Low Voltage Lisencing?

[jsharvey]

Help! I need some info guys. Where I am we have companies that do low voltage installations, i.e., telephone, intercom, home theater,fire alarm etc. These companies are not required to be lisenced by the AHJ but, we, the electrical contractors get nailed if they don't install their cable/wiring correctly. Some of us are trying to put together a package to present to the AHJ with reasons why these companies should be lisenced or we should not be held accountable for their mistakes on our inspections.
Besides the obvious,, more money for the city, I'm needing specific reasoning for this and possibly locations of other AHJ's that do require the low voltage guys to be lisenced. It seems to me that with the voltages involved in some of these systems that they could be just as dangerous as the 120/240 that we install.

T.I.A.

J.S.Harvey

 

[tom baker]

In 2000, Washington State Law was changed to require telecom installers to be licensed. Low Voltage already was (sound, TV etc). The proposal came from the telecom industry due to poor workmanship and fire issues. They were being driven to the installations done by the low bidders

 

[growler]

Help! I need some info guys. Where I am we have companies that do low voltage installations, i.e., telephone, intercom, home theater,fire alarm etc. These companies are not required to be lisenced by the AHJ but, we, the electrical contractors get nailed if they don't install their cable/wiring correctly.

The state of Gerogia has had a seperate low voltage license for about 20 years. Before that it was covered by an electrical contractors license.

The best reason for having low voltage covered by a required license is the fact that it comes under the NEC.

Even when a license is required there is often only one inspection and the electrical will not be signed off, say for ceiling cover, until the low voltages passes inspection. The best way to keep GCs from trying to get you to repair low voltage problems is to have this clearly stated in the contract as additional work. The biggest problems with low voltage is when they won't remove old low voltage cables so you need to be clear as to who's responsibility this is.

Charge for any extra work that you have to do. :smile:

 

[jrdsg]

We're all EC's here...

We're all EC's here...

In our neighborhood LV [security, tel & data, etc] guys all have to be EC's. You can only pull permits for work your license includes, and you're subject to the same inspection regime as everyone else.

There's oddities in the regulations, though. A permit has to be pulled to pre-wire a security system, but not to complete one that's already pre-wired by someone else. Go figure.

 

[bclumen]

The state of Virginia does not require licensing. I have a big issue with the landscapers and unlicensed low voltage lighting specialist reping customers for insufficient lighting installations. I work the DC metor area and Northern VA is half of it. Maryland and DC both enforce it. I noticed an Article in ECM about LV lighting with interview's of both a Landscaper and an un licensed outdoor lighting specialist. It was a little upsetting.