What to do?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Vinniem

Senior Member
Location
Central Jersey
A good friend of mine who is a unlicensed electrician wants to do a side job and wants me to stamp his permit for him?

have you ever been in that situation? I believe, once you stamp it you own it. If anything happens, they will come after me. What would you do? Am I being paranoid?
 

bradleyelectric

Senior Member
Location
forest hill, md
sure. Your just paranoid. If something happens your buddy will feed you and the kids when you have them on weekends. Your old lady will find a truck driver to take care of them during the week. Do it!
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
In some states that could be illegal.
Has he been your employee?


Illegal or not this is a common practice around here. If you want some extra money and can sleep at night with the added liability then go for it. For what it's worth there are guys who hold licenses for big companies who never set foot on the job. I'd guess that you would be in the same boat as them.
 

hardworkingstiff

Senior Member
Location
Wilmington, NC
When does it stop? Once you do it the 1st time, then it's another and another.

In NC, you could lose your license for doing this. It's people like your friend who help drive down prices even farther. It's tough enough competing against hungry licensed and insured people let alone unlicensed and uninsured that want to do a side job.

It's close to him taking food off of your table.

Good luck, this may be the test that determines if he is as much your friend as you are his.

Edit: You asked
What would you do? Am I being paranoid?
I would try hard not do it and no you are not paranoid.
 
Last edited:

AV ELECTRIC

Senior Member
Can the owner pull the permit. If he is working under your license i believe you take full responsibility for him insurance taxes ect. Does he have a job already? If i was your friend i would not put that liability on you. We all work hard to get are license and its the only one you get he could have done the same if he put the time and effort into it. If he needs the money ide rather give it to him than put my lively hood on the line. You may know your friend but you dont know the customer he is working for.
 

okeefe

Member
Location
Albany New York
I reccomend that you dont sell your license. If you get caught, everyone will know that you are a sellout. I don't care who it is, familly, friend, or the world's best electrician, I will not help them. They can get their license like everyone else if they are qualified.
 

normbac

Senior Member
if the job goes bad and hurts some one the lawyers will have you for lunch and dinner it will go to punitive damages load up on insurance, but not sure if they would cover you in this case, you can bet your insurance co will fight obligation all the way :confused:
 

Buck Parrish

Senior Member
Location
NC & IN
A good friend of mine who is a unlicensed electrician wants to do a side job and wants me to stamp his permit for him?

have you ever been in that situation? I believe, once you stamp it you own it. If anything happens, they will come after me. What would you do? Am I being paranoid?


Let it be known to all that know you , that - You never, ever let some one use your license.

You should turn him in to the state board if he offered to engage in electrical work.
If any one else ever ask to use your license. Don't hesitate, just say no.

If you are still not sure call or email your state board. Then ask them "What to do " ?
 

celtic

Senior Member
Location
NJ
For what it's worth there are guys who hold licenses for big companies who never set foot on the job. I'd guess that you would be in the same boat as them.

I do not even think it is the same Styrofoam raft.


These large companies have a paid "licensee" and the company is the business permit holder.

the company will also have all the associated insurance, bonding, workman's comp. matters addressed as well.

Same boat?
I think not.
 

celtic

Senior Member
Location
NJ
A good friend of mine who is a unlicensed electrician wants to do a side job and wants me to stamp his permit for him?

have you ever been in that situation? I believe, once you stamp it you own it. If anything happens, they will come after me. What would you do? Am I being paranoid?


Why would you position yourself such that the Board can levy a fine or suspend your license that YOU worked to obtain for the convenience of some "side jobbing friend"?

Make a deal with your friend.....
YOU will do the job and give him a percentage for staying home [the opposite of his "plan"]....
Now how much was he willing to cut you in for?
That's his cut -50% because he never concerned himself with becoming "legal" and it's time to pay the piper.
 

hurk27

Senior Member
Why not hire him? Pull the permit, inspect the work and pay him as an employee.

Indiana doesn't require a state license but many local units of government do, I hold 26 such license, for our area, and hold almost all our company's license's.

It's not just me and my family I have to think about but every employee who works for us, that will be out of a job if something goes wrong and or he gets caught. with that kind of pressure I can not take that kind of chance.

You are no longer gambling with just your lively hood but are gambling with all who depend upon you. and the fact your are putting your company reputation in this guys hands. just think of how people care about borrowed stuff, they don't, they trash it.

I get asked this all the time, but my response is

"sure let me put you on the payroll and your going to have to pay all the cost it takes me to insure you and the time to go out and make sure the work is to the NEC and to my specification before I put my reputation in your hands, if it is not I will take the job over and your going to foot the bill for the corrections"

well I have never been taken up on it so pretty much they get the message.

here homeoners can pull their own permit under the log cabin law, and have who ever help them do the work, but it has to be kept as a non contract type of deal, for them to do this. I do suport this law, as it is part of our American freedom, but not if it is done in this way to skirt the license requirments as many do. I nailed a couple of those so called handyman type company's doing just this, no license's, no insurance, no bonding, just getting by, by having the home owner pull a home owner permit, then doing the work. problem is then there is a problem and the home owner doesnt have a leg to stand on in trying to get the problems resolved.
 
Last edited:

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
Your friend wouldn't be doing the customer any favors, either, by doing this work.
if the job goes bad and hurts some one the lawyers will have you for lunch and dinner it will go to punitive damages load up on insurance, but not sure if they would cover you in this case, you can bet your insurance co will fight obligation all the way :confused:
And maybe come after you for subrogation on what they do pay out.
 

MarkyMarkNC

Senior Member
Location
Raleigh NC
I love reading the NCSBEEC newsletter every quarter here in North Carolina that lists all the guys that have been caught peddling their licenses. People take this very seriously here, and it can lead to some serious fines and loss of your license. North Carolina is very strict when it comes to unlicensed electricians, license peddling, and licensee supervision, and I'm glad they are that way. I put a lot of time, effort, and money into getting my license. Passing the test here is not easy. People who skirt the system are making a mockery of all the time and effort I put into getting my license.

Sounds like the law up in NJ is not quite the same as it is here, but I would think the liability issues alone would be enough to dissuade people from license peddling.
 

dduffee260

Senior Member
Location
Texas
A good friend of mine who is a unlicensed electrician wants to do a side job and wants me to stamp his permit for him?

So he is not licensed, so how can he be an electrician.

If I go to someone and tell them I am an unlicensed doctor and I want to perform surgery on them. But I think I know what I am doing. How is that going to sound?

Tell your friend he is a helper. A helper should not go around doing work unless a licensed electrician is on site.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top