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Can a homeowner perform electrical work in MA?

125K views 77 replies 37 participants last post by  AtlanticWBConst. 
#1 ·
A question on Massachusetts electrical code... Can a homeowner perform electrical work (and pull a permit) in their single family owner occupied home?

I see some MA town websites saying all electrical work must be performed by a licensed electrician. I see other MA town websites that say that a homeowner can perform work... as long as the homeowner is working on his/her house and it is a single family primary residence.

Anyone know the truth?

Thanks...
 
#35 ·
Dude, don't get yer panties in a bunch. I was just bustin' your chops a little. I'm sure you do great work, and even if you don't I couldn't care less.

My point, and the only reason I'm even involved in this thread, was to encourage everyone to pull a permit and get inspections. The thought that permits and inspections are for professionals only is ridiculous. I think this is a point that you and I are in agreement on.

The rest of post was just me defending my profession a little that's all. I'm real proud of you that you know how to do a little residential wiring. It isn't rocket science, and is about as basic as electrical work gets. Receptacles. and lights, wow, look out!

I don't make my living wiring houses, I am a commercial/industrial service electrician, the only residential work I do are small favors for existing commercial/industrial customers and side work for friends/family.

I just find it funny when weekend warriors tell me all about how much they know about code or think they are master electricians because they have conquered the three way switch. There is much more to being an electrician than wiring houses.

Like I said, I'm sure you're the best thing to happen to the electrical world since the invention of the wirenut. I didn't realize you were so sensitive, and I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings.

Now if you'll excuse me I just watched a couple of episodes of ER and I'm going to run over to the Hospital to tell the doctors all the stuff I know about being a trauma surgeon.
 
#36 ·
Yes, I fully agree on the permits & inspections
Here we have to sign a paper as a homeowner doing our own work
If any issues are found then the Inspector can request an electrician is brought in to remedy the problem
So basically if you know what you are doing no problem
If your work is junk then you have to hire an electrician
Seems fair to me...funny thing is my BIL, who is very detail orientated - had to hire an electrician to finish his work per Inspector
He actually works in electronics ( has (had ?) his own company - but boat repair - radar etc

If you had read some of my other posts you would know that I have admitted that I probably know 10% of what is required to become an electrician
Since that includes commercial - which I have not researched
Could I do it....sure
Yes house wiring is fairly simple...especially if you can do it :wink:
I guess you'll be a doctor next....good luck
 
#37 ·
Yes, I fully agree on the permits & inspections
Here we have to sign a paper as a homeowner doing our own work
If any issues are found then the Inspector can request an electrician is brought in to remedy the problem
So basically if you know what you are doing no problem
If your work is junk then you have to hire an electrician
Seems fair to me...funny thing is my BIL, who is very detail orientated - had to hire an electrician to finish his work per Inspector
He actually works in electronics ( has (had ?) his own company - but boat repair - radar etc
That's how it should be. If you are capable of doing your own work, great. If you are going to kill yourself or someone else with your work, hire someone!
If you had read some of my other posts you woull know that I have admitted that I probably know 10% of what is required to become an electrician
Since that includes commercial - which I have not researched
Could I do it....sure
Yes house wiring is fairly simple...especially if you can do it
I guess you'll be a doctor next....good luck
I have read plenty of your posts, and you are a well informed DIYer. Like I said before, I'm just having a little fun with you. :thumbup:

No hard feelings I hope.:thumbsup:

I had an emergency appendectomy on Saturday and have some free time on my hands now since I won't be able to work for a couple of weeks.(actually, can barely move off the couch)

I've been stirring the pot on here and some of the other forums I belong too. You'll probably see a lot of me over the next couple of weeks. (I'm sooooo freaking bored). Don't take anything I say too personally, it's probably the Percocet talking.:laughing:

Take care, have a good holiday!
 
#38 ·
LOL!! Being an AHJ you are correct when you stated that a permit has to be pulled for all work. A homeowner cannot be denied a permit to perform work in his own single family home. I issue permits to homeowners but they are told they have one crack at their attempt to do the work. If I am called to inspect the rough and I find a violations they are told to cease all work, get an electrician and I cancel the permit.

My job is to protect the safety of the public. I probably can go into any person's home and find some type of code violation. A simple plate or box cover missing is a code violation. But if a homeowner wants to do their own work and not pull a permit and get the work inspected whose lives are they endangering.

