Yes! They needed a permit for this job, just call your local Muncipal
Construction Official and ask him, (this will cost you nothing). I
agree with you that the state should have "level 1,2,3" licensing,
since any romex jockey can wire a high rise building with the license
thay have now. Just for peace of mind, (I feel you got a fair price for
the job), just go price copper wire at Home Cheapo, then call a few
electrical contractors "out of the book" and see if they return calls.
Your job is done, it works, and you paid a fair price, You are a lucky
man! Just check out www.MySturdyBuiltGarage.com if you want to see
"jobs gone bad".





ET1742 wrote:
I think you may have missed the point.

No, they didn't get a permit. Are you saying a permit is required even if
an electrician replaces an outlet or light switch, or does any other small
amount of repair work in a private residence?

This was the first and only electrical contractor I called. And, yes, I was
glad they answered the phone when I called, glad the owner understood what I
needed to have done, and glad they said they could send someone out that day
or the next morning at the latest even though it wasn't an emergency or rush
job. When the kid arrived to do the work at 3:30 PM, he said it would take
at least 2 or 3 hours, so he couldn't do it that day because he would be
there until 6 PM. Instead, he said he'll write up a work order and come
back and do it the next day. All of that took 20 or 25 minutes. The job
itself took him just under 40 minutes -- start to finish. So, my thinking
was simply that I thought he was coming out to do the work on the first day
and if he had done it when he showed up as expected it would have taken him
from 3:30 to somewhere between 4:10 and 4:30. If he then said the cost was
$200 plus materials (22 feet of 220 wire), say $225, I would have thought
that was fine. It would have meant that he showed up, he did the work, his
charge was reasonable enough, and I could count on calling the same company
again and again.

As far as, "Be happy you found someone just to give you a price, let alone
come out and do the job", I was glad about that part, but I don't think I
should feel thrilled about it simply because there is an electrical
contractor out there who is willing to do a small job for a homeowner.
Maybe we should make it easier in New Jersey for people to become licensed
electricians. Then there would be more of them and I wouldn't have to feel
so privileged that a licensed electrician was willing to give me a price and
do a job. Maybe there should be 3 types of electrician licenses -- a
licensed residential electrician (Level 1), a licensed commercial and
residential electrician (Level 2), and a licensed electrical contractor
(Level 3).

"chuckster" wrote in message
ups.com...
I don't know where in N.J you live but....Try to find an electrician
who will do a dinky, "low priced" job like this, and you will come up
empty. Be happy you found someone just to give you a price, let alone
come out and do the job. I was an Electrical Contractor in N.J. (since
retired in 1999) and I never did a job of any size for less than $300
in labor, I figured on a half day, even if it took me two hours. I
never worked T&M because the customer ALWAYS thought he was getting
fu@ked. My policy was simple: Bid it, write it up, sign the contract,
do the job, and get paid. All this bitchin on a news group (and you
have the right) is "not a nice thing" to do, since the man did the job
for you and came back like he said he was going to. I really want to
know if the electrician took out a permit, and had the work inspected
by the Municipality. (that is the law in N.J) You are the type of
person that Electrical Contractors or any Contractor want to avoid, and
the MAIN reason they don't return phone calls. Next time you want some
work done around the house, go to, Perth Amboy, New Brunswick, Jersey
City, or any city, and pull up to a corner with a sign that says:
"Electrician Wanted, Will pay $100 for the day" and I am sure you will
find a few takers that will start bidding at lower prices, Just
remember to take your Spanish 101 book with you, supply transportation,
tools, materials, and water. Oh I forgot, you are on your own as far as
insurance goes, so make sure they don't get hurt, or do any damage.





ET1742 wrote:
"PipeDown" wrote in message
.net...

Consider also that a given electrician may not actually be able to find
40
hours a week of work all year round. Or that a company cannot keep all
of
its technicians on site all of the time.

It seems electricians cost a bit more than plumbers and the going rate
in
San Jose is $100 for them.

$175 for the first two hours is high but acceptable. If he had to do
lots
of work or wanted to charge that for an assistant too, then I would put
the brakes on. As long as he is not charging for travel at that rate
it
might be OK also. If you live far from his office, he might build the
transit and setup time into the hourly on site rate. Consider what it
costs to fill the tank on a F250 or F350 work truck, it aint cheap.

Thanks. His office/business is located about a block and a half from my
house and less than 2 1/2 miles from the job site.

If his charge was $100/hour, I could understand that.