Pete C. wrote:

I've also seen horrendous work done by people who should have known
what they were doing. My current house is an example and I've
remediated the various electrical work done by a former utility
lineman owner. Granted utilities go by the NESC, but they should know
enough to read the NEC for their home projects. I have copies of both
on my bookshelf and I'm neither an electrician nor a lineman, I just
research properly so I know what I'm doing.

So, you know what you're doing because you've read the code. That almost
sounds as if the right way to do it is found in the code, which naturally
raises the question of why living in an area not subject to the code would
be a good thing....