I want to become a licensed electrician so I don't have to pay an electrician

[her209]

Too much?

 

[iGas]

Anyone can however it generally required a 4-5 years apprenticeship. However, if you feel strongly about costs, then pull a homeowner electrical permit.

 

[CPA]

I love living in an area that doesn't require me to pull permits or force me to use over-priced electricians.

Replacing/adding a new panel is one thing, but I'm not going to pay an electrician to install a new switch or outlet or fan or replace a breaker.

 

[DrPizza]

I love living in an area that doesn't require me to pull permits or force me to use over-priced electricians.

Replacing/adding a new panel is one thing, but I'm not going to pay an electrician to install a new switch or outlet or fan or replace a breaker.

Ditto. At the moment I have the exterior 50amp GFCI protected panel (disconnect for the hot tube), a bunch of conduit, service entrance cable (aluminum 4 gauge), a lot of THHN 6 gauge copper wire, etc., are all sitting in my back room, waiting for me to finish digging the damn trench between the hot tub & the house. (My wife thought the wiring project would take me 1/2 an hour... hour tops, just like she estimated that it would take me about 20 minutes to dig out 40 feet of 3' wide wide, 3" deep, to make room for her new bark around the patio. 2 1/2 bucket loads in the tractor so far; bucket is too wide to dig with; has to be done by hand; been at it all morning.) *sigh* break time's over, back to work.

 

[Kwatt]

Ditto. At the moment I have the exterior 50amp GFCI protected panel (disconnect for the hot tube), a bunch of conduit, service entrance cable (aluminum 4 gauge), a lot of THHN 6 gauge copper wire, etc., are all sitting in my back room, waiting for me to finish digging the damn trench between the hot tub & the house. (My wife thought the wiring project would take me 1/2 an hour... hour tops, just like she estimated that it would take me about 20 minutes to dig out 40 feet of 3' wide wide, 3" deep, to make room for her new bark around the patio. 2 1/2 bucket loads in the tractor so far; bucket is too wide to dig with; has to be done by hand; been at it all morning.) *sigh* break time's over, back to work.

Nothing anyone does takes any time, knowledge, skill, or hard work. Until you have to do it or pay someone to do it!

The 90-90 rule states. The first 90% of the job takes 90% of the time. And the last 10% of the job takes the other 90% of the time....

.

 

[Greenman]

Too much?

Four years and a test is all it takes.

 

[SearchMaster]

Nothing anyone does takes any time, knowledge, skill, or hard work. Until you have to do it or pay someone to do it!

The 90-90 rule states. The first 90% of the job takes 90% of the time. And the last 10% of the job takes the other 90% of the time....

.

What about the last -80%?

 

[Mixolydian]

but I'm not going to pay an electrician to install a new switch or outlet or fan or replace a breaker.

Umm nobody does that. Not even in the places that "require" said permits.

 

[Greenman]

Umm nobody does that. Not even in the places that "require" said permits.

A lot of people do that. You'd be surprised at how many helpless people there are. I'm talking about people that are unable to perform the simplest tasks, change a light fixture, hang a towel bar, fix a leaking faucet. I did nothing but that sort of work for three years, charged $85 per hour and never had a short week.

 

[Mixolydian]

A lot of people do that. You'd be surprised at how many helpless people there are. I'm talking about people that are unable to perform the simplest tasks, change a light fixture, hang a towel bar, fix a leaking faucet. I did nothing but that sort of work for three years, charged $85 per hour and never had a short week.

I'm referring to the people that *want* to do the work themselves.

 

[dartworth]

... over-priced electricians.

what is over priced?

 

[Scarpozzi]

I'm in the middle of adding 1900 square feet onto my house. I went to the city building codes department and pulled a permit to start work on the project. Since it's my residence, they allowed for me to be the 'contractor'. I then took a residence electrician exam (30 code-based questions) and passed it. That allowed me to do my own wiring. I just passed the rough-in inspection last week... I would have been done a lot quicker had I just paid someone, but it was fun and a learning experience jumping through the hoops. I want to say I paid around $95 for the permit and probably near $1500 for materials. (100 amp sub-panel, feeder cable, 20 can lights, 7 outdoor lights, numerous other fixtures and recepticles, etc,etc)

My advice if you do go that route, make sure you learn about box fill. It was the biggest sticking point when I was wiring 3way and 4way switches. Lowes/HD didn't sell the boxes I had to use for my 2/4 gang switch boxes. It's best to find an electrical supply place and ask them for the biggest ones they have for 2x4 framing.

