Talking with another electrician....

[weressl]

You may be required to have a hunting license, fishing license, dog license, marriage license, boating license, teaching certificate, even the church may require you to be ordained. So we just do away with all of these rules or the next step is concentration camps.

The overbearence of the Government in the multitude of regulation is clearly un-American and goes against the Constitution.

The number of required licenses, permits whatnots are steadily increasing and the American life is becoming more and more regulated. It's like boiling a frog. America INDEED built concentration camps, lest you forget.

 

[jshaw]

What's really hard to understand is why anyone would become an electrical inspector with all that money just waiting to be picked up off the ground as an electrical contractor.

It must require some strength of charactor that the average EC does not possess. Either that or they have a bad back and are unable to bend over to pick up said money.

I know of at least a half dozen electrical inspectors that were at one time electrical contractors and yet I don't know any electrical contractors that used to be inspectors.

There is one here. He was an electrical inspector for the State and quit and went in to business as an electrical/hvac contractor.

 

[tonyou812]

requiring licensing is what keeps us from becoming a 3rd world nation. Take for example Pennsylvania, which has no requirements. Ive seen some of the worst wiring practices over there right up there with Mexico.

 

[tonyou812]

The overbearence of the Government in the multitude of regulation is clearly un-American and goes against the Constitution.

The number of required licenses, permits whatnots are steadily increasing and the American life is becoming more and more regulated. It's like boiling a frog. America INDEED built concentration camps, lest you forget.

you can thank all the Sue happy people in the USA for that. We are the most sue happy contry in the world. Requiring licensing is a step in the right direction in having qualified people thus minimizing injury and what not.

 

[jmsbrush]

The overbearence of the Government in the multitude of regulation is clearly un-American and goes against the Constitution.

The number of required licenses, permits whatnots are steadily increasing and the American life is becoming more and more regulated. It's like boiling a frog. America INDEED built concentration camps, lest you forget.

Weressl, people need regulation. In the state of Florida it is a pretty difficult to get a electrical contracting license. There is a reason for it!!Why even have license contractor's,engineers, and inspectors? Its for the safety and the well being of people!! That's why. I count on my engineers and my inspectors allot. If I fail an inspection, which I have before, then good. Someone was there to say "hey that's not right, its not safe , fix it." When its all said and done I will be able to sleep at night. The laws are in place for a reason! When you become a contractor you are proving to the state that you have the experience, the education, the know how. You have to take a very difficult test. Which in the end, this will prove that you are a qualified electrician . This is a hard process to go through. Joe Smow did not do any of this!!! So who is to say he is qualified????? In the worst event of a home or building catching on fire at least we hold the insurance to cover the cost. Joe Smow doesn't. I'm not knocking what you are saying. I feel like you have some good points. At the end its very simple. License Contractors need to be doing the work which employs qualified personal

 

[weressl]

Weressl, people need regulation. In the state of Florida it is a pretty difficult to get a electrical contracting license. There is a reason for it!!Why even have license contractor's,engineers, and inspectors? Its for the safety and the well being of people!! That's why. I count on my engineers and my inspectors allot. If I fail an inspection, which I have before, then good. Someone was there to say "hey that's not right, its not safe , fix it." When its all said and done I will be able to sleep at night. The laws are in place for a reason! When you become a contractor you are proving to the state that you have the experience, the education, the know how. You have to take a very difficult test. Which in the end, this will prove that you are a qualified electrician . This is a hard process to go through. Joe Smow did not do any of this!!! So who is to say he is qualified????? In the worst event of a home or building catching on fire at least we hold the insurance to cover the cost. Joe Smow doesn't. I'm not knocking what you are saying. I feel like you have some good points. At the end its very simple. License Contractors need to be doing the work which employs qualified personal

I agree with you.

However I maintain that mature people do not NEED regulation. The Constitution envisioned people who are socially mature, that for the sake of commerce and social interaction they will come together and develop a set of rules for themselves. But only if the matter warrants an action. Otherwise let everyone live their lives as they choose to. This was CONTRARY to the European rule, where an individual or select elite group would decide how everybody should behave according to THEIR pleasure.

 

[jmsbrush]

I agree with you.

However I maintain that mature people do not NEED regulation. The Constitution envisioned people who are socially mature, that for the sake of commerce and social interaction they will come together and develop a set of rules for themselves. But only if the matter warrants an action. Otherwise let everyone live their lives as they choose to. This was CONTRARY to the European rule, where an individual or select elite group would decide how everybody should behave according to THEIR pleasure.

Man has proved since the begining of time that we are not capable of managing our selfs. Who is to say who is mature? Laws are in place to keep men somewhat in order. Look what happen in New Orleans when there was no law and man was free to do what he wanted!!!!

 

[roger]

Let's please keep the conversation from getting to political be it pro or con.

