Request For Hacks

[jeff43222]

This ad was just posted on the local craigslist.org site:

"We will be acting as our own GC in this project. We have a drawing to scale of what the project will be and the area to be finished is 1200sq ft. We need to add a family room, bedroom, office, full bathroom, utility room. This project will need to begin with a plumber who can elevate the boiler pipes to make room for ceiling, install bath where existing stack. We will also need someone who can get do electrical, drywall, framing, floors, egress, trims, etc. Handyman please don't hesitate - this is an informal project and will not be pulling permits. Looking for the best price from a reputable contractor, willing to pay cash for a good quote."

So they want a reputable contractor who:
</font> <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Works cheap</font> <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Accepts cash</font> <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Doesn't have to be licensed, bonded, insured</font> <font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Doesn't bother with permits/inspections</font><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I don't know of any reputable contractors who would qualify under these criteria.

It might be fun to go bid on the electrical, just to find out where the job is so I can let the AHJ know what's going on. :D

[growler]

Jeff, are you sure this is not an IRS sting operation. Why not call them up and pretend to be a handyman, tell them you are not licensed or insured but your parole officer will give you a good reference. See what they say & post it.

[celtic]

craigslist is full of hacks...
I saw this one ad(in NJ) offering Available Electrician/Car Electronic Installer/Plumber (http://newjersey.craigslist.org/trd/80028572.html)
I did a reverse look-up on the number and got the individual's full name. I then searched the NJ BoEoEC site and found said individual's name NOT on the EC list...a week later I saw the individual's name in print again ~ in the police blotter! LMAO

...and another hack: Electrician for hire or? (http://newjersey.craigslist.org/fns/82983070.html)

and another:
Handyman Electrician available for work in Middlesex county (http://newjersey.craigslist.org/sks/81469335.html)

I am seriously considering calling the Board on the bozos. I spent a great deal of time, money and effort to get my EC Lic. (ok, not that much time, passed first shot)...and even more to maintain it for the 10+ years.

I do admire this one guy:
ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR AVAILABLE FOR NEW WORK IN YOUR AREA. (http://newjersey.craigslist.org/sks/85360583.html) ...he has a ton of ads there...all done properly - his license no. is posted.
I wouldn't advertise this way, but looking at his lic. no., I can tell he's a newb and just breaking into the game by all available means. Good for him!
I have NO plans of driving all over the state chasing dead presidents, though. If I got even 1/2 the jobs I estimated I wouldn't have any time to "play" here :D or with my kids out back.


eBay also has an EC offering services:
Journeyman Electrician 8 Hours of Electrical Service (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7532947065&category=66982&rd=1)
This cheapens the trade...IMHO.

[ July 22, 2005, 11:57 PM: Message edited by: celtic ]

[stud696981]

-------------------------------------------------
So they want a reputable contractor who:

Works cheap
Accepts cash
Doesn't have to be licensed, bonded, insured
Doesn't bother with permits/inspections
-------------------------------------------------
This reminds me of a Journeyman I used to work with some years back. He had business cards for side jobs that he did in Detroit, MI. They said "No permit, No problem." If I can find his number I will refer him to this job ad, maybe he will fly out there and hook these people up.

[highkvoltage]

What amazes me is these people openly advertise and nobody does anything about it. We have the same problem here. There is a handyman company that actually has "We will do electrical work,plumbing, ect." on the side of their van. I'm sure they have no license in any trade and I see them in the cities in our county all the time. I called the AHJ and he saids the problem is they have to catch them in the act. I told him they need to call them explain the penalities if caught and warn them to stay out of their area. What a joke. But I also blame the fools that hire these clowns. If there wasn't a market for these guys they wouldn't be here.

