Certified vs Licensed: They Said They Were Licensed… But They Lied – They Were Only Certified

In this episode, Jason pulls apart one of the pool industry’s favorite magic tricks: calling a certification a “license” and hoping homeowners don’t know the difference. We walk through what a true state license is, what a certification actually means, and how contractors, realtors, and even insurance adjusters get burned when they treat those words like they’re interchangeable.

We talk about how Florida, Texas, and Wisconsin handle licensing, why permits and insurance often don’t mean what people think they mean, and how shady advertising (“licensed & insured!” with no number in sight) skirts the edge of unlicensed activity.

If you own a pool, sell homes, adjust claims, or work in the trades, this episode will give you a simple filter: who’s legally allowed to touch that pool, and who’s just really good at printing business cards.