License Logic?

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jmellc

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Durham, NC
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Facility Maintenance Tech. Licensed Electrician
NC has the 3 main licenses of limited, intermediate & unlimited. I hold limited, allowing work up to 600 volts and $60,000 project value.
SFD, single family dwelling, is restricted to that type building only. On the surface, it appears more restricted than limited but it has no dollar limit. Do any of you NC guys see any logic here? I sure don’t.
 
Yep, they might want to update that. The house can have a bussiness in it too. Just a little over looked snafu...
The houses are getting pretty big. But NC has always had some big houses.

eleSFD-Biltmore.jpg
 
jmellc said:
NC has the 3 main licenses of limited, intermediate & unlimited. I hold limited, allowing work up to 600 volts and $60,000 project value.
SFD, single family dwelling, is restricted to that type building only. On the surface, it appears more restricted than limited but it has no dollar limit. Do any of you NC guys see any logic here? I sure don’t.
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The SFD license is limited to value the same as the limited EC license.
NCGS 87-43.4 (I think)

IIRC what’s odd is the general statute says $100,000 but the NCBEEC says $60,000
 
What's the advantage to having different levels of licensing? Here is NJ there is only one license that allows you to sign for a permit.
 
infinity said:
What's the advantage to having different levels of licensing? Here is NJ there is only one license that allows you to sign for a permit.
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Bonding is required at the two top levels. That's at a State level. Some jurisdictions may require their city to be listed. But usually the state requirement is accepted
 
infinity said:
What's the advantage to having different levels of licensing? Here is NJ there is only one license that allows you to sign for a permit.
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We have a whole bunch of licenses. The unlimited license allows you to do any kind of work, but there are limited licenses for residential only, advertising signs only, alarms only, low voltage only, utility lines only, maintenance of electrical fixtures only, two way radio systems only, and elevators only. For each of these licenses types your can get your license through the state (called a certified license) or through the county (called a registered license). Registered licensees can only work in the county that granted the license. Certified licensees can work state-wide. Supposedly the county tests are easier. Limited license tests are limited to the subject so those are easier too. Generally used by people who install those kind of systems.
 
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The limited license in NC is for residential. The intermediate license is stupid. Except the experience the test is identical and it’s way too easy to blow the dollar limit. So really the choice is limited or unlimited.

There are also a bunch of GC licenses like utility contractor, CATV, that sort of thing.
 
paulengr said:
The limited license in NC is for residential. The intermediate license is stupid. Except the experience the test is identical and it’s way too easy to blow the dollar limit. So really the choice is limited or unlimited.

There are also a bunch of GC licenses like utility contractor, CATV, that sort of thing.
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The limited is good for all resi, multi family dwelling and commercial, industrial and any thing up to 600 volts and said dollar amount.
 
VT requires licenses on anything over a single fam or farm.

since most of the state is single fam or farm, our #1 serv call faction hails from single fam or farm
(what some farmers do being totally outlandish)....

also, no license is needed for 'maintenance' , which puts any licensed EC in competition with maintenance companies

meanwhile the average age of a licensed spark is approaching retirement .....

~RJ~
 
paulengr said:
The limited license in NC is for residential. The intermediate license is stupid. Except the experience the test is identical and it’s way too easy to blow the dollar limit. So really the choice is limited or unlimited.

There are also a bunch of GC licenses like utility contractor, CATV, that sort of thing.
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Limited doesn’t restrict me to residential, though the dollar limit often can do that. I can & did do some commercial work in stores & doctor’s offices. It wasn’t a large part of my business though. I couldn’t carry enough insurance for some places & my worker comp “ghost policy” wasn’t sufficient for any place that scrutinized such things. A few places didn’t think to ask all the questions.
 
paulengr said:
The limited license in NC is for residential. The intermediate license is stupid. Except the experience the test is identical and it’s way too easy to blow the dollar limit. So really the choice is limited or unlimited.

There are also a bunch of GC licenses like utility contractor, CATV, that sort of thing.
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SFD is the closest thing to “residential” we have.

limited is anything (commercial or residential) , as long as it’s not over 600V and $60,000.

I agree, the intermediate license is kind of silly. Just don’t have to show as much net worth on the license application as Unlimited.
 
Speaking of licences is there a difference between a Master license and an unlimited license? I've never heard the term unlimited license

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sparky1118 said:
Speaking of licences is there a difference between a Master license and an unlimited license? I've never heard the term unlimited license

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Different states use different terminology. NC has no master license. Basic 3 are:
Limited- up to 600 volts, project value $60,000
Intermediate- Up to $150,000 project value
Unlimited- no limit

Intermediate & unlimited require bond ability & “ability to supervise” affidavits.
Other more limited scopes are single family dwelling, no commercial or apartment buildings, etc. Also, plumbing, swimming pool, signs, elevator, pump& alarm.
 
jmellc said:
Limited doesn’t restrict me to residential, though the dollar limit often can do that. I can & did do some commercial work in stores & doctor’s offices. It wasn’t a large part of my business though. I couldn’t carry enough insurance for some places & my worker comp “ghost policy” wasn’t sufficient for any place that scrutinized such things. A few places didn’t think to ask all the questions.
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Is insurance the main reason why you would get a lower class of license? Otherwise why restrict your business to only a certain level?
 
infinity said:
Is insurance the main reason why you would get a lower class of license? Otherwise why restrict your business to only a certain level?
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Here in Florida, limited licenses are easier to get. You get tested on only the subjects your getting licensed for. The technical test for my unlimited license required I be able to answer questions from 13 reference books (such as NEC and life safety code) and pamphlets. Someone getting a residential only limited license gets tested on far fewer. Someone getting an alarm only license gets tested on even fewer. You can further limit your license by getting a county license instead of a statewide license. Each county administers there own tests and I'm told the county licenses tests are easier. (County licenses limit your business to that county only.) All these limitations seemed dumb to me. That's why I spent the time and energy to get an unlimited license.
 
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infinity said:
Is insurance the main reason why you would get a lower class of license? Otherwise why restrict your business to only a certain level?
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Insurance, bonding ability, net worth, or just have no interest in working on equipment above 600V.
why test for it if your never going to do it?
 
infinity said:
He also said that the limit is $60,000 which is pretty low.
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It is for commercial jobs, I agree with that.
most around here that have the limited are owner/operators with no help or two guys at the most helping them.

But the way copper and the equipment is going up it probably won’t be long before a single family home may bump $60K... 😂

A few years back it was $20K and been rising steadily..
 
Hv&Lv said:
It is for commercial jobs, I agree with that.
most around here that have the limited are owner/operators with no help or two guys at the most helping them.

But the way copper and the equipment is going up it probably won’t be long before a single family home may bump $60K...

A few years back it was $20K and been rising steadily..
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The NC intermediate license fee is $50 cheaper per year ($100 vs $150), has only a 3 year experience vs 4 year, and has a ridiculously low dollar limit like $30k per job and $300k per year. So resi contractors can easily get a big housing development job and blow up the total limit and just one large component like a big drive can easily blow up the per project limit. The test is very, very similar among all 3 licenses. NC is “calculation light”...mostly definitions but is supposed to be one of the toughest tests in the US. All 3 licenses are really similar. The limited license has fewer business law questions similar to the NJ journeyman vs masters licenses but since that’s just basic business law there’s really little difference between the tests. The intermediate and unlimited tests are truly identical.
 
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