California home improvement contract highlighting the state's $1,000 contractor down payment limit, with California flag imagery and construction blueprints in the background.
Compliance October 19, 2026

California Contractor Down Payment Limits: How Much Can You Collect Upfront?

Electrical panel with New York blueprint background and headline about obtaining an electrical contractor license in New York.
Compliance October 17, 2026

How to Get an Electrical Contractor License in New York

Plumber working on exposed pipes against a brick wall, beside “Getting Your Plumbing License” and the label “New York.”
Compliance October 16, 2026

How to Get a Plumbing License in New York

Getting your electrical contractor license in Washington, with Seattle skyline and electrical panel.
Compliance August 31, 2026

How to Get a Washington Electrical Contractor License

Blueprint-style concrete block illustration for Cinderblock’s August 2026 product updates.
Updates August 3, 2026

August 2026: What Shipped

California general contractor license guide with state map and house under construction.
Compliance July 20, 2026

How to Get Your General Contractor License in California

Contractor wearing sunglasses relaxes on stacks of cash in his office beside a laptop, with the headline, "I've Got 99 Problems but Fees Ain't One!"
Contractor tips July 17, 2026

Should Contractors Charge Customers Credit Card Processing Fees?

California coastal backdrop with a License Pending application and bold "Hold up!" headline.
Compliance July 13, 2026

Can You Work Before Your California Contractor License Is Issued?

Blueprint-style illustration of a concrete block with the text "July 2026" and a "What's New" badge on a dark blue technical drawing background.
Updates July 3, 2026

July 2026: What Shipped

Texas construction site with the Dallas skyline, a large "LICENSE REVOKED" sign on a fenced gate, and the headline, "Bro, can I borrow your license?"
Compliance June 19, 2026

Can You Use Someone Else's Contractor License in Texas?

Contractor on a construction site holding a smartphone and playing the Chrome offline dinosaur game, with the dinosaur jumping over a cactus and the headline “I DON’T REMEMBER THIS FROM THE SALES DEMO” displayed beside the screen.
Contractor tips June 12, 2026

The Contractor Software Test Most Sales Demos Skip

HVAC technician holding refrigerant gauges and hoses, beside “Getting your TACL License” and the label “Texas.”
Compliance June 11, 2026

How to Get Your HVAC License in Texas (2026)

Permit application block being forced into the wrong opening of a wooden shape sorter, representing a California contractor license classification mismatch.
Compliance June 10, 2026

Can a California Contractor Pull Permits Outside Their License Classification?

Texas plumbing compliance notice highlighted on a blueprint-style document, featuring a large regulatory disclosure with Texas-themed blue and red engineering annotations and construction drafting elements.
Compliance June 3, 2026

Texas Plumbing Invoice Requirements: What Must Appear on Estimates, Invoices, and Receipts

Open electrical breaker panel in an indoor utility room beside a Texas-themed graphic about getting an electrical contractor license in Texas.
Compliance June 2, 2026

Texas Electrical Contractor License: Requirements, Steps, and Cost (2026)

Architectural blueprint cover featuring a dramatically cropped cinder block rendered in detailed white drafting lines on a deep blue blueprint background, with large “JUNE 2026” text in the top-left corner.
Updates June 1, 2026

June 2026: What Shipped

Enraged contractor smashing a marble bathroom floor with a sledgehammer over an unpaid invoice.
Shop talk May 29, 2026

What NOT to Do When a Customer Won't Pay

Humorous "10 Years Later" title card implying the estimate is still valid
Contractor tips May 25, 2026

How Long Should an Estimate Be Valid?

Western-style illustration showing a Texas standoff between two cowboys, with one holding a nail gun and the other holding a wrench, beneath the headline "Trades in Texas" and a speech bubble that reads, "Reckon you're licensed for that?"
Compliance May 22, 2026

Do You Need a Contractor License in Texas?

