buying someones license

[billdozier]

Hey guys Ive got some friends who are builders that want me to do some of thier smaller jobs. Ive turned them down in the past simpily because I couldnt pull a permit or didnt have the time. Well with the recession hitting and the slowdown at work Ive got the time. I also have a ec who might be willing to buy me a permit for my work for a percentage of the job. Would you guys take the opportunity to prove yourself?

 

[Minuteman]

That would be highly illegal here.

 

[Buck Parrish]

Hey guys Ive got some friends who are builders that want me to do some of thier smaller jobs. Ive turned them down in the past simpily because I couldnt pull a permit or didnt have the time. Well with the recession hitting and the slowdown at work Ive got the time. I also have a ec who might be willing to buy me a permit for my work for a percentage of the job. Would you guys take the opportunity to prove yourself?

That subject is taboo. To most of us. How ever some states don't require a license. Those guys are more likely to not consider it a taboo subject.:wink:

But still , I would not do it. And I never have. And I have had plenty of offers. Even from close freinds. No way would I buy or sell a electrical license.

And it also illegal here, too.

 

[petersonra]

I am not a big fan of violating the law, no matter how ridiculous it may be.

If you can structure the arrangement so it is legal, I say go for it.

If you can't, its between you and your conscience.

 

[Pierre C Belarge]

Hey guys Ive got some friends who are builders that want me to do some of thier smaller jobs. Ive turned them down in the past simpily because I couldnt pull a permit or didnt have the time. Well with the recession hitting and the slowdown at work Ive got the time. I also have a ec who might be willing to buy me a permit for my work for a percentage of the job. Would you guys take the opportunity to prove yourself?

I say go spend the time and get your own license. Depending on another for such an important aspect of an EC business is crazy. Once hooked, you may find the taste of the hook hard too swallow.

 

[satcom]

It is also illegal here, and with all the money and time, it cost me to work legal, if I found anyone working without a license, I would go out of my way to turn them in.

 

[Fulthrotl]

Hey guys Ive got some friends who are builders that want me to do some of thier smaller jobs. Ive turned them down in the past simpily because I couldnt pull a permit or didnt have the time. Well with the recession hitting and the slowdown at work Ive got the time. I also have a ec who might be willing to buy me a permit for my work for a percentage of the job. Would you guys take the opportunity to prove yourself?

pimping your license out, or flying under a pimped license, isn't a good idea.

aside from the fact that it's illegal in most places, if the money gets funny,
you have no standing in this matter, only liability. you will be depending on
your umbrella EC to go after any money in dispute. it's gonna be messy
if that happens.

you can probably get a crash course in a license, and have one pretty
quickly if you have the necessary qualifications for your state.

i think you might like it better that way...

 

[Lcdrwalker]

pimping your license out, or flying under a pimped license, isn't a good idea.

aside from the fact that it's illegal in most places, if the money gets funny,
you have no standing in this matter, only liability. you will be depending on
your umbrella EC to go after any money in dispute. it's gonna be messy
if that happens.

you can probably get a crash course in a license, and have one pretty
quickly if you have the necessary qualifications for your state.

i think you might like it better that way...

That I think would be one of the biggest concerns. A law suit could ruin you for life. As an HO, there would be no recourse in the event that anyting did happen.

 

[goldstar]

Hey guys Ive got some friends who are builders that want me to do some of thier smaller jobs. Ive turned them down in the past simpily because I couldnt pull a permit or didnt have the time.

Aren't you required to have a license to pull the permit in your area ? From the gyst of your post it sounds like you are doing electrical work for another company or electrical contractor

I also have a ec who might be willing to buy me a permit for my work for a percentage of the job. Would you guys take the opportunity to prove yourself?

Are you planning to continue working for the first company while doing side work for another contractor ? Sounds like a recipe for disaster. IMHO you're not being fair to the company you're currently working for not to mention, with the economy being the way it is, it doesn't seem like there would be that much profit in a small job to share among two contractors. Exactly how much percentage are you supposed to be getting ?