[ceb]

I have seen the same in my area " handyman will do landscaping,plumbing,electrical,baby sit you cat ect". But IMHO we let these people take the work from us. Turning these hacks in to the AHJ some times works and some times it doesn't one of the best solutions I have heard of was what the state of South Carolina did ( this was told to me cannot prove it true) If john q homeowner hires someone to do work in a trade that requires licensing,elect.,plumbing,hvac.... and the home owner finds out the person is not licensed the home owner has no obligation to pay for the service and the hack has no legal recourse for collecting his money. The laws need to be changed to our favor. And yes I know the hacks will find ways around this but it will make them think can I get by with this one or am I working for free

[jimwalker]

Untill ahj really get tough there will be unlicensed work.Often fellow electricians (some only helpers )tell me about how they made $100 or $200 last night after work doing whatever.Word travels and they get more side jobs.I warn them about the dangers but they don't care.As to getting paid,the homeowner just broke the law too.So if they don't pay they can end up in court and a judge might very well order them to pay .The electrician could back fire things on them too.He could call the ahj and tell them about Mr xxxx at 654 3rd st having had electrical work done unpermitted.Now they have a problem with work that might not meet code and will have to hire an EC to fix it.After the fact permits cost 4 times here.
Turn them in is all you can do.But very few get caught or turned in.

[tx2step]

I think that licensed EC's should be a lot more aggressive in turning in unlicensed hack work. If you don't you are cutting your own throat and doing a disservice to our industry.

For some reason, many EC's seem to have an aversion to turning someone in. I don't really understand why. :confused:

If a lot more EC's made a lot more noise, then there wouldn't be as much a problem with hack work.

[George Stolz]

[quote]Originally posted by tx2step:
[b]For some reason, many EC's seem to have an aversion to turning someone in. I don't really understand why. :(

[tx2step]

Originally posted by georgestolz:
Probably something about throwing stones from a glass house, would be my guess. :( Meaning they are doing things themselves that they don't think will stand up to scrutiny? Maybe they should clean up their act, too?

I think that someone who blatantly does work without being licensed, when licensing is required by law, should be reported.

I also think that licensed EC's that do work that doesn't comply with code should have to correct their work.

I'd just like for there to be a level playing field and for everyone to have to comply with the same code standards and laws.

[jeff43222]

Not everyone has an aversion to turning in hacks. The receptionists at the state board know me on sight and who I'm there to speak with. It's a little inconvenient when I happen to be there for other business. :D

I didn't go through all the hassle of studying for the exam (twice), paying all the fees, getting insurance, and getting bonded just to have bragging rights. I agree with tx2step: There should be a level playing field.

Unfortunately, the state authorities have limited resources, and going after hacks is not terribly high on their priority list.

[tx2step]

Originally posted by jeff43222:
I didn't go through all the hassle of studying for the exam (twice), paying all the fees, getting insurance, and getting bonded just to have bragging rights. I totally agree!!!

Originally posted by jeff43222:
Unfortunately, the state authorities have limited resources, and going after hacks is not terribly high on their priority list. Left up to them, they aren't very motivated to go out looking for these guys -- they usually have enough to do already. That's why I think it is in our best interests to "help them out" in this particular endeavor. And if they don't seem very interested in enforcement, then I'm not beyond upping the political ante as needed to move it up their priority list. :D


On the other hand, I might eventually change my mind about this licensing thing. I've been thinking about going into brain surgery, and if I decide to do that I'll be against having to be licensed. The idea of having to go to medical school seems so unnecessary, now that I think about it. What's to know? And it's not as though it might possibly entail the public's safety, you know? Where's the risk? :roll:

[ July 24, 2005, 07:08 PM: Message edited by: tx2step ]

[tx2step]

Hey, I've been giving this brain surgery thing more thought, and I'm kind of liking the idea.

Do any of you guys have any suggestions on how I should go about it? Which part of the brain is the best place to start? I better start making notes, I might not remember all of the technical to-do mumbo-jumbo.

Anyway, I'll offer a 25% discount to my first 10 brain surgery patients, and --- best of all --- no permits!!! Payment only in cash, though.

I'll be doing them in my garage in an old barber chair. I'll probably start with a 4" hole saw, so I have plenty of room to work.

And if you need that paddle thing done to your chest, I'm your man! I'm a licensed electrician! What voltage would you like for me to use? I might even throw in a couple of good jolts for free, since it will be so easy for me to do.

Hey, this is sounding better all the time! :)

One stipulation -- any survivors must agree to give me glowing references. :D In fact, you better give me that glowing written reference before we get started, just in case you have problems signing your name later.

