Doing your own electric work?

Beavers · May 18, 2009, 06:15:46 PM

I've got my building permit, and thought that I was good to go building my house.

I installed a box with a couple of 20 amp breakers, and two GFCI outlets on the existing power pole. (the meter and 200 amp breaker were there from the old trailer house)
Power company told me I needed the State Electrical inspector to look things over before they could hook power back up.

I called the State inspector and was told I couldn't do ANY electrical work on the house since it was not my primary residence. Never mind that it WILL be my primary residence, I don't live there now, and only an electrician can do the work.

My first though was that this guy was full of it, so I went to the State Electrical Board website, and according to the rules he was right.

I've got to hire an electrician to do my work.

I know I've seen a lot of folks here doing there own electrical work. Is Nebraska just extra tough on this subject?

It sounds like I can't even pull wires and hook up outlets...and then have an electrician hook everything up.
Am I missing some loophole here?

I have absolutely no problem getting a permit and having my work inspected, but I'm not even allowed to do that, even though it's MY house!
Just really makes me mad that I don't even have the option to do the work even if I do it up to code.

MountainDon · May 18, 2009, 06:31:54 PM

Here in NM, the same department that issues the regular permit for the foundation/framing will issue an electrical permit to a homeowner IF the owner builder takes and passes a written test (multiple choice). Ditto for the plumbing. Separate fee and inspections for both. The power company will connect to the grid and install the meter after the electrical inspection passes. The power company will also install a temporary pole/meter during construction in order to have power for tools. Fee for that too.

Here in NM, it does not have to be a primary residence. However, it must be your property and you must be doing all the work yourself (owner-builder); no farming out any work to others, no asking a friend to do it for you. At least, not officially.

May 18, 2009, 06:37:35 PM

In Oklahoma you can do your own work if you own the house. You must live in the house for 2 years before you can sell or rent it.

If it was me I'd go have my drivers licence address changed to the address of your build and put up a mailbox and have my mail forwarded there.

Beavers · May 18, 2009, 07:01:06 PM

I had that same idea Scott...just change my address. The wording on the permit application and the inspector that I talked to make it seem like I actually have to be living in the house. Sounds like it only covers remodels or additions to a house that you already live in.

Here is a link to the home owner permit application.
http://www.electrical.state.ne.us/1fmlyvrf.PDF

I don't think that I will be able to sneak anything by this inspector. He covers a four county area, and less than an hour after talking to me on the phone, he was over at my build site sneaking a peak at my work!

Do you guys think it would do any good to try to get clarification from someone over his head, or would that just get back to him, and make him really friendly to me?
I just don't understand how they can flat out deny you doing any of your own electrical work on your own home.

ScottA · May 18, 2009, 07:23:51 PM

I wonder what Glenn would do?

May 18, 2009, 08:01:30 PM

I think he'd do what he already did... dig a deep hole and put PV panels on the dirt roof.

Of course if there is an inspection that still won't work as the work would not be passed.

MountainDon · May 18, 2009, 08:07:56 PM

It sounds like the NE state electrical contractors may have lobbied the state legislature for special rules. Just like in NV all plans must be drawn up by an architect. Other places have similar protective turf laws on their books.

MikeT · May 18, 2009, 11:34:38 PM

If those are the rules, those are the rules. You can try to get a favorable interpretation, but at some point, it is either try and get the rules changed or comply.

But if faced with having to comply, I would be tempted to try and find a retired electrician or someone with a the appropriate credentials and work with them to allow you to do as much of the work on your own as possible.

I know on my garage construction project here in Portland, OR, I was allowed to do the wiring work myself. But when the inspector saw my first attempt at rough electrical work, he told me to hire someone to help me out....he listed ten things that were wrong! So I found an out of work electrician, paid him cash, used my tools and some of his, and he led me through the right way to do the project. The inspector was most pleased when he returned to see the work done much better.

With my beach house project, I am working with a retired electrician to help me lay out the project.

mt

John_M · May 19, 2009, 07:36:21 AM

Quote from: MikeT on May 18, 2009, 11:34:38 PM
So I found an out of work electrician, paid him cash, used my tools and some of his, and he led me through the right way to do the project. The inspector was most pleased when he returned to see the work done much better.

