Liability

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elvis_931

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Tennessee
I have been asked to do a service changeout (from a fusebox to a breakerbox including a new service riser) on a house. The house is obvioudly pretty old. The wiring in the house is in questionable condition. There are wires hanging out of boxes, receptacles and switches hanging, an extension cord ran along the wall and ceiling for light power. My question is: if I do the service changeout and nothing else, is my liability limited to the work I specifically performed, or to the rest of the house wiring? The guy wants to repair the wiring himself.
 
I would not reconnect any unsafe circuits and note it on your request for inspection
Plus our inspector would require a home owner permit taken out before i would be allowed to sign off the work I did.
 
I don't reconnect circuits that I can visually see unsafe conditions. When I do a service change, I normally have to go around to every receptalce and light in the home to label the circuits. I don't trust the old panel schedule by any means. This puts my eyeballs on every device in the house. Granted, I don't normally go into the attic, and can't see through walls. It would be unreasonable to hold the electrician responsible for conditions that aren't visible. I do hold myself responsible, however, for unsafe conditions that I can clearly see. For this reason, hazardous circuits don't get reconnected unless and until me or someone is hired to make corrections to those circuits. I'm not talking about 3-wire range circuits and K&T and such, since these things were legal once upon a time. I'm talking about things the OP speaks of, like flying splices, open boxes, cord used as branch circuit conductor, etc. If the homeowner needs a second opinion, the inspecor's got your back on these things, particularly if the International Property Maintenance Code is adopted in that jurisdiction.
 
So basically, if I change out the service and leave the circuits that need corrected unhooked in the new panel, I should be ok. Of course I would inform the person that I am performing the work for that these circuits have to be corrected before being terminated. Would I need to put this in writing for the homeowner or inspector?
 
I agree with marc but would add that you should know what these circuits are prior to doing the service, and should inform the home owner of this policy before doing the service.(can't leave the fridge off, or heat in the winter)
 
i would write up a scope of work indicating your intentions including the extra charges(probibly t&m) for additional trips(how many?) to complete the circuit connections and have the owner sign it -- then maybe run it past the inspector and leave him a copy of this "scope of work" he can staple to the permit. some inspection departments may require everything finished before issuing a final on your permit.
 
I wonder, if like many homeowners, they think the root of their electrical problems is due to an inadequate service/supply, rather than all or a combination of whatever issues lead them to end up with devices hanging out of walls and the use of extention cords on a permanent basis?
 
elvis never said if the house is occupied or if it was setting derelict for some time. Around here if the house sets empty with power off for some time ( 6 months in some areas, 1 year in others ) then an inspection of the complete system is required before power is turned on.

If the homeowner is living in the house and the power is on then there is no problem. If the house has set empty and requires repairs then a temp. power permit would be required ( 90 day max ) to give time for construction. The problem is that if the owner doesn't live in the house ( investment or rental property ) then the county wouldn't issue a permit for the owner to do the other repairs.

I would check with the inspections department before even getting involved in the project. If they will not issue a permit to the homeowner for other repairs and the homeowner doesn't want to pay to have repairs done then you can have a problems with inspections.

I don't even know if they have a "power on safety inspection" in other parts of the country but it can get tricky here if the owner wants to do work but doesn't live in the house.

Power on safety inspection: An inspection of complete electrical system after a property has been derelict for a period of time . Here they require that a licensed electrician sign off on the complete system.
 
If you pull a permit for the work you do then you should be covered. I would notify the homeowner in writing that you viewed unsafe conditions and that you recomend they be fixed. I think your resposibility ends there. In Spokane if it's existing and you don't work on it you are pretty much covered.
 
Thanks for all the helpfull info guys. The house is empty now. I think it has been for a few months. The guy who wants this work done is leasing the property from the owner. I told the guy that the wiring neede to be fixed. He wants his worker to work on the inside wiring after I replace the service. That is ok with me(it sure is a mess and I dont have time to fool with it right now).
 
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