And just one other small piece of information. Recovery is 99% of the process, and you're responsible for that, since you'll be doing that at home. Surgery will only take me an hour at most, but I'm pretty sure it will take you at least 99 hours to recover... so that makes it 99% of the process, right? (I just love this new math -- it fits in with the new logic that I see so often) If you screw up recovery, it's your fault and it's on your head (oops, that didn't sound good, did it?)

I warrant my surgery for 30 days. If you aren't completely satisfied with the results, I'll do it over for free!!! (plus a small shipping and handling fee, of course) What more could you ask?

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I'm now completely against licensing! Licenses are just a legal hindrance enacted by a bunch of elitists to try to limit my ability to make a good living out of bilking the public. Oops, I meant to say "out of performing a public service for a cost far below that of those elitist licensed MDs."

I'll be the poor man's surgeon!

DOWN WITH LICENSES!!!

[ July 24, 2005, 09:05 PM: Message edited by: tx2step ]

[charlie b]

I am licensed as a PE in five states, and have let several other state licenses lapse. I still get newsletters from several of the state licensing departments. The news always includes a set of short paragraphs describing disciplinary actions. These sometimes go on for pages and pages. Some of the actions are taken against licensed PEs who violated the rules (such as working outside their areas of expertise, as an electrical PE doing civil engineering designs). Other times it is for gross incompetence (such as issuing a design that has serious code violations that could lead to someone getting seriously hurt). More often, however, the disciplinary action is against a non-licensed person who had advertised for, or actually performed, engineering work. There is usually a fine imposed and a restriction placed on their future employment as an engineer in that state.

My point for bringing this up is that state PE licensing boards are very open to receiving complaints against non-licensed persons doing work that should require a license. The "Code of Ethics" for Professional Engineers give us the duty to report such persons to the board. It is not so much that work done by non-licensed persons threatens the livelihoods of licensed persons, though that is certainly true. More important is that work done by non-licensed persons threatens the health and safety of the public. I am sure that this is also true in the electrical trade.

[tx2step]

Look at the situation described in the original post. Want to see where it can lead a home owner? See the post by allenwayne here:

http://www.mikeholt.com/cgi-bin/codeforum/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=11&t=007532&p=2#000023

If an unlicensed and uninsured hack (whatever the trade) causes a major disaster, the homeowner will be left holding the bag.

This is the whole point of having licensing and regulation requirements and laws.

[hbiss]

I have heard of was what the state of South Carolina did ( this was told to me cannot prove it true) If john q homeowner hires someone to do work in a trade that requires licensing,elect.,plumbing,hvac.... and the home owner finds out the person is not licensed the home owner has no obligation to pay for the service and the hack has no legal recourse for collecting his money.

I believe that is true in every state. If a person requires a license and he performs the work without one he has no legel recourse to collect his money should the customer decide not to pay.

On top of that there are customers out there who are well aware of this and will simply say to an unlicensed contractor at the completion of the job that they won't pay and "you can't do anything about it".

Had this happen to me a couple of years ago. Was called to install a fan/light and a dedicated receptacle in a small bath. There was severe water damage to the plaster ceiling and one wall from a leaking pipe.

I was slow at the time and "volunteered" to rock over the ceiling and wall as part of the job as well as tape and finish.

We agreed on a price but when I finished the customer denied any agreement and refused to pay the "agreed" amount. Long story short this guy was (at the time) a friend so I didn't do a contract or get money up front.

We settled for an an amount $700 less because I knew full well I needed a home improvement license to do that kind of work and I don't have one. Normally I would have in an instant put a lein on the house and taken him to small claims.

Now I understand that this guy wants to finish his second floor attic and doesn't want to get the required permits and inspections because his taxes will go up.

You know I'll be watching- payback time! :)

-Hal

[jeff43222]

Originally posted by charlie b:
My point for bringing this up is that state PE licensing boards are very open to receiving complaints against non-licensed persons doing work that should require a license.

I once called the state licensing board here when I came across a company that advertised engineering work, yet no one in the company seemed to have a PE license (although a few of the bosses claimed EIT credentials). The board told me they wouldn't move an inch unless I mailed in a signed complaint. I didn't have any real evidence; I just thought it was something the board would want to look into.

More important is that work done by non-licensed persons threatens the health and safety of the public. I am sure that this is also true in the electrical trade.