With my beach house project, I am working with a retired electrician to help me lay out the project.

mt

That is what I would do....find someone to pay directly...cash! If you call an electrician in the phone book or worse yet an electrical company...you will pay a lot of money!!

May 19, 2009, 10:32:08 AM

I would be tempted to just go ahead and do a lot of the work myself. Very, very carefully and to code. Get it about 95% done. Use portable tools when possible and run a genset when necessary.

Then call an electrician, and say "oh hell... I just found out I can't do this work myself.... give me a quote on what you would need to pull the permit and finish it for me". Don't tell the electrician this until he's on site. Check the local classifieds for a semi-retired electrician type.

Of course you risk losing all your materials, but I would bet you would find someone who would work with you.

-f-

P.S. I HATE THE GESTAPO BUILDING PERMIT / LICENSE RACKET. I once looked into seeing what it would take for me to get a GB2 contractors license. The bottom line is that I can't get one without spending 2 years of my life working for a contractor. Doesn't matter that I have permitted and built multiple structures for myself. I don't qualify. However, a kid who can't add 2+2 who has been pushing a broom for 2 years can go take the test and get a license.

chinookpass · May 19, 2009, 01:05:23 PM

Don't ever piss off the inspector, don't try to hide things or lie and BE NICE.
The person that comes out to your job site is not the person that wrote the codes, he or she is
just doing their job. Keep the job site clean and free of clutter, as far as doing
some of the work yourself, ask around, you may be find a electrician who will work for cash
on a weekend or afterhours and will let you pull cable and mount boxes ect. The guys at local
lumber yard know lots of people ,ask them.

NM_Shooter · May 20, 2009, 05:20:32 PM

Quote from: chinookpass on May 19, 2009, 01:05:23 PM
Don't ever piss off the inspector,

Hah! Sometimes they come "pissed". When I had my rough in inspection (circa 2004), she showed up at 11a.m. and reeked of vodka. She then wrote me up for not pigtailing my neutrals. Later I find out that was a state requirement for industrial codes and not residential...none of the houses in my neighborhood had pigtailed neutrals.

Needless to say, I was rather aggravated myself.

Beavers · May 20, 2009, 07:04:53 PM

I called an electrician to get my temporary power hooked up. He said he will get the permit, and come out and make sure the work I did is up to code.(I've got the NEC book, and I'm 99% sure it is)

The electrical union must have a lot a clout in this state to make sure that all new construction is done by them! Seems pretty stupid to have to pay an electrician to get work that I did passed by the inspector. Oh well...I need power at the jobsite, don't want to have to run the generator the whole time.

I'm just glad that I found out about this now. I have my building permit, and had no idea that I needed an electrical permit as well. I would of wired my whole house, and then call the utility company to have them hook up the power, and THEN found out that I had no permit, and wasn't even allowed to do the work to begin with. Would of been a nightmare...ripping apart walls to uncover wiring, ect. yikes!

Okie_Bob · May 26, 2009, 05:07:58 PM

I can't wait to hear what Glenn says about this!!!!! That will be real fun!!!
Okie Bob
PS: where is the old troglyte anyway? ( or however you spell it)

May 27, 2009, 03:57:30 AM

I'm sure glad we don't have inspections here. The only thing they care about is the septic tank.

Don_P · May 27, 2009, 07:04:00 AM

That is why we have onerous inspections elsewhere and why your children or grandchildren will have them. "Either we all hang together or assuredly we shall each hang seperately."

At any given time about 3% of the population is in contact with the building department. They whine and complain then forget to hold the door for those behind them. It is ultimately our own fault

.

Erin · May 27, 2009, 09:16:32 AM

Quote from: Susan on the Osage Plains on May 27, 2009, 03:57:30 AM
I'm sure glad we don't have inspections here. The only thing they care about is the septic tank.

Here too. Either in this part of Nebraska or in Kansas, where we're actually building.
Kansas demands the septic inspection. Nebraska (our county anyway) doesn't demand anything except that you don't build in the flood plain.

