Florida masters or state licence

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livanpi

Member
Hi all.
I was wondering if anyone can tell me the difference in Florida between the masters licence and the state licence :confused: . and also is the state and contractors the same.

thanks for any help.
 
Cavie

Cavie

Senior Member
Location
SW Florida
Florida has a EC license. Electric Certified. and is unlimited. ES Electric Specialty (Sign or Reisdential only) The master is a county license ER Electric Registered. The ER is a PITA. County issued and needs reciprication with other countys. Each county requires $$$$ every year. Don't waste your time with ER.
 
T

The Iceman

Senior Member
Location
Florida
Cavie said:
Florida has a EC license. Electric Certified. and is unlimited. ES Electric Specialty (Sign or Reisdential only) The master is a county license ER Electric Registered. The ER is a PITA. County issued and needs reciprication with other countys. Each county requires $$$$ every year. Don't waste your time with ER.
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I agree go for the EC license. I am currently working to get mine in florida as well.
 
N

nyerinfl

Senior Member
Location
Broward Co.
I also agree go for the state unlimited, why restrict yourself? It takes a lot of work and dedication to prepare yourself to pass these test, and you don't want to have to go through it again in a few years when your turning down work because you're not licensed to do it.
 
POWER_PIG

POWER_PIG

Senior Member
It depends actually

It depends actually

Are you looking to open up shop or maybe just need a "Masters" for your Job?
I obtained my county masters for my job, but may one day open up shop (after passing a business law exam and meeting the county requirements for contracting in this locality) Fact be known, you can use your ER license to operate an "unlimited" electrical contracting business in the county you qualified, and if kept in good standing for five years can grandfather into an EC status wiith very little effort.
Ive been in this trade for 25 years and now work for a contractor that has made a pile of $$$ without ever leaving the county.
Besides, I would have been fired if I passed a Florida EC exam.........what's that saying? "IM not going to employ you And compete with you"
 
jrannis

jrannis

Senior Member
Location
Fort Lauderdale/ Miami
POWER_PIG said:
Are you looking to open up shop or maybe just need a "Masters" for your Job?
I obtained my county masters for my job, but may one day open up shop (after passing a business law exam and meeting the county requirements for contracting in this locality) Fact be known, you can use your ER license to operate an "unlimited" electrical contracting business in the county you qualified, and if kept in good standing for five years can grandfather into an EC status wiith very little effort.
Ive been in this trade for 25 years and now work for a contractor that has made a pile of $$$ without ever leaving the county.
Besides, I would have been fired if I passed a Florida EC exam.........what's that saying? "IM not going to employ you And compete with you"
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Just some updated information,
You cannot do unlimited work with just an ER license, it just means you registered your local county license with the State. You cannot do fire or burgler alarms.
The grandfathering provision was open for a few years, and has been closed for many years. You will not be grandfathered in and there are no plans to reopen the provision.
The Florida EC exam is one of the toughest if not the toughest in the country, not just the exam but the qualifications to just sit for the exam.
Remember, this is Mike Holt Country. Better show up loaded for bear!
 
roger

roger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Fl
Occupation
Retired Electrician
jrannis said:
The Florida EC exam is one of the toughest if not the toughest in the country, not just the exam but the qualifications to just sit for the exam.
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Based on what?

If I'm not mistaken for the EC you only need 6 years (12000 hrs) total experience (some specific) whereas In NC you must have 14000 for the Unlimited.

Our exam is given by Promissor and you can not take anything into the exam room, they supply you with Pencil, Scratch Paper, Calculator, and Code Book, therefor you have no tabs, highlighted pages, or even a familiar calculator to use.


Then after that, there is the bonding.

I'm sure some other states are as difficult.


Roger
 
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POWER_PIG

POWER_PIG

Senior Member
oops!

oops!

My Bad Mr. Rjannis! All due respect sir, but I really have never considered Fire / Burglar alarm as part of "My" trade. I know of electricains that do perform this type of work, but since my shop most always subs it out it never entered my mind as a restriction. I will be sure and choose my words more carefully from now on.
In regards to gaining State certs by means of being grandfathered in I was only refering to what I read in The Florida Contractor's Reference Manual (eigth edition) I purchased this book from Thompson Prometric Very recently as a study guide in passing the Florida's Business Law Exam. It clearly states on page 2-22 489.118 (1) though (5) How to grandfather in and only at the very end of the section and on the next page it does say that they no longer allow it after 2004. This book was published in 2006 and Iam a bit p'd that they have me reading and studying outdated material. Anyway, please forgive my ignorance on this particular subject. I stand corrected indeed!
You guys that claim that a County Masters is a waste of time...I hardly think that any effort spent to better your understanding of the NEC a waste of time.
 