New York City construction site with scaffolding and a notice of violation sign beside the headline, “Bro, can I borrow your license?”
Compliance May 20, 2026

Using Someone Else's License in New York: What It Costs You

Plumber working on exposed pipes against a brick wall, beside “Getting Your RMP License” and the label “Texas.”
Compliance May 19, 2026

How to Get Your Plumbing Contractor License in Texas (2026)

Liberty Bell with Pennsylvania contractor registration plate displaying PA123456, surrounded by blueprint-style compliance callouts and Philadelphia-inspired architectural elements, alongside bold text reading “INCLUDE YOUR PA REG NUMBER.”
Compliance May 18, 2026

Pennsylvania Contractors Must Include Their HICPA Registration Number on Contracts, Estimates, and Advertising

Expired California contractor license displayed on a locked jobsite gate with a contractor truck parked outside.
Compliance May 15, 2026

Can a California Contractor Work With an Expired License?

Hourglass with palm trees in the sand and an alligator on a Florida beach beside the headline "The Clock Starts Now."
Compliance May 13, 2026

Can Florida Contractors Collect Deposits Before Pulling a Permit?

Plumber working on exposed pipes against a brick wall, beside “Getting Your C-36 License” and the label “California.”
Compliance May 13, 2026

How to Get Your Plumbing Contractor License in California

HVAC technician holding refrigerant gauges and hoses, beside “Heating Contractor Licensing” and the label “North Carolina.”
Compliance May 12, 2026

How to Get an HVAC Contractor License in North Carolina (2026)

Texas irrigation sprinkler watering a lawn beside a graphic about getting an irrigation contractor license in Texas.
Compliance May 12, 2026

How to Get Your Texas Landscape Irrigator License

Contractor standing outside the wrong customer property while checking job details on a phone beside a service van, illustrating scheduling confusion and disconnected contractor management software.
Contractor tips May 11, 2026

Why Contractors Lose Money Between Sales and Scheduling

Electrical panel with North Carolina-themed blueprint graphics and the title "Getting Your Electrical License in North Carolina."
Compliance May 7, 2026

How to Get Your Electrical Contractor License in North Carolina (2026)

Open electrical breaker panel in an indoor utility room beside a Pennsylvania-themed graphic about becoming an electrical contractor.
Compliance May 7, 2026

Pennsylvania Electrical Contractor License Requirements (2026)

Texas construction site with Philadelphia in the background, a large "LICENSE REVOKED" sign on a fenced gate, and the headline, "Bro, can I borrow your license?"
Compliance May 6, 2026

Can You Use Someone Else's Contractor License in Pennsylvania?

Closed job site with a stop order sign posted
Compliance April 29, 2026

Working Under Someone Else's GC License in Florida: What the Law Actually Says

Plumber working on exposed pipes against a brick wall, beside “Local Plumbing Licensing” and the label “Pennsylvania.”
Compliance April 28, 2026

Pennsylvania Plumbing License Requirements

Dark Florida-themed illustration showing an alligator eye emerging from water beside a construction contract displaying an 11% deposit, with the headline "Florida Is Watching."
Compliance April 24, 2026

Florida Contractor Deposits: What Happens When You Collect More Than 10% Up Front?

HVAC technician holding refrigerant gauges and hoses, beside “HVAC Contractor Requirements” and the label “Pennsylvania.”
Compliance April 23, 2026

HVAC Contractor License Requirements in Pennsylvania

California C-10 electrical contractor license guide with California map and open electrical breaker panel.
Compliance April 21, 2026

How to Get Your Electrical Contractor License in California

Illustration of a tankless water heater with plumbing pipes and North Carolina licensing graphics promoting a guide to getting a plumbing license in North Carolina.
Compliance April 21, 2026

How to Get Your Plumbing Contractor License in North Carolina (2026)

Homeowner signing a home improvement contract on a tablet in a modern kitchen, with a large electronic signature and the headline “What’s the deal with electronic signatures?” prominently displayed.
Contractor tips April 20, 2026

Electronic Signatures for Contractors: Get the Signature. Every Time.

HVAC technician holding refrigerant gauges and hoses, beside “Getting your C-20 License” and the label “California.”
Compliance April 13, 2026

How to Get Your HVAC Contractor License in California

Vintage New York State licensing map with approved jurisdiction stamps for NYC, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, and Buffalo beside large white text reading “LICENSED IN NEW YORK?” on a dark blue background.
Compliance April 1, 2026

Do You Need a License to Be a General Contractor in New York?