Roger

 

[bikeindy]

Well I like side jobbers, I don't want their customers until there is something so screwed up that they have to call me and pay handsomely. I don't have a big ad in the YP's and I don't really advertise at all but the people with real problems seem to find me. and they always are willing to pay for peace of mind. I also like homeowners who try to change 3 ways.

 

[Minuteman]

Hired a 2nd year apprentice recently. This week, his grandpa's friend had house fire and sold the house to Mr. SL (slum lord) for a rent house. Two bedroom are toast and there are several items that need updating, including the FPE panel. Mr. SL asked my 2nd year to rewire the house and he told the SL that he did not have a license, but would get me to come bid it. We have had three other fire/rewires in this small suburb this year, so I know what the inspector wants updated. No problem.

I bid $6200, Mr. SL says that I was trying to rip him off. Says that some journeyman (who works for a big commercial only company) can get his boss to pull the permit and he will side job the house for $4000.

Okay, fine. I have been under bid before and I expect it. But now Mr. SL has stirred up the family of my 2nd year and they now think that we are a company that GOUGES people!

I told my 2nd year that this other journeyman is the one doing gouging. He is not paying for insurance and workman's comp or the like. I doubt he counts his proceeds as income. Besides all that, i hope he under bid himself and does not do all the things that the inspector wants, and has to eat part of the job! :roll:

 

[growler]

I bid $6200, Mr. SL says that I was trying to rip him off. Says that some journeyman (who works for a big commercial only company) can get his boss to pull the permit and he will side job the house for $4000.

Just who does the $4000 dollar check ( this one will not be cash, he will need it for a business expense) get made out to? If the boss is only permiting the job he probably will not want 4K of income to account for and if he lets the jouneyman collect the money then he has just assisted an unlicensed person to to do electrical work, a violation that can get his licensed suspended.

Call the journeyman's boss and ask him if he would be happier with or without his license.

Between the local inspection department and the IRS I believe you can teach these boys not to suck eggs ( have no idea what that means it was just an expression my dad used for teaching someone a lesson).

 

[jrannis]

maybe you electrical contractors should park your golf carts, fish your pda out of your sport coat pocket, and look up the average cost of living in your area. now compare that number to what your guys are actually bringing home each month. the majority of electricians that i know HAVE to do side work in order to pay the bills and feed their families. the trend in my neck of the woods seems to be that contractors are hiring younger guys and illegals to do almost all residential and commercial work, paying them half or less per hour than what i and most of my work buddies require in order to survive. if contractors would pay their guys what they're worth instead of focusing on the bottom line, there would be less competition from side work. you think i like to spend my evenings and weekends working?

I know its not cheap to live in Vegas, but you should protect your work a little better if what you say is true.
You Vegas guys seem to be doing better than us in Miami where it is really expensive to live.

Vegas Scale:
* Journeyman Scale: $ 39.21
* Health & Welfare: $5.50
* Pension: 4.80
* Annuity: 3.65
* Vacation: 0
* Working Assessments: 1.9%

Miami
* Journeyman Scale: $ 25.15
* Health & Welfare: 5.15
* Pension: 8
* Annuity: 0
* Vacation: 0
* Working Assessments: 3

 

[ohm]

Would you get in a hot tub wired by an un-licensed, low ball, part timer?

 

[cschmid]

the other day I was in the hardware store getting some materials for a project and these guys were in there buying some materials for wiring..I listened to the story and they were doing some work on a commercial job to be more specific a retail bait store..I payed attention to the materials and ran a quick assessment of the job in my head and when I got out in my truck and on the road I called the inspector and told him the situation..I hope them the best of luck with it..:grin:

 

[ohm]

I too have listened to hardware store electricians and some of the "advice" given by the clerks. If I was the store owner no unlicensed clerk of mine would be allowed to offer advice.

 

[SiddMartin]

In PA, there is no state lic. as many of you know. However, if you are certified through the state, and carry ins., would you be considerd a side-jobber b/c you are doing the work evening and weekends?

edit to add: also pulling all permits

 

[steelersman]

The overbearence of the Government in the multitude of regulation is clearly un-American and goes against the Constitution.

The number of required licenses, permits whatnots are steadily increasing and the American life is becoming more and more regulated. It's like boiling a frog. America INDEED built concentration camps, lest you forget.

and they're even changing the analog broadcasting for televisions to digital soon so that they can track us even more.......

 

[Minuteman]

Just who does the $4000 dollar check ( this one will not be cash, he will need it for a business expense) get made out to? If the boss is only permiting the job he probably will not want 4K of income to account for and if he lets the jouneyman collect the money then he has just assisted an unlicensed person to to do electrical work, a violation that can get his licensed suspended.

The funny part is, the State is supposed to be tough of contractors who get caught "loaning" their license.