jrannis

jrannis

Senior Member
Location
Fort Lauderdale/ Miami
POWER_PIG said:
My Bad Mr. Rjannis! All due respect sir, but I really have never considered Fire / Burglar alarm as part of "My" trade. I know of electricains that do perform this type of work, but since my shop most always subs it out it never entered my mind as a restriction. I will be sure and choose my words more carefully from now on.
In regards to gaining State certs by means of being grandfathered in I was only refering to what I read in The Florida Contractor's Reference Manual (eigth edition) I purchased this book from Thompson Prometric Very recently as a study guide in passing the Florida's Business Law Exam. It clearly states on page 2-22 489.118 (1) though (5) How to grandfather in and only at the very end of the section and on the next page it does say that they no longer allow it after 2004. This book was published in 2006 and Iam a bit p'd that they have me reading and studying outdated material. Anyway, please forgive my ignorance on this particular subject. I stand corrected indeed!
You guys that claim that a County Masters is a waste of time...I hardly think that any effort spent to better your understanding of the NEC a waste of time.
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I have no interest in alarm work either. We used to be able to do the work with our Masters License in Dade and Broward but things changed.
It seems like they made it a speciality license and then locked us out of the work.
I think the most of people that take the time to get their Masters license. Although we really do not have a Masters classification within union work, its a great stepping stone into electrical contracting.

You can take the business law seminars and get lots of really good information not found in most books.
 
T

The Iceman

Senior Member
Location
Florida
EC preparation?

EC preparation?

Anyone know if Mike Holt offers any EC preparation books, DVDs, or training courses for exam including the business section?
 
jrannis

jrannis

Senior Member
Location
Fort Lauderdale/ Miami
roger said:
Based on what?

If I'm not mistaken for the EC you only need 6 years (12000 hrs) total experience (some specific) whereas In NC you must have 14000 for the Unlimited.

Our exam is given by Promissor and you can not take anything into the exam room, they supply you with Pencil, Scratch Paper, Calculator, and Code Book, therefor you have no tabs, highlighted pages, or even a familiar calculator to use.


Then after that, there is the bonding.

I'm sure some other states are as difficult.


Roger
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How many days does it take to complete the NC exam?
 
B

bphgravity

Senior Member
Location
Florida
Dealing with the FL - DBPR in general is a real pain. I currently hold two licenses with the ECLB and 4 with the BCAIB. And while every application that I have sent into them are nearly identical, they have all been handled differently.

Nearly everyone in our department have had similar experiences. For example, one individual sent in an application with the $5 associated fee. Instead of applying the fee to the submitted application, the DPBR applyied the $5 to the individuals next license renewal cycle. By the time the DPBR notified the applicant of his fee delequincy, the deadline or the next board meeting was missed thus his application was not approved for another 2 months.

I had submitted an application for a license of which I had already passed the ICC certification exam. My application was approved and the license was issued. A few weeks later, I received a notice that I was approved to take the ICC exam for the license I was already awarded.

Most of the DBPR applications and requirements our overly complicated and confusing.

So its really not that Florida has excessivley tough requirements for licensure, its that the red tape is sometimes too thick to cut through.
 
N

nyerinfl

Senior Member
Location
Broward Co.
jrannis said:
The open book exam is the easy part, 100 questions in 5 hours, then 50 questions in 2.5 hours.
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Both portions of the test are open book. The 2 1/2 hr. business test only uses the Florida Contractors Manual. For the 5 hour technical portion there are 15+ textbooks, but that is open book as well.
 
jrannis

jrannis

Senior Member
Location
Fort Lauderdale/ Miami
bphgravity said:
Dealing with the FL - DBPR in general is a real pain. I currently hold two licenses with the ECLB and 4 with the BCAIB. And while every application that I have sent into them are nearly identical, they have all been handled differently.

Nearly everyone in our department have had similar experiences. For example, one individual sent in an application with the $5 associated fee. Instead of applying the fee to the submitted application, the DPBR applyied the $5 to the individuals next license renewal cycle. By the time the DPBR notified the applicant of his fee delequincy, the deadline or the next board meeting was missed thus his application was not approved for another 2 months.

I had submitted an application for a license of which I had already passed the ICC certification exam. My application was approved and the license was issued. A few weeks later, I received a notice that I was approved to take the ICC exam for the license I was already awarded.

Most of the DBPR applications and requirements our overly complicated and confusing.

So its really not that Florida has excessivley tough requirements for licensure, its that the red tape is sometimes too thick to cut through.
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I think you nailed it. It can take a year or more if you are not checking up on it every five days or so. You cant assume anything. Each person along the way is very professional and cooperative but you have to keep in mind that the board meets bi-monthly and has a session off in December (might want to double check the December comment). We have some cottage industries here that are a real help that expedite the process by proof reading and coaching you with your application along the way.
 
L

livanpi

Member
guys I was working out of town and havent had a computer to check the responces that you have left untill now that Im back home. thank you all for all your responces.
 
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