electrical license - Page 6 - Electrician Talk - Professional Electrical Contractors Forum

LawnGuyLandSparky · 06-29-2009, 12:30 AM

Now... why would anybody even want a NATIONAL license, and, what good does that do for the public if professional licenseholders aren't locally controlled, regulated and monitored?

acmax · 06-29-2009, 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LawnGuyLandSparky

Now... why would anybody even want a NATIONAL license, and, what good does that do for the public if professional licenseholders aren't locally controlled, regulated and monitored?

Uh ? You don't have a license do you ?

LawnGuyLandSparky · 06-29-2009, 01:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acmax

Uh ? You don't have a license do you ?

Nope. Why?

westernexplorer · 06-29-2009, 02:36 AM

You don't even have an electrical license and you are preaching about how a national license would be no good...? I tell you what...!!! Go stand before a license board and lay-out your creditials and experience. Then go pass an examination and obtain a license and then I will listen to you tell me about how electrical licensing should be handled......

acmax · 06-29-2009, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LawnGuyLandSparky

Nope. Why?

You should be asking yourself that question.As to asking me why,your
comments on this topic come without merit.

You operate under the
entitlement of a qualified EC who pulls the permits to allow you to work.
That someone goes by the rules. I've read many of your post an can see by there content that you are a very experienced electrician.Holding a state license would give that knowledge the authority it warrants.Self
improvement never ends.Jobs do.

LawnGuyLandSparky · 06-29-2009, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acmax

You should be asking yourself that question.

I cannot hold a license because my union forbids employees from doing so. I can get one out-of-jurisdiction and do ONE job annually less than $1000.00 gross to maintain it.

I do that every other week...

As to asking me why, your
comments on this topic come without merit.

You operate under the
entitlement of a qualified EC who pulls the permits to allow you to work.
That someone goes by the rules.

Not really. In NY the licenseholder MUST directly supervise all work done under their license.

Nobody in my shop even knows who the licenseholder is. And for certain, has never seen him.

I've read many of your post an can see by there content that you are a very experienced electrician. Holding a state license would give that knowledge the authority it warrants. Self
improvement never ends.Jobs do.

I have every special certification I could get my hands on, that's kept me steadily employed for 20 years. I been around long enough to know and see, the license is merely a formality. Nothing more. And If I need one in a hurry, I know just who to call. That is what holding a license these days amounts to.

Possum · 06-29-2009, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LawnGuyLandSparky

I have every special certification I could get my hands on, that's kept me steadily employed for 20 years. I been around long enough to know and see, the license is merely a formality. Nothing more. And If I need one in a hurry, I know just who to call. That is what holding a license these days amounts to.

Not having a license shows your lack of wanting to be responsible for your own work. In Indiana we now finaly have a state exam but you still have to purchase an individual license from every county and city.

drsparky · 06-29-2009, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Possum

Not having a license shows your lack of wanting to be responsible for your own work. In Indiana we now finaly have a state exam but you still have to purchase an individual license from every county and city.

So if a state does not require a license you are less of a electrician? In Ohio only the contractor is required to have a license, If you do decide to get one you must also have insurance and bonding, I would rather spend the money on my kids.

westernexplorer · 06-29-2009, 06:15 PM

No, your never less of an Electrician if you live in a state or jurisdiction that doesn't require a license. You are just NOT a stakeholder in the arguement for a national license or for a state license with national reciprocity. Get a license and then you get a vote.......lol. It's like complaining about a state or national election, when you didn't bother to vote. Most people won't even listen to you complain.......lol

drsparky · 06-29-2009, 07:35 PM

I am licensed but like to hear everyone's opinion.

westernexplorer · 06-29-2009, 07:46 PM

drsparky,

I knew you were sand bagging.....LOL. Mister Licensed Electrician......LOL.