Very true. The state authorities who handle hacks doing electrical work are more responsive to anonymous complaints. Then again, I've turned in enough hacks advertising electrical work that the people at the state board know me by now. :D

[jeff43222]

Originally posted by hbiss:
I have heard of was what the state of South Carolina did ( this was told to me cannot prove it true) If john q homeowner hires someone to do work in a trade that requires licensing,elect.,plumbing,hvac.... and the home owner finds out the person is not licensed the home owner has no obligation to pay for the service and the hack has no legal recourse for collecting his money.

I believe that is true in every state. If a person requires a license and he performs the work without one he has no legel recourse to collect his money should the customer decide not to pay. That's how the lien laws work here. You can't put a lien on property for unpaid work if the work requires a license and you don't have one.

The unlicensed guy may not have legal recourse to get his money, but if a homeowner plays this game, he shouldn't be surprised if the unlicensed guy gets upset and resorts to "other" means to get satisfaction. A few strategic uses of a hammer or a Sawzall can erase many hours of meticulous drywall work.

This is one of the many reasons I stick to electrical work. If I bust up a wall or ceiling, I have a few good drywall guys (licensed) in my Rolodex I swing the work to. They, in turn, swing electrical work to me when it comes up. Sure beats paying to advertise. :D

[ July 25, 2005, 06:32 PM: Message edited by: jeff43222 ]

[cselectric]

Originally posted by celtic:
craigslist is full of hacks...


eBay also has an EC offering services:
Journeyman Electrician 8 Hours of Electrical Service (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7532947065&category=66982&rd=1)
This cheapens the trade...IMHO. Yikes... that last one is T&C electric. It's sad to see fly by nighters cutting down our trade, but to see one of the largest EC's in the country (look up Faith Technologies on the EC&M or ENR rankings lists) doing it is really depressing.

[silverbk]

I always drop a dime on these hacks, but unfortunately, the Electrical Licensing Board only has authority over Licensed Electricians.

Most Building depts in the County are either Corrupt, or simply don't have the resources to go out and check out complaints.

The rules have been slowly changining in our favor, at least in every town in the county you are supposedto have a license to perform electrical work, previous there were a few towns with no license requirement.

Now most of the inspectors will not even talk to homeowners, never mind go inspect their work, so things are starting to come around, albeit slowly.

[GENEM]

Three or four years ago the state legeslature here begin to question the need for a state elec. board(due to budget shortages)--shortly after there was a major crackdown on illegal "hack" work, I imagine to prove the need for some people's jobs. Since then it has slacked off but it makes you wonder how much pressure there is from higher levels--such as legeslative--to take care of the problem. Maybe calling your legislator would do more than calling the AHJ? Just a thought on the subject. Now I have to get back to work before my boss catches me messing around!!! :D

[celtic]

Originally posted by silverbk:
I always drop a dime on these hacks, but unfortunately, the Electrical Licensing Board only has authority over Licensed Electricians.

Most Building depts in the County are either Corrupt, or simply don't have the resources to go out and check out complaints.

NJ has a different approach...the Board has control over all electrical installations/installers - licensed EC or wanna-be.
NJ has discovered that fining the wanna-be is a lucrative business.

Read the minutes from a few of their meetings:
BoEoEC Minutes page (http://www.nj.gov/lps/ca/electric/minutes/elecmin.htm)

Here is a "quickee":
Check in the amount of $1,000.00 received from xxxx, License #xxxx, as the second installment of a civil penalty, and costs, in the amount of $31,110.78 for violation of N.J.S.A. 45:5A-9 and N.J.S.A. 56:8-1 et seq. Payments started November 17, 2004 and the balance due is $25,110.78.$31,110 !!!
(45:5A-9. Necessity of business permit and license; qualifications; examinations; fees )
(56:8-1 Definitions. 1. (a) The term "advertisement" shall include the attempt directly or indirectly)

Looks like he was licensed but possessed no business permit...and he is just one of many with fines ranging from $500 to the whopper $31k.

[davedottcom]

I have a slightly different question...

What can be done about Licensed EC's that blatantly violate the codes on jobs that don't require permits?
I find Licensed Hack work all the time! :mad:

Dave

[celtic]

Originally posted by davedottcom:

What can be done about Licensed EC's that blatantly violate the codes on jobs that don't require permits?
In NJ, they can be reported and usually end up paying a fine (see my link to the minutes page, above).

