Looking for a Tx Master

[GarrettK]

Anyone one of you new Master Electricians in Texas like to partner up in business? I'm near the Brenham area.

Was a California C-10 and was told I would need to pass the exam in Texas and I could verify my own hours. Now after passing the exam they tell me no way unless I had a journeymans license for 2 years. Any other qualifications be damned, you MUST have that first.

Anyway, I need a Tx master to work under (cosign for the contractors license) for two years to then get my own license and I'd rather partner up in business and do it that way then go back to work for some outfit.

Anyone interested send me a PM.

Garrett

 

[GarrettK]

Never mind.....

Never mind.....

After a letter to my local state rep and the governors office they changed their minds and accepted my Ca C-10 as the equivalent of a Masters. I now have my Texas Masters license. Now to send off for the contractors license.

Garrett

 

[nafis]

glad it worked out . good luck

 

[rick l]

For Garrett K

I would like to know more about how you get Texas to accept your credentials. I have been told that to obtain a Texas master license, you must have worked UNDER a master electrician or you don't qualify. I hold Master licenses in ID, WY, CO, AR and WA, as well as Journeyman in CA and contractor licenses in AZ and NV - I would think that would be qualifications enough???

 

[sgr1]

Rick l Your Ar or your Wash. license will recip with Texas if you took their test and have held them for one year. Steve

 

[rick l]

As I understand it, the only state that Texas has master reciprocity with is LA. AR and WA is reciprocal journeyman only, which doesn't get me to a contractors license (Master required)

 

[sgr1]

Sorry about that Rick l. This is from the Texas web site
Does Texas have a reciprocal agreement with any other state?
Yes. Texas has these reciprocity agreements:

Master Electricians - Louisiana (state contractor?s license)
Journeyman Electricians - Washington and Arkansas

 

[sgr1]

Rick l If you need to get a licensed in Texas I might be able to help I have some email addy's that I had to use to get my master license. Sometimes it helps to email the right people. LOL Steve

 

[GarrettK]

It took a lot of arguing.....

It took a lot of arguing.....

I finally wrote the Governor's office and got action. The cronies at the licensing bureau stick to the exact wording of the way the law was written and there's no room for play with that. The problem for me was that California does not use the Apprentice, journeymen, master nomeclature for their licensing. Contractor there is the highest ranking license but Texas didn't know that at the time. There is a section where you can verify your own work history though.

Electricians rule 73.26(b)(2) - On the job training by business owner or manager

Electricians rule 73.26 (b)(3) - On the job training by applicant

My plea was that they are disqualifying people who have the equal or better cedentials from another state. They accepted that argument and saw fit to give me the license. I did have a nice package with all my credentials and copies of licenses made up and ready to go in lieu of a regular work history.

I did have to pass the Master Exam here though which can be pretty tough. I'm sure if you're holding all those other state licenses it should be no problem though. I would take and pass the test before starting any action with the state, that way it's a non-issue when you win.

Good luck,

Garrett

 

[rick l]

Sgr1 and GarretK -

Thanks for the input, advice and support.

Sgr1, could you email me that info for "the right people" - might be useful.

GarretK, could you provide me with the address you used to write the governor, and any other state official. I assume you are a TX resident now, and I'm not sure I'll get the same response as a non-resident.

My email is xxxxxx

Thanks

 

[GarrettK]

That makes a difference.....

That makes a difference.....

I assumed you had moved here. I doubt they will issue a Texas license to an out of state person. If you want to contract here you will have to hire a Texas licensed Master to cosign your contractors license.

Look up the licensing rules though, I believe there's a provision for emergency licensing which I assume is for hurricane recovery and the like. You may be able to get something through that if that is why you're interested in a license here.

Garrett

 

[rick l]

GarrettK -

I don't believe the admin rules for TX electrical licensing should or does discriminate against out-of state applicants. The rules should be the same for everybody. If you were able to get an exception, so should I, as I see it.

I am going to send in an application with all of my work history, affidavits of experience, resume', copies of licenses, test scores, etc. and see what response I get, then take it from there.

I'm in Idaho - been doing work in TX and I have been using a licensed contractor for permits and supervision, sending people down as apprentices even though they are licensed journeymen in multiple states. Not the most cost effective or profitable arrangement.

We'll see how it goes...

 

[yankj]

Garrettk,
Does CA accept TX Master license?

 

[GarrettK]

Garrettk,
Does CA accept TX Master license?

Not sure, I was a licensed contractor before California electricians needed to be licensed there so I was grandfathered in from any further requirements and never looked into it.

Rick,

I'm not sure on the States residency requirements, I know I moved here and used that in my argument to them. I'm sure that held some sway.

Garrett

 

[rick l]

CA would accept TX

CA would accept TX

Yankj and Garrett -

CA would accept experience from TX, either as Master or Journeyman to take the electrical journeyman test. CA does not have a Master category...

Rick

 

[GarrettK]

Rick,

Rick,

The issue with Texas is that I was never a Journeyman. The reading of their licensing laws require you be a Journeyman for two years under a Master electrician. That's the rule they were trying to use against me.

Because California never licensed electricians until recently the only license they had was for contractors, which has trade requirements in it. Even now California doesn't have a Journeyman license per se, they use different titles for what your job entails. So even though you work in a similar capacity technically you've never been a Journeyman.

My guess is the union had a big say when Texas wrote their laws a few years back. Funny because this is a right to work state and the unions are weak here.

So if you can get Texas to accept the experience part, which they should if your a Master elsewhere, you only have to past the Texas Masters exam. I know they will not let you get out of the test.

Garrett

 

[Fulthrotl]

After a letter to my local state rep and the governors office they changed their minds and accepted my Ca C-10 as the equivalent of a Masters. I now have my Texas Masters license. Now to send off for the contractors license.

Garrett

thoughtful of them.... a C-10 requires 4 years as a journeyman in calif,
so i guess they figured out that electrons flow the same everywhere.