 

[holden j caufield]

A lot of people do that. You'd be surprised at how many helpless people there are. I'm talking about people that are unable to perform the simplest tasks, change a light fixture, hang a towel bar, fix a leaking faucet. I did nothing but that sort of work for three years, charged $85 per hour and never had a short week.

sounds like too good a gig to pass up.

 

[Red Squirrel]

You can do your own work, and if you're not allowed, who is going to prove that you did. Just do it, just make sure you do it right...

I hate these rules that tell you what you can't do in your own home. Screw the oppression.

 

[Kwatt]

What about the last -80%?

Overtime.

.

 

[twinrider1]

 

[Kneedragger]

Hahaha.

This can go for any trade though

 

[Blackjack200]

what is over priced?

I know this thread is about electricians, but I had a plumber come out to look at some C-PVC that had burst in the cold weather. I figured I could do the work myself but didn't feel like going to Home Depot and getting all the pipes, fittings, cements, etc. and spending the time. The quote was something like $500. I went to Home Depot and go the pipes, fittings, cements, etc. and did it myself. Took me a couple of hours, probably working much slower than a plumber would have worked.

A couple of months ago one of my tenants clogged the soil pipe by flushing baby wipes down the toilet. I didn't have a 4" snake (hurr) so I called a plumber. $375 to spend an hour snaking a 4" drain. I wish I had just bought the snake myself.

I have no problem compensating tradespeople fairly, I think they are skilled and deserve to be well paid, but I think the rates are completely out of hand. At least in this area.

 

[Greenman]

You can do your own work, and if you're not allowed, who is going to prove that you did. Just do it, just make sure you do it right...

I hate these rules that tell you what you can't do in your own home. Screw the oppression.

You can do your own work here in CA, but you still have to pull a permit. Not getting a permit becomes an issue when you sell the house, as you have to disclose that the work is illegal. If you don't, you open yourself up to all sorts of litigation. Even years after the sale the buyer can sue and win. The other issue is that insurance company's don't insure non-conforming work, and all work done without a permit is non-conforming.

 

[CPA]

Ditto. At the moment I have the exterior 50amp GFCI protected panel (disconnect for the hot tube), a bunch of conduit, service entrance cable (aluminum 4 gauge), a lot of THHN 6 gauge copper wire, etc., are all sitting in my back room, waiting for me to finish digging the damn trench between the hot tub & the house. (My wife thought the wiring project would take me 1/2 an hour... hour tops, just like she estimated that it would take me about 20 minutes to dig out 40 feet of 3' wide wide, 3" deep, to make room for her new bark around the patio. 2 1/2 bucket loads in the tractor so far; bucket is too wide to dig with; has to be done by hand; been at it all morning.) *sigh* break time's over, back to work.

Lol, I did the same thing years ago.

 

[CPA]

Umm nobody does that. Not even in the places that "require" said permits.

My boss just paid someone to replace an outlet. I'm sure it ran her a couple hundred.

Also, my dad was required to have certified electricians install all outlets in a remodel he did. He had to come behind them and fix several. This was in Houston.

 

[Thebobo]

You are also paying for someone who is bonded / insured in case his wiring burns you house down.

 

[cabri]

Ditto. At the moment I have the exterior 50amp GFCI protected panel (disconnect for the hot tube), a bunch of conduit, service entrance cable (aluminum 4 gauge), a lot of THHN 6 gauge copper wire, etc., are all sitting in my back room, waiting for me to finish digging the damn trench between the hot tub & the house. (My wife thought the wiring project would take me 1/2 an hour... hour tops, just like she estimated that it would take me about 20 minutes to dig out 40 feet of 3' wide wide, 3" deep, to make room for her new bark around the patio. 2 1/2 bucket loads in the tractor so far; bucket is too wide to dig with; has to be done by hand; been at it all morning.) *sigh* break time's over, back to work.

Rent a ditch witch or get one hung off the PTO of the tractor

 

[her209]

:thumbsup:

 

[DrPizza]

You can do your own work, and if you're not allowed, who is going to prove that you did. Just do it, just make sure you do it right...

I hate these rules that tell you what you can't do in your own home. Screw the oppression.

It's not hard to prove. There's a record of when you purchased the house. It's kind of hard to install things before the purchase that weren't manufactured until after the purchase.