Why an EC doesn't take out a required permit completey eludes me...it doesn't save the EC any money - ok, maybe a few bucks for the time spent filing and inspection time...but once branded as a no-permit-EC what has been gained? The eye of the AHJ et al.

[jeff43222]

Today I was on a kitchen remodel job when the plumbers showed up to begin their work. They quoted a price for the homeowner, then said if the homeowner wants them to pull a permit, the price would be higher, as permits aren't cheap (something like $50/fixture). Naturally, the homeowner asked if a permit was required, why would she want a permit pulled, etc. to decide on the issue. The plumbers said that a permit was legally required, but most people don't want them, but some do. Ultimately, they left it up to the homeowner as to whether she wanted a permit pulled. Guess what she decided.

I couldn't believe the plumber did business like that. I've never offered a permit as an optional extra; I tell people it is required and I will be pulling one. I also make it a practice to give a copy of the permit to the homeowner. I guess the penalties for a licensed plumber doing work without a permit must not be so bad.

[jimwalker]

So when your inspector shows up to see your work perhaps he will notice plumbing work being done and ask to see that permit.He won't last long if he is doing it this way.

Might add this too.If any of his men working for him become disgruntled and or he fires them ,they just might have kept records to turn him in.

[ August 04, 2005, 05:47 AM: Message edited by: jimwalker ]

[GUNNING]

In Florida I have found the local and state agencies given the task of enforcing licensing don't want to find anyone doing unlicensed work. If you have a license they will hang you from the highest tree, if you DON'T have a license they don't want to know about it, because they don't have a handle on you. No license to revoke, no address to find you at, no phone number to call you up at. They would actually have to do an investigation.
If you HAVE a license, you can be found, fined, imprisoned, stuff taken away, etc. Its very hard to trust an agency that looks at you as a new opportunity for advancement.

[jimwalker]

Often in Florida they do not want to open the can of worms.If one person gets turned in for lets say building a small addition unpermited they in turn call in some others they seen doing unpermitted work.This could go on and on forever.They usually will at best tell you to go pull an after the fact permit and then they just sign it off as passed.

[wpaul29]

I agree with most of what is being said but the permit issue can go to far. The AHJ's want you to pull a permit for even just 1 outlet. I think that is a little extreme. On the other hand I have seen permit work that was passed and it was absolutely unbelievable that any inspector could pass that kind of work it was horrible to say the least. The people were lucky that the building didn't burn down. There are many insistencies of this where getting a permit does not necessarily guaranty quality workmanship. I think the most important part is to have qualified people that are licensed and can show there credentials if needed.

[chelectrical]

This is an excellent point wp. My guess is that this is an area that many ECs are wary about having an honest discussion in a public forum.

[bradleyelectric]

got a call today. A small homeowner job that I looked at and gave a price for yesterday. The homeowner called today to thank me for coming over yesterdsay, but the drywaller that did the framing offered to do the electrical work. She will keep my card in case they decide to do any of the ceiling fans though.
I did a service change last week. walked in to do the job, and saw new wires hanging out of the ceiling. Told the homeowner that was going to be a problem. HO says ok, than nothing, so I said ok and went to work. He comes up to me a little later and says that he has done it in some of his other houses, it is definately an investment house to be resold, and the electricians haven't had a problem before, he wasn't trying to hide anything from me and being upfront that he was just adding some lighting in the kitchen. I just told him that the service, dryer, and laundry circuits that I gave the price for would be what was on my permit, and I don't have anything else to do with anything else, and that he's not supposed to be doing electric work in the house. While I was marking the panel noticed that a fan box was hanging out of the ceiling about 1/2" below the sheetrock with new wiring in it in the master bedroom. Old wiring still at the switch. Got a call that the master bath breaker keeps tripping when they turn on all the lights in there, and there was never a problen with it before.

[cselectric]

Originally posted by chelectrical:
This is an excellent point wp. My guess is that this is an area that many ECs are wary about having an honest discussion in a public forum. To be sure, it is a tough topic to discuss openly, especially if you have contrarian views. Me, I'm skeptical of licensing programs and uncertain of their value. I can certainly see where a well defined, adequately administered state licensing program would go a long way towords weeding the hacks out of our trade. On the other hand, I've yet to see that program.

