I’m new to WA and in reading the regs here I find that several of the subtrades are not OK except if done by someone with the appropriate specialty license, i.e. no plumbing or electrical by a GC, only by someone with that specialty license. Getting the specialty classification requires 3-4 years, 6000-8000 verifiable experience. Obviously this is a total PITA for a small remodeler who is used to doing his own plumbing and putting in new branch circuits for kitchen and bath work.
What state are you in and what are the regs there? I’m curious how it compares.
Replies
Dave,
It's the same way here in Alaska.
Which is fine by me, mainly because I would rather not do it anyway.:-)
Dave
Dave, you imply similar restrictions to general contractors "here in Alaska". I disagree. Here is the AK statutes for contractors page:
http://www.dced.state.ak.us/occ/pub/ContractorStatutes.pdf
See if you can find ANY prohibitions on what sort of work (general) contractors can and cannot do. While specialty contractors are legally prohibited from performing work outside of their specialty, general contractors are not. This has long been a sticking point for me. Other than the "no greater than 25% of the home's value" restriction for GC's without the residential endorsemant, there are literally no restrictions given in the AK statutes. In fact, contractors are "exempt" from even needing a license (Sec. 08.18.161. Exemptions) so long as they only do projects which have an aggregate price of $10,000 or less.. If you do less than $2,500 of work, you don't even need insurance!
Read the statutes yourself and prove me wrong. If you can.
I stand corrected. I do know of one GC that does his own elec. work. I just figured it was a matter of time before he got busted. He also doesn't have a very good reputation as far as shoddy work and over charging.
I carry both, a specialty lic. for the bigger framing jobs and a handymans lic. for the smaller remodel jobs. Just to cover myself, but usually no one even checks on my lic. ins. or bonding, they just want a low price.
Dave
I don't doubt that GC's who perform their own electrical/plumbing can and DO get busted. But I wish they'd fight it. I certainly would. I'd like to see the State acknowledge their own (bogus) laws once and a while.
You're right about the license/bond/insurance...In my two years in business, I've never had a client ask, though I pay over $3,000 yearly for these 'requirements'. Indeed, most everyone, including the well-to-do, only wants a "low price". Quality and service be damned.
BTW Dave, in what part of Alaska do you work?
I do most of my work on the Kenai Peninsula, Soldotna and Kenai mainly.
I end up competing against alot of guys that don't have a lic. or bond. So when people ask me how come my bid is twice as much some of the others I tell them that it's the price they pay for knowing that they won't lose their house if someone gets hurt or killed while working on their place.
I use to try and compete with them and was staying busy, but I wasn't making very much money for the amount of time I was putting in.
Dave
Contractor's Registration req. in RI
Construction Supervisor req.in Mass.
both states require a specialty license for Electrical & Plumbing..
also Heating
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
In MO there are no state wide codes or licensing of either contractors or trades.
In the larger areas they do have codes, and require permits. And the local communities license plumbers and electrical. But I don't believe that any cities in the Kansas City area have require contractors licenses.
But the local codes do require the use of licensed electrican and plumbers, except by HO.
I think that Kansas is about the same.
No statewide license in NY, for contractors, plumbers or electricians. Local regs apply. In metropolitan NY local licenses for everything. In rural areas there is only the building code and inspections. It is pretty easy to get a contractor's license, no tests, just a mound of paperwork.
Live in GA. Currently, the only state in SE that does not require licensing for GC. However, P/U and box of buisness cards are essential:) Personally licensed qualifier for VA, SC, NC. FL, TN, and AL also require GC licensing.
There are rules/regs/licensing requirements for various MEP trades similiar to your state. I'm thinking this is more for insurance purposes, as my Master Electrician friend stated that the last 'electrician' in the panel doing modifications, just 'bought' the entire installation.
Best Regards,
NAW
if it your house in Al. and you live in it for two years, you can pull a homeowner permit and do plumbing and electrical. HVAC no. If it a house to sell, no electrical, no plumbing, no HVAC
Montana has the same law here, only lots of guys don't know it and do it anyway. lol
No license here in Maine required for GC. Some cities might.
But nobody does electrical or plumbing here without a license. That works fine for me since I don't care to do either.
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Oregon,
GC is not supposed to do electric or plumbing state rule
its a Mafia thing I think, do it and we bust your leg
then we tell the state and bust you. Big fines
my insurance wont cover any thing if I did the electric pr plumbing
Flooring guys sometimes cheat , they don't call a plumber to pull and reset a toilet when new vinyl goes in, but by law they are supposed to
by the way I get tired of the " we charge 65 an hour because we had to go to school and work as an apprentice"
I went to the school of hard knocks, and spent a lot of time as an "apprentice"
"well we have overhead"
no kidding so do I and probably have about 10 times the $$ amount in tools
I don't want to do electric or plumbing, and I don't , I play by the rules
and I sure know a lot of plumbers and electricians that have no problem pulling out a sawzall and a hammer if they need to without a GC licence
sorry , Ill quit bitc*in