DOD Licensing

[pawheelybear]

Does anyone know. If you are doing DOD work are you required to hold a Electrical contractors license? My employer claims that it not required.

 

[ceb58]

Does anyone know. If you are doing DOD work are you required to hold a Electrical contractors license? My employer claims that it not required.

As in bidding and getting awarded contracts or just physically there working doing electrical work? What are your concerns?

 

[pawheelybear]

We are losing our qualifier and we are doing work on several bases. Thinking to the future.
I do understand anybody can bid work but to preform it is different.

 

[ceb58]

We are losing our qualifier and we are doing work on several bases. Thinking to the future.
I do understand anybody can bid work but to preform it is different.

I also have been told that you are not requried to be licensed. The DOD plays by there own set of rules. From what I have seen they use the NEC as a code to go by and have there own inspectors and some times there own amendments that are met.
Is the owner of your company not licensed? What state are you in?

 

[pawheelybear]

The Owner of our company is not a licensed electrician. He is a legally Incorperated Electrical Contractor being qualified by a licensed electrician.
Here in Florida.
It just seems very odd that I have to go through years of training and study. Then be tested to be an electrical contractor or master electrician in
every state that I've found. Yet you can just claim to be an electrical contractor and work for the DOD.
But I geuss it is what you've always been told life isn't fair, and those who have the gold make the rules.

 

[satcom]

The Owner of our company is not a licensed electrician. He is a legally Incorperated Electrical Contractor being qualified by a licensed electrician.
Here in Florida.
It just seems very odd that I have to go through years of training and study. Then be tested to be an electrical contractor or master electrician in
every state that I've found. Yet you can just claim to be an electrical contractor and work for the DOD.
But I geuss it is what you've always been told life isn't fair, and those who have the gold make the rules.

And if someone is injured, or worse, the qualified licensed electrician will be the looser, many of the guys that let a company operate under their license, just don't understand the scope of their duties as a qualified electrician, risky business.

 

[yucan2]

And if someone is injured, or worse, the qualified licensed electrician will be the looser, many of the guys that let a company operate under their license, just don't understand the scope of their duties as a qualified electrician, risky business.

That statement is not entirely accurate. The licensed electrician or in this case the "qualifier" is not required to be insured as he or she are merely representatives (employees), of the company or firm that employs them. They themselves are not contractors.

It is a valid and necessary distinction as some qualifiers are or would not be good contractors (business owners), just as some contractors are or were never good electricians or electricians at all.

Should a injury or other mishap occur, the injured party or parties will go after the installing business and their insurance. The qualifier will not be held liable nor should they be. Since they seldom share in the profit, they shouldn't share in the pain :grin:

I think you may have confused being a legitimate "qualifier" with "selling permits". Big difference.

 

[satcom]

That statement is not entirely accurate. The licensed electrician or in this case the "qualifier" is not required to be insured as he or she are merely representatives (employees), of the company or firm that employs them. They themselves are not contractors.

It is a valid and necessary distinction as some qualifiers are or would not be good contractors (business owners), just as some contractors are or were never good electricians or electricians at all.

Should a injury or other mishap occur, the injured party or parties will go after the installing business and their insurance. The qualifier will not be held liable nor should they be. Since they seldom share in the profit, they shouldn't share in the pain :grin:

I think you may have confused being a legitimate "qualifier" with "selling permits". Big difference.

No I an not confused at all, if a qualifier licensed electrician, do not have professional liability he does not understand his risk. In my state ther qualifier would be where the buck stops, it may be different in your state, so you may have different laws .

 

[satcom]

That statement is not entirely accurate. The licensed electrician or in this case the "qualifier" is not required to be insured as he or she are merely representatives (employees), of the company or firm that employs them. They themselves are not contractors.

It is a valid and necessary distinction as some qualifiers are or would not be good contractors (business owners), just as some contractors are or were never good electricians or electricians at all.

Should a injury or other mishap occur, the injured party or parties will go after the installing business and their insurance. The qualifier will not be held liable nor should they be. Since they seldom share in the profit, they shouldn't share in the pain :grin:

I think you may have confused being a legitimate "qualifier" with "selling permits". Big difference.

No I an not confused at all, if a qualifier licensed electrician, does not have professional liability coverage he does not understand his risk. In my state ther qualifier would be where the buck stops, it may be different in your state, so you may have different laws .

 

[yucan2]

No I an not confused at all, if a qualifier licensed electrician, does not have professional liability coverage he does not understand his risk. In my state ther qualifier would be where the buck stops, it may be different in your state, so you may have different laws .

I was formerly a C10 in California. Let it lapse. Am now licensed in Chicago and other Ilinois/Indiana cities.

Unlike California, that incorrectly assumes that all C10's will subsequently contract and therefore require liability insurance before issuance of the license, Illinois/Indiana make no such assumptions. In any case, even in California, that insurance is only to provide assurance to the consumer when said C10 is acting as a contractor.

I'd be curious to know what state(s), imply otherwise.

 

[satcom]

I was formerly a C10 in California. Let it lapse. Am now licensed in Chicago and other Ilinois/Indiana cities.

Unlike California, that incorrectly assumes that all C10's will subsequently contract and therefore require liability insurance before issuance of the license, Illinois/Indiana make no such assumptions. In any case, even in California, that insurance is only to provide assurance to the consumer when said C10 is acting as a contractor.

I'd be curious to know what state(s), imply otherwise.

The insurances and bonds required by the state licensing boards, have nothing to do with the need for someone acting as a qualifier to protect themself with professional liabilty coverages.

 

[yucan2]

The insurances and bonds required by the state licensing boards, have nothing to do with the need for someone acting as a qualifier to protect themself with professional liabilty coverages.

Sounds a lot like a physicians malpractice insurance, however, I concede your point is worthy of consideration.

Tis' best to err on the side of caution seems to be where you're coming from. Moving on....:grin:

 

[mkgrady]

Does anyone know. If you are doing DOD work are you required to hold a Electrical contractors license? My employer claims that it not required.

Your employer is correct. A license is never required of any contractor or trade person when working on property owned by the federal government. The requiremnet is that you be a responsible (meaning qualified by experience) contractor.

This allows a contractor or trade person to go to any state to work on a federal project without a license in that state. This has been settled by case law, but I can't rember the name of the case.