I work in IL and WI. IL has no state licensing program, but many municipalities require an EC's license to pull permits. I spent five years working for a man who "earned" his Chicago contractors license by leaving 5 grand in an envelop in a batroom at city hall and coming back 2 hours later to pick up his license from the same bathroom. So much for assuring that all applicants are qualified.

As for WI, I personally know at least a half dozen state licensed masters that lied through their teeth on the application and have nowhere near the required 7000 hours. A former manager of mine was, at best, a 2nd year apprentice... with a fraudulent application, a lot of cramming and 4 times taking the test, he got his masters. So much for being qualified.

I honestly wish I could believe in licensing programs. I honestly wish they would have a positive impact. But, what I have seen so far tells me that contractor licensing, as well as JW and masters licensing are, more than anything else, a "pay to play" farce. I cross my fingers and hope other states are not that way. I also hope the two states I work in will come around to something resembling useful.

[petersonra]

I am a cynic about this kind of thing, so please don't get too offended about my comments.

IMO - there are two primary goals in any licensing/permitting system.

1. Keeping track of what building is going on so property taxes can be raised. This is government's primary interest.

2. Restricting who can work in the field to keep prices up. This is what is in it for those in the field.

Those footing the bill gain very little from the whole thing. One can argue about safety, workmanship, etc., but the bottom line is the bottom line and it is mostly about money. Who gets it, and who pays it.

[jeff43222]

Originally posted by petersonra:
I am a cynic about this kind of thing, so please don't get too offended about my comments.

IMO - there are two primary goals in any licensing/permitting system.

1. Keeping track of what building is going on so property taxes can be raised. This is government's primary interest.

That may be an aim for the permitting system, but I doubt it's the primary one. The whole idea behind a permit is that the work will be inspected for code compliance when it's finished. Get rid of permits, and eventually there will be almost no code compliance. I could get jobs done a lot faster if I didn't have to spend my time drilling through joists to run cable or use j-boxes when I splice wires. I can't tell you how many times I've come across code violations that likely could have been prevented if only someone had pulled a permit and done the work properly. And as someone who has to deal with these messes on a regular basis, I'd argue for more enforcement of permit/inspection rules, not less.

Just yesterday, I was doing a full-gut bathroom remodel, and I had to cut power to the existing bathroom circuit. I found the j-box in the basement, and it was cram-packed with wires to the point that the j-box couldn't even take a coverplate. That wasn't the bad part, though. When I disconnected the wires feeding the bathroom, another outlet in the house stopped working, almost certainly because someone illegally built another bathroom in the basement and buried a j-box that connects the now-dead outlet. A proper inspection probably would have prevented the bathroom from being built without first dealing with the j-boxes that would be buried inside the walls/ceiling.

2. Restricting who can work in the field to keep prices up. This is what is in it for those in the field.

There has to be some restriction. You don't want just anyone setting themselves up as an electrician, physician, lawyer, pharmacist, etc. unless they demonstrate come level of competence. If it were about keeping prices up, I doubt we'd have 450 licensed journeymen at the local IBEW out of work. Also, getting an EC license here isn't an ordeal; you just need a master electrician, liability insurance, bonding, and registration of your business name. I was able to arrange all that and get my EC license in under a week. I've heard, though, that some states/localities have a very long list of requirements to get an EC license, which may serve mainly to keep new people out of the business.

Then again, I did read not too long ago that the civil engineering profession was trying to change the rules for PE licensure to require a master's degree. They even stated that the reason they wanted to do this was to limit the number of civil PEs and thus keep their earning power higher. Not a legitimate reason in my book.

Those footing the bill gain very little from the whole thing. One can argue about safety, workmanship, etc., but the bottom line is the bottom line and it is mostly about money. Who gets it, and who pays it.

I've been called in on several occasions when homeowners were unwittingly stuck with hack work and had to pay for it to be re-done properly. Those people all told me that the big lesson learned from the experience was that they should stick with licensed professionals and insist on the work being inspected. At the very least, it means they won't have to pay to have licensed work redone if it's done wrong, as licensed contractors are bonded against this kind of thing.