In addition a number of questions arise :
1) Who carries the insurance for the job (liability & workers' comp) ?
2) Who's buying the material ?
3) Will you be getting progress payments ?
4) Will you be doing all the work ?
5) If something goes wrong on the job who has the onus of responsibility ?
6) If there are any extras who handles the negotiations and pricing ?

Just to name a few.:roll:

If you want to go out on your own I'd take Pierre's advice, take the plunge and get your own license. Then you'll have the answers to all the above questions.:grin:

 

[jrannis]

Aren't you required to have a license to pull the permit in your area ? From the gyst of your post it sounds like you are doing electrical work for another company or electrical contractorAre you planning to continue working for the first company while doing side work for another contractor ? Sounds like a recipe for disaster. IMHO you're not being fair to the company you're currently working for not to mention, with the economy being the way it is, it doesn't seem like there would be that much profit in a small job to share among two contractors. Exactly how much percentage are you supposed to be getting ?

In addition a number of questions arise :
1) Who carries the insurance for the job (liability & workers' comp) ?
2) Who's buying the material ?
3) Will you be getting progress payments ?
4) Will you be doing all the work ?
5) If something goes wrong on the job who has the onus of responsibility ?
6) If there are any extras who handles the negotiations and pricing ?

Just to name a few.:roll:

If you want to go out on your own I'd take Pierre's advice, take the plunge and get your own license. Then you'll have the answers to all the above questions.:grin:

OK Gold,
You started out with your own license and didnt get help from anybody.
You never pulled a permit for someone.
Never did a job without a permit.

Then go ahead and cast the first stone.

 

[Buck Parrish]

OK Gold,
You started out with your own license and didnt get help from anybody.
You never pulled a permit for someone.
Never did a job without a permit.

Then go ahead and cast the first stone.

You can learn from some one else's mistakes instead of making your own.
But not pulling a permit, hmmm :-? I'm perplexed.

 

[goldstar]

OK Gold,
You started out with your own license and didnt get help from anybody.

When I was coming up through the trade I always worked for another contractor under their license.{quote]You never pulled a permit for someone.[/quote] Can't say that I ever did. The closest I did was to file a permit for a landscape contractor but I was on the job supervising the work. My butt was on the line and not his.

Never did a job without a permit.

Minor work in NJ doesn't require permits. I presumed, from the OP's post, that the work he was planning on doing required a permit.

Then go ahead and cast the first stone.

Not casting stones, just offering warnings. For those of us who have gone through the trouble of getting our licenses, paying for insurance (liability, workers' comp, auto), purchasing a work van, joining contractors' associations, etc it becomes quite unnerving to lose jobs to those who do not abide by the laws. Here in NJ doing electrical work without a license is a 4th degree felony and subject to a $1K fine, first offense. If you're licensed and do work without a permit, if an inspector catches you it may just end up with a slap on the wrist but you won't end up on his Xmas list. If it happens twice he'll report you to the licensing board and then your troubles really begin.

Believe me, I have compassion for the OP and others that these apparent, oncoming hard times may have an affect on but it doesn't mean you can break the law. But, judging from the OP I believe the gist of the post was that another contractor would be pulling the permit, so in that case he would technically be working under that contractor's license and I guess he'd be off the hook from the standpoint of liability. However, if the builder or property owner pulls the permit he's in the tank.:grin:

 

[Minuteman]

If you can structure the arrangement so it is legal, I say go for it.

Not trying to pour cold water on you Bill. But, there are ways, such as becoming a employee on commission. That way, you're covered and he is making a percentage. There may be other ways as well.

 

[growler]

Hey guys Ive got some friends who are builders that want me to do some of thier smaller jobs. Ive turned them down in the past simpily because I couldnt pull a permit or didnt have the time. Well with the recession hitting and the slowdown at work Ive got the time. I also have a ec who might be willing to buy me a permit for my work for a percentage of the job. Would you guys take the opportunity to prove yourself?

