Handyman doing electrical work.
- Thread starter chris1971
- Start date
- Status
Cavie
Senior Member
- Location
- SW Florida
Just tell the customer to "Have a nice day". If he calls you back, raise your prices.
- Location
- New Jersey
- Occupation
- Journeyman Electrician
There's nothing to tell the HO, he's already decided he wants the lower price. If the handyman is doing something illegal you could turn him in. If not, then just let it go. The HO will get what he paid for. Hopefully for him the place doesn't burn down.
Chris1971, Don' t do any of the work. I disagree with infinity; warn the homeowner. In many areas having an unlicensed hack do work means their (the HO) insurance may not cover them. It may not sway them, but at least you'll be covering your azz. If there are any problems, it's you they'll come looking for. I?d still let the AHJ know about the hack though. petey
If there's a permit for this work I'd call the inspector and say "I'm doing the service upgrade but not the bathroom rewire." Then I'd let it go.
hardworkingstiff
Senior Member
- Location
- Wilmington, NC
I'm with triple nickel completely on this.
bradleyelectric
Senior Member
- Location
- forest hill, md
I'm with this crowd.
Make sure you have a permit for your work to cover your liability and spell out everything that you are doing. Let the inspector know that someone else is doing the electrical for the bathroom and leave it at that.
ceb58
Senior Member
- Location
- Raeford, NC
I vote A & C. B is going to do what he wants, as long as it saves him a $ now not later.
hurk27
Senior Member
- Location
- Portage, Indiana NEC: 2008
Just document all your work on the paperwork, and get the homeowners signature, to show he knows you are only responsible for the work you completed, the permit should only be for your work and make sure its not a miscellanies permit like some areas allow for service upgrades. when you call in for inspection point out you only did the service, in many states a home owner can pull their own permit for doing there own work, and if he supervises a handyman, under his own permit then it's his and the inspectors call.
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
Can you cite a court case or a copy of an insurance policy that says this? I am not aware of any.
macmikeman
Senior Member
- Location
- Planet macmikeman
This happened to me about 3 or 4 years ago. I was wiring an addition to the back of the house, adding 2 bedrooms. I looked at the jobsite when I gave my bid. 6 weeks later GC calls and the job is now ready to rough in. I go and find the kitchen is in the process of getting remodeled and there is new wiring going on. I questioned GC, he says owner hired her own people, not his job and he has nothing to do with it. At this stage handydandy electric and drywall is covering with sheetrock. I finished my rough in, called for inspection, and informed inspector about the kitchen work. Drywall came off the next day. Owner asks me if I can cover with a permit for handydandy. Nope. Find somebody else. So she did. She was not my best friend after that, but I still work for the GC that did the addition. I just do not support unlicensed work, no way, no how. Hope she found out that cheap is not always so cheap after all......
mjf
Senior Member
What's the scope of the work?
What's the scope of the work?
As far as I know, ANYONE can R+R devices and luminaires with out a permit or an inspection.
Maybe in some other areas this is not the case.
If it's not the case, or the scope of the work involves any new wiring, etc., than CYA with paperwork in order and be clear with AHJ that your work is exclusive to the service upgrade.
Good luck
What's the scope of the work?
As far as I know, ANYONE can R+R devices and luminaires with out a permit or an inspection.
Maybe in some other areas this is not the case.
If it's not the case, or the scope of the work involves any new wiring, etc., than CYA with paperwork in order and be clear with AHJ that your work is exclusive to the service upgrade.
Good luck
- Location
- Massachusetts
growler
Senior Member
- Location
- Atlanta,GA
Why turn down a service up-grade just because a handyman is doing a bathroom?
If you don't do the up-grade someone else will and a service up-grade should be a money maker. A service is totally segregated from a bathroom so there is no chance you are permitting for someone else. A bathroom remodel requires a building permit.
If you are lucky and the handyman is stupid and working at the same time you are then you could call for inspection while the guy is there and let the inspector catch him right in the middle of the job.
don_resqcapt19, I couldn't cite a court case and that's always been one of those "they say" type of things. I did contact three ins. companies; Hartford said that they wouldn't pay, State Farm and Farm Family kind of wiggled around and said, "depends on how the policy was written", etc. My feeling is that it?s their way of saying they would pay as long as it wasn't blatant. To sum it up:
HO policy; HO does work and screws up, their ins. company pays.
My policy; I screw up (on a job) and my ins. company pays.
Hack policy; hack screws up? see rule 1. So why do I need insurance?
We live in a litigious society, it?s some peoples first impulse; little Sally got her feelings hurt playing tag in the schoolyard? Sue the school. You knew an unlicensed person was there doing work and you didn?t report it to anyone? We?ll sue your insurance company. We may not get the full amount from them, but it?s more than we?d get from the hack. Perhaps I?m being paranoid or lawyers have left a bad taste in my mouth?
HO policy; HO does work and screws up, their ins. company pays.
My policy; I screw up (on a job) and my ins. company pays.
Hack policy; hack screws up? see rule 1. So why do I need insurance?
We live in a litigious society, it?s some peoples first impulse; little Sally got her feelings hurt playing tag in the schoolyard? Sue the school. You knew an unlicensed person was there doing work and you didn?t report it to anyone? We?ll sue your insurance company. We may not get the full amount from them, but it?s more than we?d get from the hack. Perhaps I?m being paranoid or lawyers have left a bad taste in my mouth?
- Status