Dangerous Job

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HTT

Member
So I get a call today about a resteraunt/bar remodel.

The first thing I notice when I get to the site is a guy in a lift with 6 year old girl in the basket with him painting the side of the building. Wanted to say something but didn't.

As I walk in I notice the condition of the site.(looks like a bomb went off) Hanging fixtures and wires, open stub ups, conduits from demoed walls bent up into celing, 400a panel next to 2,000a switch gear with dead front but no cover and a piece of the hood leaned against it with flex hanging into the panel. I carefully removed the flex.

So I start a walk thru with the so called superintendant. He is telling me about his concerns with the water flowing into the 400a panel from a conduit when it rains,and the stub ups keep arcing and he can't find the breakers.

In the middle of our conversation the guy from the lift (I think he's an owner)
walks ups saying "Sorry to waste your time but I got it covered". He tells me he will wire the (10,000 sqr ft) job himself and his freind is a master electrician. This is about a 75% remodel 3rd or 4rth or maybe 5th generation. I attemted to explain the dangerous conditions but he wouldn't hear it. He started ranting on about how he knew what he was doing and since it was county he didn't need any inspections. I suggested he hire a firm to overlook the job. "Nope" not in the budjet.

After he started ranting again I cut him short and said it was nice to meet you but "I got to go".

I left a message with the local fire marshall informing him of the situation. I'm also thinking of contacting the state.

What would you do?
 
J

jes25

Senior Member
Location
Midwest
Occupation
Electrician
I would probably forget and move on, but I think it's a good idea to report stuff like that. Unfortunately, I'll bet little or nothing will be done about it.
 
growler

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
HTT said:
He started ranting on about how he knew what he was doing and since it was county he didn't need any inspections.

I left a message with the local fire marshall informing him of the situation. I'm also thinking of contacting the state.

What would you do?
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File a complaint with the county for unpermitted work. If there is a remodel going on without a permit.

I don't worry about making these type people mad because I'm never getting any money from them anyway.
 
S

shepelec

Senior Member
Location
Palmer, MA
Find out who his "friend the Master" is and stay far away.:roll:

In MA you need a license for commercial/ industrial work.:grin:

Resi is still homeowner territory though.:mad:
 
H

hillbilly1

Senior Member
Location
North Georgia mountains
Occupation
Owner/electrical contractor
Up until a couple of years ago, the county or city I live in did not require permits, from what the OP said, this must be the same situation. A call to the state license board may get results, as I know a contractor that screwed up a homeowners house so bad he called the state on him. He lost his electrical license, but was able to retain his plumbing license. You could always tell his work from all of the 30 amp single pole breakers feeding 14 and 12 gauge romex. Still didn't stop him from doing electrical work though, since no permit was required.
 
W

WinZip

Senior Member
I would file the complaint because the people that will work in that building if it ever gets done an open could be in danger.
 
JohnE

JohnE

Senior Member
Location
Milford, MA
shepelec said:
In MA you need a license for commercial/ industrial work.:grin:

Resi is still homeowner territory though.:mad:
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To be clear a homeowner can do his own work in a house that he resides. Everything else needs a permit and license. I imagine that is what you meant.
 
growler

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
HTT said:
He started ranting on about how he knew what he was doing and since it was county he didn't need any inspections. I suggested he hire a firm to overlook the job. "Nope" not in the budjet.
Click to expand...

hillbilly1 said:
Up until a couple of years ago, the county or city I live in did not require permits, from what the OP said, this must be the same situation.
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Yes this may be the same situation but it may not because I have herd the same type of rant from a restaurant owner right in the city of Atlanta , the place was so close you could see city hall from the restaurant. We don't need no stink'n permits. It's a very common rant from business owners.
 
cadpoint

cadpoint

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Why were you even called if "you" weren't in the budget; they already had a person in mind... Gezz maybe I should re-read again... :)

You must have been a friend of a friend to get called in and get insulted!
 
growler

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
cadpoint said:
You must have been a friend of a friend to get called in and get insulted!
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Why? The owner of the business knows what he doing, if he calls a half dozen contractors out to look at the job he will find the one he's looking for ( the stupid one ). He will find an electrician willing to work without a permit or a contract or anything really. The lucky winner of this job will be lucky if he is even paid for the work.

If the guy doesn't get paid what's he gong to do? Complain that he is not being paid for doing illegal hack work.

If the owner doesn't permit and runs the job himself he will only be willing to pay for what he wants done and that's not necessarily code compliant. That's what makes this sort of work so dangerous, you have a person that doesn't know what they are doing making all the decisions and those decisions are based on cost and not safety.
 
C

CDELECT

Member
The move on is good advice, there are plenty of guys out there with a just do it view of every job, they could care less about how the work is done or if it is safe, learning how to do things is not their cup of tea, no need to turn anyone in these types usually loose out in the long run.
 
cadpoint

cadpoint

Senior Member
Location
Durham, NC
Thanks for putting it in prespective Growler!

I frankly missed the fact that they were fishing!

I really appriciate your down to earth business sense and your humanity overall, truely...
 
kwired

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
growler said:
Why? The owner of the business knows what he doing, if he calls a half dozen contractors out to look at the job he will find the one he's looking for ( the stupid one ). He will find an electrician willing to work without a permit or a contract or anything really. The lucky winner of this job will be lucky if he is even paid for the work.

If the guy doesn't get paid what's he gong to do? Complain that he is not being paid for doing illegal hack work.

If the owner doesn't permit and runs the job himself he will only be willing to pay for what he wants done and that's not necessarily code compliant. That's what makes this sort of work so dangerous, you have a person that doesn't know what they are doing making all the decisions and those decisions are based on cost and not safety.
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Sounds like about half of the calls I get outside of some of my regular cusotmers. You have to be strong with them and do installs that you are comfortable with - even if there is not going to be an inspection for whatever reason, if something bad would happen it will be your fault.
 
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