It doesn't really prove anything. The job belongs to the EC that permits it and it doesn't matter how he feels about it because he is the EC of record. Legally he has to show the value of the job on his books for insurance & taxes ( if he doesn't he's attempting to defraud the insurance company & the IRS.). State law will require him to warranty the job ( not you).

There is no such thing as permitting for someone else, when you permit a job you own it, like it or not. There is a problem of assisting unlicensed persons to perform electrical work but that's not a liablility issue that's a criminal matter.

The only way to do this legally is for the EC to hire you as a temp. or permanent employee. How he pays you is between the two of you.

 

[growler]

You never pulled a permit for someone.

You can't pull a permit for someone. The name on the permit application is the name of your company and the signature is yours ( you can allow people that are not your employees to do the work but that's just breaking another set of laws). You are now responsibile for the job and it doesn't matter how many law's you break in the process the liability is all yours. A permit application is a legal document and when you signed it you assummed it.

 

[CopperTone]

This whole thing just stinks.

All it does is drive the price down - why do you think that GC wants you to do it?

Don't be a moonlighting, trunk slamming, station wagon driving, working for wages, no licensed, no insurance having, weekend warrior fool.

I forgot - all while stabbing your day employer in the back

You will get burnt eventually weather it be through the city, town, or state, GC or homeowner not paying, fire, theft, and liabilty, or some other crazy circumstance. It is just a matter of time. That is why there are legitimate EC's out there.

I have licenses for a reason
I have insurance for a reason
I have vans, office, employees, business bank account , and credit all for a reason.

 

[billdozier]

and the reasons you list are why I dont do nopermit sidework jobs. I could easily show up do work at someones house without a permit and wire thier shed. However its not fair to my boss or to the ecs who are working thier asses off to get bids. However this guy does his own electrical work and would rather help me out if I get laid off. Ive had many opportunities in the past to do sidework and ive turned it down. However I have to have some source of income in these times. I think what I may do is approach the ec about becoming a temp employee for the right price while I work on getting my license and only do my friends jobs. That way its all on the up and up My biggest concern was insurance so well see what this ec is willing to do.

 

[c2500]

I know that some southern states offer residential electrical licenses. I am in SC, and have a residential electricians license, as well as being a licensed builder. I took the state mandated test, and passed with no problem. I have to have this license to pull permits in any city. However, my builder's license covers me for county work. Have you looked into one of these? (assuming it is available in your state) My license allows me to do up to $5000 of commercial work also.

c2500

 

[Greg Swartz]

A few years ago, I was approached by another EC from another state to pull a permit for an $8M job.

Being a brand new EC, I was elated to have such an opportunity.

We worked out details for me to "come on board" so that they could "legally" use my license...

However, as things progressed, I started to see that they would need to "come on board" instead.

Things did not work out, and I am grateful (now) that they did not.

I looked at the liability insrance, and workmans comp insurance, and those costs alone would be tremendous. Plus, I would be responsible for ANY losses they would incur... because the permit would be in my name.

So, no. Never again would I consider such a thing.

 

[jrannis]

This whole thing just stinks.

All it does is drive the price down - why do you think that GC wants you to do it?

Don't be a moonlighting, trunk slamming, station wagon driving, working for wages, no licensed, no insurance having, weekend warrior fool.

I forgot - all while stabbing your day employer in the back

You will get burnt eventually weather it be through the city, town, or state, GC or homeowner not paying, fire, theft, and liability, or some other crazy circumstance. It is just a matter of time. That is why there are legitimate EC's out there.

I have licenses for a reason
I have insurance for a reason
I have vans, office, employees, business bank account , and credit all for a reason.

Best point of the thread. They do want you, not because they like you, but because you can be conned into working below your cost.