Contractor Compliance Authority

Compliance & Multi-State Licensing Proposal

A practical path to get Restoration 1 of Independence compliant where it operates today — and licensed to grow across states — built around your goals and your budget.

Prepared for: Dayton Rhoten · Rhoten Holdings LLC (dba Restoration 1 of Independence) · Independence, MO

We Meet You Where You Are

Dayton — here's the honest picture and a plan that grows with you.

You've built a real business: a validly organized Missouri LLC, an active city business license, EPA Lead-Safe and IICRC credentials, and a live brand. This proposal does two things: confirms exactly where you stand today, and lays out a sequenced, budget-aware path to license you as a commercial building contractor / qualifier so the business can expand beyond Kansas and Missouri. Nothing here is padded — we've separated what's verified from what still needs confirming, and every recommendation is scoped so you can start where your budget allows.

1 · Website & entity compliance audit — what we found

Bottom line: the business is in solid shape where it operates. One real action item remains, plus two cleanup items and a growth-portability flag.

AreaStatusFinding
MO LLC formation & standingVerifiedRhoten Holdings LLC, charter LC014565007, organized 7/23/2024; purpose "Water/Fire/Mold Restoration."
City business/occupation licenseVerifiedCity of Independence license OL114270, active (renewal status).
Trade name (DBA)Verified"Restoration 1 of Independence" fictitious name X001888825, valid to 8/6/2031.
Mold remediation advertising (MO)CleanMissouri does not license mold work — advertising it here is not a violation.
Lead / EPA claimsCleanEPA Lead-Safe firm cert held (NAT-F308608-1); site makes no over-claim.
Insurance-cooperation languageOK as written"Work with your insurance company" is defensible in MO; keep it to cooperation only.
City contractor licenseOpen — confirmThe site advertises "structural repairs" (reconstruction), which requires a City of Independence contractor license in addition to the business license. Not publicly searchable — needs a direct inquiry to the city.
Entity alignment (DBA owner)CleanupThe DBA is registered to Dayton individually, not to Rhoten Holdings LLC. Recommend re-aligning so name, license, insurance, and contracts all sit under the LLC.
Mold assessor + remediator (growth)WatchAdvertising both mold testing and remediation is fine in MO, but is a prohibited conflict in every state that licenses mold (FL, TX, NY, DC). Matters only when you expand.

2 · Top 3 states to start licensing

The strategy is an anchor-and-endorse play: earn one real, exam-based license first, then use waiver and endorsement rules to open additional states without re-proving experience. The single highest-leverage step is passing the NASCLA Commercial General Building exam — it's the key that turns the anchor into a multi-state footprint.

RankStateWhy it's the right moveWhat it takes
1 North Carolina
Limited (NCLBGC) — the anchor		 No hard experience gate NC's Limited license gates on financials + exam, not documented years. Because it's earned by the real NASCLA exam, it becomes the clean "anchor" that unlocks the others. NASCLA exam (accepted for Building) + NC Business & Law; financials ($17k working capital / $80k net worth, or $175k bond). Projects up to $750k; ~$75 fee; annual renewal.
2 Louisiana
Commercial (LSLBC) — open endorsement		 Trade exam waived LSLBC waives the trade exam for any contractor who passed a qualifying exam in another state — so NASCLA carries straight in. No experience-verification requirement. Financial statement ($50k net worth), Business & Law; trade exam waived via NASCLA. Can run in parallel with NC.
3 Arizona (B-1/B-2) + South Carolina
by waiver / endorsement		 Fast followers off the anchor AZ waives both its trade exam and 4-year experience for a qualifier who held a comparable license in another state within 5 years. SC waives the technical exam for NC/LA license holders. AZ: Out-of-State Waiver (Form RC-L-200G) once NC/LA is held. SC: technical-exam waiver off the NC anchor + pass the SC Business/Law exam.
The honest sequencing note Two conditions shape this order. First, AZ's 4-year experience rule and trade exam are waived — but only once Dayton already holds a comparable out-of-state license, so AZ is a fast follower, not a cold start. Second, SC's waiver only accepts a license that was earned by a real exam (not itself grandfathered or waived) — which is exactly why NC (NASCLA-based) is the anchor. Get NASCLA + NC done, and LA, SC, and AZ open through endorsement rather than fresh experience proof.

3 · Recommended next steps

1
Full qualifier compliance audit. Before we file anything, we document exactly what you can prove — years, roles, project types, supervising licensees, and every credential — so we know which states are truly open and we never submit an application that gets kicked back for thin experience. This is the foundation everything else stands on.
2
Licensing roadmap & plan. From the audit, we build your state-by-state sequence: exact requirements, exams, financials, fees, timelines, and the order to file in — starting with NASCLA + Louisiana, staged through the experience-gated states.
3
Execute & monitor. We prepare and manage the applications, keep the DBA/LLC/license/insurance aligned under one entity, and monitor renewals and multi-state obligations as you grow — the ongoing "grows with you" layer.

4 · How we'd structure the engagement — you choose the pace

True to "We Meet You Where You Are," here are three ways to start. Each is a complete, standalone step — you don't have to commit to the whole journey up front.

Start here

Foundation

Audit & roadmap

  • Full qualifier compliance audit (experience, credentials, entity).
  • Close the open City of Independence contractor-license question.
  • DBA / LLC alignment recommendation.
  • Written multi-state licensing roadmap with your sequenced top states.
Best if you want clarity and a plan before spending on applications.
Most popular

Launch

Foundation + first licenses

  • Everything in Foundation.
  • NASCLA exam preparation & scheduling support.
  • North Carolina Limited (anchor) + Louisiana applications, managed end to end.
  • Financial-statement & Business & Law coordination.
Best if you're ready to get licensed and earning in a new state now.
Grows with you

Expansion

Launch + ongoing

  • Everything in Launch.
  • Endorsement/waiver filings into Arizona, South Carolina, and other NASCLA states off the anchor license.
  • Qualifier placement support where applicable.
  • Ongoing compliance monitoring & renewals across states.
Best if the goal is real multi-state growth over the next 1–3 years.

The budget conversation

We build the proposal around your budget — not the other way around. Tell us what you're able to invest to start, and we'll scope the engagement to fit it, beginning with the step that moves you forward the most for that number. Most contractors start with Foundation (audit + roadmap), then fund Launch once the plan is in hand.

Two things from you unlock a fixed-fee quote: (1) your documented experience (years, roles, verifiable how), and (2) your starting budget. With those, we return exact pricing per tier — no surprises.

What we need from you to finalize