Kevin J · 06-30-2009, 12:03 AM

I have a Master Electrician's license, and a Contractor's license, but does that make me a qualified electrician? To the state it does, but for them it's just another way to generate revenue. I personally don't hold someone with a license in too high of a regard until they have shown me work wise they deserve the piece of paper they've got. Around here, there are a lot of old timers who hold Master's cards in plumbing and electrical who were ''grandfathered'' in, yet have never ran a pipe or pulled wire in their entire life. Someone just wrote a letter or two and vouched for them. I can remember when I was a greenie I would look up to some of the guys I worked around who had a license and think, WOW, they are so great. Looking back on it, these guys were just hacks who got grandfathered in. (No offense to anyone who is qualified and has gotten grandfathered) When I finally got my license, I felt behind my ears, and guess what? Still wet. Just saying, sometimes a piece of paper don't mean nothing.

captkirk · 06-30-2009, 01:30 AM

I know plenty of electricians w/o licenses that I would put up against anyone. I know fellas that can work with rigid and plc's better than anyone. But for what ever reason they are either not interested in becoming licensed or just are not test takers. It all depends on the individual IMO.

partimer31 · 07-01-2009, 09:56 PM

just the facts please, Their are a lot of good electrician out there that do
do there best. But one problem we found out here, in the great state of
Vermont, there best just wasn't good enough. For some reason their jobs
were not get a formal inspecting by the inspector. This went for a while.
The license electrician thought he was good, so good, he went to an-
other State, were they actually had electrical inspectors come right
down to the job site, and look over his job. Well he fail.

Good electrical inspector keep us honest and true to the NEC CODE.
Any and all local codes.

/S/ Robert

Magnettica · 07-01-2009, 11:44 PM

I know a few electricians that are very good at what they do and they don't have their licenses for whatever reason. I was one of those guys! But it began to weigh on me that here I was working all these years with nothing, absolutely nothing to prove that I was actually a decent electrician.

I'd get a side job and hear, "why don't you have you license" or "why don't you go get your license?"

My response would always be "I dunno, just haven't had the time I guess."

Then I began to see that I wasn't getting any younger and some of the younger guys knew more than I knew and I had been at this for 15 years. That bothered me, really bothered me. Then I found out they were making more money too!

Now I can discuss electricity like a professional and I have something in writing that says "QUALIFIED" and it's an advantage over the next guy who doesn't have one.

But that's not why I went to night school for 3 years, worked for 19, and passed an 8 hour 3-part exam. I did that so I could do my own thing and not have to worry about having to work with the guy that either smoked, or was hungover from the night before, or someone I just didn't get along with.

An electrical license elevates you to a level above someone else who doesn't have one.

Possum · 07-02-2009, 08:57 AM

Wasnt trying to say you have to have a license to be a good electrician. Iwas saying if your having someone else sign off and check your work sounds like lack of dedication or your afraid to take resposibility. Its easy to say your good but if you are get the slip and put yourself on the line not someone else. And for the areas and states that dont require a license I dont think any less of those guys for not having a license if its not required or offered I wouldnt bother either. A national acceptance of Licenses would be nice but powers that be wont let that happen.

LawnGuyLandSparky · 07-02-2009, 03:20 PM

There is no such thing as contractors taking personal responsibility for their work as long as a thing called insurance exists.

Magnettica · 07-02-2009, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LawnGuyLandSparky

There is no such thing as contractors taking personal responsibility for their work as long as a thing called insurance exists.

What are you talking about? I know you like to get a rise out of people but that's ridiculous. Just because you have insurance doesn't mean you have the liberty to go around burning every building you work in.

It's true that there are some EC's that could care less about the work they do, hell, I just worked for one, but that's not the case for the majority of us. I definitely care about how my work is done and so do my customers. That is why they call me back.

Black4Truck · 07-02-2009, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LawnGuyLandSparky

There is no such thing as contractors taking personal responsibility for their work as long as a thing called insurance exists.

In 34 years, I have never put in an insurance claim.. your way off base in that statement.

I take every job personally because MY company's name is on it

Your much smarter than that to use such a broad brush

captkirk · 07-02-2009, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LawnGuyLandSparky

There is no such thing as contractors taking personal responsibility for their work as long as a thing called insurance exists.

Oh brother, I am really starting to think that you are a little nuts.