If someone could explain basically the steps to completing a job from the time a builder lets you bid on it to the final inspection and final payout the order of steps the electrical contractor should take to complete a job that would be much appreciated...I have a general idea but I personally have never actually gone through it. Like who pulls the initial permit me or the builder?
Start to finish doing a job Residential
- Thread starter dave81
- Start date
- Status
charlie
Senior Member
- Location
- Indianapolis
Re: Start to finish doing a job Residential
You need to find out from the electricians in your own area. The reason I say that is that the laws and procedures are different in each area. For instance, area A requires the GC to pull his permit first and then all the subs are cross referenced to that single permit. Area B says it is OK to pull the permits in any order because the computer will tie them all together as they develop. Area A requires a rough with all the connections made up in the junction boxes and switch boxes. Area B says it is OK to just have all the cable installed.
I could go on but it would make everyone v e r r r r y?? sleepy. To add to the confusion, every electrical power company has their own set of rules and procedures.
You need to find out from the electricians in your own area. The reason I say that is that the laws and procedures are different in each area. For instance, area A requires the GC to pull his permit first and then all the subs are cross referenced to that single permit. Area B says it is OK to pull the permits in any order because the computer will tie them all together as they develop. Area A requires a rough with all the connections made up in the junction boxes and switch boxes. Area B says it is OK to just have all the cable installed.
I could go on but it would make everyone v e r r r r y?? sleepy. To add to the confusion, every electrical power company has their own set of rules and procedures.
Re: Start to finish doing a job Residential
A local contractor can tell you what you need to know in 15 minutes. Charlie says it right.
This may take 15 minutes to learn, doing the job correctly, efficiently and showing a profit takes a lifetime of learning.
Residential work is the most important type of work we can do. I was always proud when I finished a home, and the breakers all held on initial start up.
[ March 04, 2004, 07:50 PM: Message edited by: bennie ]
A local contractor can tell you what you need to know in 15 minutes. Charlie says it right.
This may take 15 minutes to learn, doing the job correctly, efficiently and showing a profit takes a lifetime of learning.
Residential work is the most important type of work we can do. I was always proud when I finished a home, and the breakers all held on initial start up.
[ March 04, 2004, 07:50 PM: Message edited by: bennie ]
Re: Start to finish doing a job Residential
Dave,
Sounds like your just getting into the business I have a better idea.....Do yourself a favor get a cart and go sell soft pretzels. The only thing you'll have to worry about is having mustard on hand.
Man this business is really wearing me down. I love it I've been doing it since I was 13 but it is just wearing me down.
For all of you starting out consider this. You look at a job on paper and you give a proposal. You figure out how long it will take you to do it. Then you get the job, then the next thing you know there's delays because of other contractors ahead of you (Your always last because your electrical everything else has to be installed before you wire it). Then you get jammed at the end and you have to perform a miracle to get done.
What do you get for that service a punch list a mile long that some engineer (who is getting paid to make the list) keeps on adding to and adding to until he take every last dime you have in the project out.
Don't forget the man that's making that list is the same one that missed circuits on the plans and you caught and fixed for him. He's the same one who mislabled the feeder going to a panel and you brought it to his attention...
It's just become an industry filled with lawyers instead of electrician's and workers. I go to job meetings with 20+ sub's in the meeting. None of us have collage education... yet we are all still trying to be lawyers.
SOFT PRETZELS GET YOUR SOFT PRETZELS!!!!!
Dave,
Sounds like your just getting into the business I have a better idea.....Do yourself a favor get a cart and go sell soft pretzels. The only thing you'll have to worry about is having mustard on hand.
Man this business is really wearing me down. I love it I've been doing it since I was 13 but it is just wearing me down.
For all of you starting out consider this. You look at a job on paper and you give a proposal. You figure out how long it will take you to do it. Then you get the job, then the next thing you know there's delays because of other contractors ahead of you (Your always last because your electrical everything else has to be installed before you wire it). Then you get jammed at the end and you have to perform a miracle to get done.
What do you get for that service a punch list a mile long that some engineer (who is getting paid to make the list) keeps on adding to and adding to until he take every last dime you have in the project out.
Don't forget the man that's making that list is the same one that missed circuits on the plans and you caught and fixed for him. He's the same one who mislabled the feeder going to a panel and you brought it to his attention...
It's just become an industry filled with lawyers instead of electrician's and workers. I go to job meetings with 20+ sub's in the meeting. None of us have collage education... yet we are all still trying to be lawyers.
SOFT PRETZELS GET YOUR SOFT PRETZELS!!!!!
Re: Start to finish doing a job Residential
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail. I'll get the answer to this question with my own expierince comig up soon just thought maybe someone could offer a short outline in answer to the question, assuming I have common sense. Residential is pretty cut and dry theres not to many engineering problems there. But I can see that the above would propose a problem but I like solutions.
Thanks for your comments anyway guys.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail. I'll get the answer to this question with my own expierince comig up soon just thought maybe someone could offer a short outline in answer to the question, assuming I have common sense. Residential is pretty cut and dry theres not to many engineering problems there. But I can see that the above would propose a problem but I like solutions.
Thanks for your comments anyway guys.
ryan_618
Senior Member
- Location
- Salt Lake City, Utah
Re: Start to finish doing a job Residential
Well said.
pierre
Senior Member
- Location
- Westchester County, New York
Re: Start to finish doing a job Residential
Dave81
You posted that residential has few engineering problems, you are far off the mark there. Residential work can be very complicated, and sometimes without experience you will not see the problem on the prints, but only after the structure is built. I have been involved with residential for 31 years (My father was a GC), and I can tell you that there are always surprises, and terrible building inspectors, and terrible electrical inspectors, and terrible lawyers, and terrible contractors, and terrible architects, and terrible engineers, and terrible homeowners, and terrible help, and terrible payment schedules, and terrible weather, and terrible supply houses, and terrible injuries, and terrible ???? !!!!!!!!
Catch my drift. A good EC with experience can deal with the 'terribles', and maybe even make some money.
I will say this. If one goes into contracting and thinks it is going to be easy - yes sell pretzels instead. But if one goes into contracting and expects problems and works on solutions, then the days are not always so bad.
"If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail."
That is well said!
Pierre
Dave81
You posted that residential has few engineering problems, you are far off the mark there. Residential work can be very complicated, and sometimes without experience you will not see the problem on the prints, but only after the structure is built. I have been involved with residential for 31 years (My father was a GC), and I can tell you that there are always surprises, and terrible building inspectors, and terrible electrical inspectors, and terrible lawyers, and terrible contractors, and terrible architects, and terrible engineers, and terrible homeowners, and terrible help, and terrible payment schedules, and terrible weather, and terrible supply houses, and terrible injuries, and terrible ???? !!!!!!!!
Catch my drift. A good EC with experience can deal with the 'terribles', and maybe even make some money.
I will say this. If one goes into contracting and thinks it is going to be easy - yes sell pretzels instead. But if one goes into contracting and expects problems and works on solutions, then the days are not always so bad.
"If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail."
That is well said!
Pierre
- Status