In fact, when the power co. brought in our pole, the guy looked at my DH who is obviously a working cowboy and asked, "You doin' the work yourself?" And didn't bat an eye with DH said, "Yep."

Beavers · May 27, 2009, 10:50:23 AM

Erin,

My county doesn't have any inspections either, but this it the State Electrical Board.

Here is link to their website.
http://www.electrical.state.ne.us/

You guys lucked out that the power company didn't require a state inspection first. (they are supposed to)
I hope you guys can stay under the radar on this, but it would really suck have the State inspector come in after you did most of your electrical work, and make you rip it out!

I hope you have better luck than I did.

Erin · May 27, 2009, 09:01:38 PM

To clarify, we're actually building in Kansas. That's where the poles were placed.
And no one in my county courthouse (in Neb) is aware of a required electrical inspection!

I asked, when we were looking at land in Nebraska.

Susan on the Osage Plains · May 28, 2009, 03:39:11 AM

I'm in Kansas also. After the storm put half our roof on the other side of the road, they turned off our power. We called them a week later, told them we had bypassed and they came out and turned it on while we were NOT THERE.

If you live in town,,,,,,,,,,that is entirely another story. Out in the county...........it's different. I know the gas company is somewhat persnickity. I think I'll ask my brothers best friend who works there and installs gas lines to houses if we can have them run it from their line onto our property, let us run it the rest of the way to where they want the meter and then have them hook it to the house...........

If I go down and take the test, I can install my own septic tank.........Can't be any worse than the one that my brother (who was capable just didn't have the time) hired. He has standing water from his laterals 50 feet from his house.

I copied and pasted this:

Summary: Kansas has no state-wide residential building code, and although the commercial building code specifies the 2006 IECC, there is no enforcement mechanism in the statute.

May 28, 2009, 09:12:32 AM

Quote from: Erin on May 27, 2009, 09:01:38 PM
To clarify, we're actually building in Kansas.

Oops...I should of read your first post closer.

Alasdair · May 28, 2009, 01:11:25 PM

I'm more or less in the same boat as you Beavers, wan't to do my own but need that all important and expensive little stamp on a bit of paper. I'm planning to go with Shooter's plan and go right ahead and do it and try to get someone with the right ticket to sign me off afterwards.

I find myself a little conflicted about a lot of these licences, permits and inspections - I believe there is a need for some regulation to stop people harming themselves, others and the environment (fire risks, polluting water supplies etc) but quite frankly almost all of it is a total bloody con and waaay over priced.

llamaman · June 09, 2009, 09:33:13 PM

Hi beavers
I have just got clobbered with the same news. I have already purchased a lot of my wire and other supplies. Im in central Ne between Kearney and Minden. I emailed my inspector and asked if he needed to see the house ground connection to the rebar in my footing before I pored the cement and was told I could not do my own wiring. That was a big surprise. Now what to do?

I was thinking I would move in to my house before I start wiring,

a bed a toilet and a mail box is all I need. Then what could they do? Its my principal residence. Right? Do I have to spend every day in my principal residence? Maybe Ill stay week ends they do not need to know how often I stay.
I have been trying to call my inspector for a couple of days now to see if this will work and have not reached him yet but im hoping it will.
Let me know if you find a way around this please thanks mike

Beavers · June 10, 2009, 05:32:59 PM

I'm thinking of doing the same thing llamaman. Get moved in then do the electrical work. I can run a couple of extension cords from the teporary power pole to use in the meantime.

I figure this move will probably piss off the inspector...since I'm "trying to beat the system". The way the law reads though, it looks like they have no choice but to let me do my own work then.

Be sure to let me know if you find any loopholes in this...I'll let you know if I have any luck also.

MountainDon · June 12, 2009, 12:03:50 PM

If you are in an inspection area, them more than likely the department that issues permits, etc also issues a Certificate of Occupancy once all the inspections are completed satisfactorily. That's where they'll get you; you can not live in the space until you get the CO; you can't get the CO until inspections are passed...

Catch 22 all over again.

G/L