Site Work. Responsiblities

[Fordean]

Been having issues on bids regarding the Sitework. Breaking out portions and continuous altering.

The Site contractor. Where does his duties lie. I was told by one contractor not to trench cause of issues, Ex: If ground settles and unnaturally surface formations occur. He can easily go back to Site Contractor for corrective action. But if you have multiple trades digging. He would have issues on whom responsible.

Also Piers for lighting poles and conduits. Seems site contractors have this as part of package. But electrician will pull wiring. I personally don't trust anyone gluing. Or installing Duct banks.

Then have issues. Any comments welcome.

 

[iwire]

There is no one answer for this.

It depends on local laws, local trade practice, local labor agreements, job contract requirements etc.

Just recently I did some LED up lights in an area that was getting a rubber play surface.

The general contractor shoot the grade of each, excavation contractor guys worked the shovels while i held the lights in place.

I could have done all of it but why should I take all that on myself?

 

[mgookin]

I can speak for Florida.

A utility contractor can install utilities up to the last "Y" which is where it goes from utilities for multiple buildings to utilities for a single building. From that last Y to each building is the trade only; utility contractor is not licensed for it.

 

[petersonra]

As a contractor, you have a binding contract you executed with either the owner or the GC to perform certain work. That is what matters, and that is what you have to do.

Depending on the rules, practices, and customs in your area, you may have to sub our some of that work to others.

 

[mgookin]

As a contractor, you have a binding contract you executed with either the owner or the GC to perform certain work. That is what matters, and that is what you have to do.

Depending on the rules, practices, and customs in your area, you may have to sub our some of that work to others.

It's not legal to contract for work you're not licensed for. Only the GC or POCO can sub that to the utility contractor.

 

[Fordean]

Site work

Site work

It's not legal to contract for work you're not licensed for. Only the GC or POCO can sub that to the utility contractor.

Site work, I mean all the Utilities from building ELECTRIC TO Pole. Communications Chase. SIte Lighting conduits and Piers. Trenching. Some under the idea they can run conduits and as long as electrician run wiring. Who is piers responsibilities.

I knew I would get all kinds of answers. Im not speaking of Utilities Side. Pico, GPU, Pseg, Ohio. Just Load sides. wiring, And empty conduits from Trans to poles for the Main Distribution.

 

[iwire]

It's not legal to contract for work you're not licensed for. Only the GC or POCO can sub that to the utility contractor.

This must be a local rule as we sub out work often.

 

[mgookin]

It's called Construction Contracting for a reason.
To be a licensed Electrical Contractor means you're licensed to engage in the Construction and the Contracting for the category in which you're licensed.

Does someone hit a water pipe and make the repair even though they're not a licensed plumber? Sure, it happens all the time.

And does the state licensing investigator come up on a job and want to see all the contracts? No. He just wants to know that whoever pulled that permit is licensed for the trade and that anyone who is being subcontracted is duly licensed as well.

I know of only one instance where it came up and it was a city job when I worked in the city building department. Purchasing put out to bid some work and the contractor who was awarded the bid was not properly licensed. He was an EC and not a utility contractor or vice versa. I got the complaint from someone who was properly licensed and did not get the bid. I had to go to purchasing and tell them to invalidate the purchase order and take the first bid from the proper licensee.

If an underground utility contractor is laying your u/g conduit for site lighting, I don't think anyone's going to loose sleep over that.

 

[petersonra]

It's not legal to contract for work you're not licensed for. Only the GC or POCO can sub that to the utility contractor.

no one has suggested anyone do anything illegal.

are you suggesting that an EC who damaged the lawn during the electrical installation could not engage the services of a landscaper to repair the damage done?

 

[iwire]

no one has suggested anyone do anything illegal.

are you suggesting that an EC who damaged the lawn during the electrical installation could not engage the services of a landscaper to repair the damage done?

Thanks, that was my thinking as well.

For instance, we might be awarded a job from a GC that has parts of it we are not qualified to do. Perhaps high voltage work, or data terminations under a particular certification.

We would sub those jobs out to a qualified contractor.

Or like one of the jobs I ran we installed a very large generator, we subbed out the rigging, plumbing and mechanical parts of it.

 

[gadfly56]

Thanks, that was my thinking as well.

For instance, we might be awarded a job from a GC that has parts of it we are not qualified to do. Perhaps high voltage work, or data terminations under a particular certification.

We would sub those jobs out to a qualified contractor.

Or like one of the jobs I ran we installed a very large generator, we subbed out the rigging, plumbing and mechanical parts of it.

Exactly right. Do what you're good at and sub the rest.

I once worked for a small fire protection company. Me, the boss and a couple of other fellas knew our way around a fire alarm panel. The boss was constantly trying to get these "large" (to us) jobs that would have kept three of us busy for a couple of weeks. Or, he'd try to have one guy do the entire job. The thing is, we were also doing inspection, testing and repairs for all the regular accounts as well. Every once in a while he'd get one of these and then it was chaos trying to keep the install customer happy while getting our inspections covered so the regular customers didn't fall afoul of the fire inspector. I could never convince him that the best route was to have an electrician run the wires and we'd do the final connections and testing. Subbing the pipe and/or wire work would also have limited his labor exposure, always one of the toughest things to ride herd on. Somehow running one job badly and ticking off everyone was worth it because he got to "keep" all the revenue, instead of having two or three jobs going where his only risk was how fast I could tie in a smoke detector. And yeah, he's still in business, still doing it the same way.

 

[Speshulk]

We put a simple clause in any contract that includes underground work.

"Customer responsible for any necessary digging and back filling."