Massachusetts Homeowners

[iwire]

From MECA

Hearing on HB 3940, An Act Relative to Clarifying Homeowners Right to Perform Electrical Work, at the State House, Room A-1 at 1pm on Tuesday, Feb. 28th.

Here is the text that would be added to our current rules

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the Year Two Thousand Twelve
_______________
An Act relative to clarifying homeowners right to perform electrical work.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:

1 SECTION 1. Section 3L of chapter 143 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2010 Official

2 Edition, is hereby amended by inserting at the end thereof the following paragraph: -

3 ?Nothing in this section shall be construed to provide the inspector of wires with the authority to

4 reject a permit application of an applicant who is not a certified electrician; provided, that the

5 property indicated on the permit application is the applicant?s primary residence, the applicant is

6 the owner of the property, and the property is no greater than a single family house.?

 

[peter d]

Is this a change? I thought homeowners were allowed to do electrical work on their own homes anyway.

 

[iwire]

Is this a change? I thought homeowners were allowed to do electrical work on their own homes anyway.

Peter???????






There is no MA law that requires a HO to have a license or permit to work on their own home.

However in some cities and towns HOs that actually wanted to pull a permit and get and inspection performed where being refused for being unlicensed. In some case the towns would tell them to just do the work without the permit and inspection and other towns would tell them they had to hire an EC.

 

[peter d]

Peter???????

View attachment 6523

LOL, yeah it's been a while.

There is no MA law that requires a HO to have a license or permit to work on their own home.

However in some cities and towns HOs that actually wanted to pull a permit and get and inspection performed where being refused for being unlicensed. In some case the towns would tell them to just do the work without the permit and inspection and other towns would tell them they had to hire an EC.

Ahh, so it's just semantics.

 

[iwire]

Ahh, so it's just semantics.

Hmm, I would prefer to call it a State prescribed dope slap to certain cities and towns that think that they can change the rules at will.

 

[KVA]

Anyone can do any type of work in their home. The day someone tells me what I can and can't do in MY home is the day I move out of this country. This country is getting way out of control with the laws and big brother chit. I read yesterday local police forces will soon have mini helicopter drones with cameras flying around keeping an eye on things. This is not the "land of the free" it's the "land of the free with lots of fine print"

 

[peter d]

Hmm, I would prefer to call it a State prescribed dope slap to certain cities and towns that think that they can change the rules at will.

Or that.

Now, if they can just do away with the "Not in my town" inspectors, life would be grand.

 

[iwire]

Here is one town that needs a dope slap.

http://www.city.waltham.ma.us/wires-department/faq/who-can-pull-an-electrical-permit

 

[texie]

I've never heard of a state that did not allow a H.O. to do their own wiring. Something along the lines of "your home is your castle" from English law I think. That said, I think most require permits, inspections and code compliance.

 

[iwire]

I've never heard of a state that did not allow a H.O. to do their own wiring. Something along the lines of "your home is your castle" from English law I think. That said, I think most require permits, inspections and code compliance.

Connecticut is one, you even need to have a license to install low voltage landscape lighting.

 

[peter d]

Here is one town that needs a dope slap.

http://www.city.waltham.ma.us/wires-department/faq/who-can-pull-an-electrical-permit

Gee, you think everyone abides by that rule? :roll:

 

[iwire]

Gee, you think everyone abides by that rule? :roll:

Notice they do not say homeowners can't do the work, only that they will not issue a permit which means that they will not do an inspection.

 

[Twoskinsoneman]

Anyone can do any type of work in their home. The day someone tells me what I can and can't do in MY home is the day I move out of this country. This country is getting way out of control with the laws and big brother chit. I read yesterday local police forces will soon have mini helicopter drones with cameras flying around keeping an eye on things. This is not the "land of the free" it's the "land of the free with lots of fine print"

What do you expect from a system that employs full time law-makers, If they don't think up new stupid laws they aren't doing anything and can't justify their drain on tax payers.

Kids can't even sell lemonade on their own lawn anymore.....

http://bigjournalism.com/pjsalvator...els-lemonade-experiment-trolling-takes-a-hit/

 

[svh19044]

I've never heard of a state that did not allow a H.O. to do their own wiring. Something along the lines of "your home is your castle" from English law I think. That said, I think most require permits, inspections and code compliance.

PA has certain townships/cities/municipalities that require a licensed/registered electrical contractor to do work....as in, if you need a permit for it, you need a license. It's the same thing as what this law corrects.

While this is "new" legislation, it IS giving homeowners more freedom.

For what it's worth, this does NOT necessarily mean that homeowners insurance will still cover your policy in case something happens.

 

[texie]

Connecticut is one, you even need to have a license to install low voltage landscape lighting.

Florida heavily regulates low voltage as well, in some areas very strictly enforced. But no H.O. permits in Connecticut? I think I have a civil liberty issue with that.
On the other hand, I don't see Connecticut as a big DIY state.

 

[KVA]

PA has certain townships/cities/municipalities that require a licensed/registered electrical contractor to do work....as in, if you need a permit for it, you need a license. It's the same thing as what this law corrects.

While this is "new" legislation, it IS giving homeowners more freedom.

For what it's worth, this does NOT necessarily mean that homeowners insurance will still cover your policy in case something happens.

Yes our great state where a "license" means showing your GEICO contractor insurance that costs $400 a year, state HIC# that costs $50, and your $50 you pay and your "licensed"

People ask me if I'm licensed and I say yes I paid my $50 to the township:lol:

 

[nhfire77]

Here is one town that needs a dope slap.

http://www.city.waltham.ma.us/wires-department/faq/who-can-pull-an-electrical-permit

Was anyone actually doing their own electrical work in Waltham? I just assumed they hired guys from the HD parking lot for that.

 

[svh19044]

Yes our great state where a "license" means showing your GEICO contractor insurance that costs $400 a year, state HIC# that costs $50, and your $50 you pay and your "licensed"

People ask me if I'm licensed and I say yes I paid my $50 to the township:lol:

We do a lot of work in townships that require a licensed/registered electrician, as in you have to take a township administered test. It's pretty ridiculous, but the test is easy and some are public lists.

Either way, PA should consider this type of (anti)legislation.

 

[KVA]

We do a lot of work in townships that require a licensed/registered electrician, as in you have to take a township administered test.

I do lots of work in Quakertown,Sellersville,Perkasie and upper bucks never took a test. I recently had a job in Newtown they just recently stop charging a fee for residential licenses just have my insurance info HIC# and that's it.

 

[ritelec]

Anyone can do any type of work in their home. The day someone tells me what I can and can't do in MY home is the day I move out of this country. This country is getting way out of control with the laws and big brother chit. I read yesterday local police forces will soon have mini helicopter drones with cameras flying around keeping an eye on things. This is not the "land of the free" it's the "land of the free with lots of fine print"

I agree.......telling me I can't shoot heroine or run off hundred dollar bills on this printing press in my own home.........how dare they!!!


GOD BLESS AMERICA :thumbsup:








(I'm only kidding Mr. Big Brother...........please don't send anyone to my home)