Helping Unlicensed Chinese Contractors by Bridging the Language Gap

These contractors are trying to start legitimate companies and are getting help with their English, especially before taking the tests. - - Donna Poisl

By COREY KILGANNON and JEFFREY E. SINGER

If New York City’s licensing test for home improvement contractors were given in Chinese and included the finer points of bamboo scaffolding, contractors like Gary Lin, 42, of Queens would breathe much easier taking it.

Mr. Lin worked on bamboo platforms while working in construction in Changle, his home city in the Chinese province of Fujian. Now, despite speaking very limited English, he is trying to start a legitimate home improvement company in Flushing, which is rife with unlicensed contractors.
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