HVAC technician holding refrigerant gauges and hoses, beside “HVAC Licensing Requirements” and the label “New York.”
Compliance March 27, 2026

HVAC Contractor License New York: NYC, Nassau and EPA 608

Texas construction site with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background, a large "LICENSE REVOKED" sign on a fenced gate, and the headline, "Bro, can I borrow your license?"
Compliance March 24, 2026

Can You Use Someone Else's Contractor License in California?

Florida contractor license card with a lit fuse burning toward it, set against a Florida flag backdrop, alongside the headline “LICENSE WON’T TRANSFER.”
Compliance March 23, 2026

Can You Transfer a Contractor License to Another Person in Florida?

Contractor comparing cordless and corded power tools on a job site
Contractor tips March 20, 2026

Cordless vs. Corded Power Tools: How to Choose (and How to Save on Batteries)

New Jersey home improvement contract and invoice highlighting NJHIC registration number requirements with compliance documents, blueprint background, and New Jersey regulatory imagery
Compliance March 16, 2026

New Jersey Contractor Registration Number Requirements for Contracts, Invoices, Vehicles, and Advertising

Blue construction blueprint background, Florida state outline, Miami skyline silhouette, licensing requirement panels, and a large wood-framed residential house under construction with exposed framing and roof trusses. Bold headline reads “Getting Your General Contractor License in Florida.”
Compliance March 13, 2026

How to Get Your General Contractor License in Florida

lorida-themed blueprint background with a detailed electrical panel, Florida state outline, coastal skyline, permit stamp graphics, palm trees, and the headline “Getting Your Electrical License in Florida.”
Compliance March 11, 2026

Florida Electrical Contractor License: Certified vs Registered, Costs, and Exam

Contractor pickup truck parked on a Florida waterfront construction site with palm trees, city skyline, and large text reading “Lease or Buy in Florida?”.
Contractor tips March 9, 2026

Buying or Leasing a Work Van or Truck in Florida. What Contractors Need to Know

HVAC technician holding refrigerant gauges and hoses, beside “Getting your HVAC License” and the label “Florida.”
Compliance March 2, 2026

How to Get Your HVAC License in Florida

California contractor invoice with highlighted license number, business address, and contractor name against a California flag background.
Compliance February 27, 2026

California Contractor Invoice Requirements: What Must Be Included?

North Carolina contractor licensing requirements illustration featuring a large highlighted compliance panel, blueprint-style annotations, North Carolina flag elements, and a state outline on a technical drafting background.
Compliance February 23, 2026

North Carolina General Contractor License Limits Explained

Florida electrical license number requirement highlighted on a construction invoice with compliance markings, blueprint annotations, and a Florida-themed orange and green regulatory design.
Compliance February 16, 2026

Do Florida Electrical Contractors Have to Put Their License Number on Every Estimate and Invoice?

New Jersey contractor registration marked expired beside a denied building permit application.
Compliance February 9, 2026

What Happens If My New Jersey Home Improvement Contractor Registration Expires?

Plumber working on exposed pipes against a brick wall, beside “Plumbing Contractor Licensing” and the label “Florida.”
Compliance February 2, 2026

How to Get a Plumbing Contractor License in Florida

Contractor work pickup truck parked in New York City with the Manhattan skyline and Brooklyn Bridge in the background, alongside large editorial text reading “LEASE OR BUY IN NY?” in bold blue-and-white magazine-style typography
Contractor tips January 5, 2026

Buying or Leasing a Work Van or Truck in New York. What Contractors Need to Know

Chalk graffiti on dark pavement showing the words “Wrong Way” crossed over a large white directional arrow
June 13, 2023

I Was a Lousy Dictator

A hand holding a red-and-white name tag that reads “Hello my name is,” featuring a concrete cinder block in place of a person's name against a light blue background
May 12, 2023

My Name is Cinderblock. Nice to Meet You.

A concrete cinder block launching like a rocket through a starry night sky, with bright exhaust flames and dramatic clouds illuminated below.
November 18, 2022

We Launched (thanks to Covid)!