Case in poit, several years ago at 2 AM I got a call from the Fire Department about a house fire. The fire started in the finished basement it was concluded that it was an electrical fire. Several weeks later an Insurance Investgator came into the office and asked to see all permits for the home. There were not any permits for the basement bathroom or the finished basement. The homeowner admitted to the insurance company that other than the plumbing he did all the work. The insurance company did not pay on the claim. So for a simple $50 permit he lost he had an out of pocket expense of 30K.
 
#39 ·
That's the ONE main reason I always pull a permit
It's the long run you need to worry about
People are worried about paying more taxes when they improve their home
But that's how it works, make your home more valuable you pay more taxes
I thought of not pulling a permit for my 3 story addition...but thought they just might notice :laughing:

EBFD6 - I guarantee you I am more bored
Now that the cold & snow are in work on the addition has ceased
I've got cabin fever & need to get back into FT work
No hard feelings, I'm very sure that electicians run into LOTS of DIY work that falls well below any Min standard
I experienced it myself at my last house :(
I've met people that should not even have a drivers permit
Best wishes on a speedy recovery

I almost wish that there was a little test homeowners had to take before being issued a permit
Even as simple as normal colors of wire, gauges to use etc
But more Govt is not always a good thing

I think I am done with the little Christmas shopping I had to do (for wife)
Wife shops for our son
Plus I've reviewed the 2 DVD's players she bought & she can now return them :whistling2:
I did pick one out....she didn't get it...these were $10 less.....:no:
 
#42 ·
We are on a subject which is a topic of conversation at least every day during breakfast or lunch between we Licensed Contractors. I will go out on a (probably big/thick) limb and say "Each municipal jurisdiction has it's own codes/requirements as to work done under different trades, while each municipality (probably) cannot violate State Laws". Around here, a homeowner-not renter/leaser's, may do any electrical work on his/her own home. In the county I live in the homeowner does not have to pull any permit for electrical. Withing the City Limits, which are withing the County, a permit must be pulled by the homeowner for doing the work themselves. Hmmm, within the three counties which border ours--The principal homeowner does not have to pull permits and can do the electrical work themselves on their own home. Sound too easy? There is a catch, and a good one--IF either of the three (3) local power companies around here have to pull the meter for any of this work, the meter cannot be replaced without an inspection by a Licensed Electrician and proper paperwork signed off by the L.E. Good deal IMO. Plumbing is a different story-homeowner/renters/leaser's may only do minor interior plumbing repair jobs without pulling permits. We have three (3) real plumbing supply houses here which discourage homeowners from buying from them. But legally they cannot refuse. HVAC is a totally different area here. It's very restricted. I stay confused--which is more dangerous to work with: Electrical, Plumbing, or HVAC? The local HVAC contractors are working together again to have the big apron stores barred from selling any "parts" which would be for HVAC work. The had this done some years ago, and when HD came into town (Yep-across from Lowe's), HD fought and won the right to sell a lot of HVAC type materials. I will go on record as being opposed to "Federal Government Universal Health-Care" but would like to see some type of Universal Language as to proper permitting of trades and some type of Language on "Homeowner's Rights" as to what they can or cannot do on their own primary residence. Merry Christmas, David
 
#44 ·
The problem is you won't get a CO on an addition unless you have the electric inspected
So sort of a Catch 22
Several people have run into an area where they will not issue a permit
I actually welcome the Inspection (sort of)
I know they won't catch everything, but the Inspector around here is pretty good

I think I have a very good Building Dept
I guess maybe they know me better then most homeowners :laughing:
 
#54 ·
homeowners in MA

Not sure if anyone is still following this thread. If so, you may consider reading Chapter 141 of the M.G.L. (Massachusetts General Law) and see all work must be performed by a licensed Journeyman Electrician. Section 1 states: Section 1A. No person, firm or corporation shall enter into, engage in, or work at the business or occupation of installing wires, conduits, apparatus, devices, fixtures, or other appliances for carrying or using electricity for light, heat, power, fire warning or security system purposes, unless such person, firm or corporation shall be licensed by the state examiners of electricians in accordance with this chapter and, with respect to security systems, unless such person, firm or corporation shall also be licensed by the commissioner of public safety in accordance with the provisions of sections fifty-seven to sixty-one, inclusive, of chapter one hundred and forty-seven. I believe a homeowner falls in the category of 'person'. Also, the inspector of wires is as responsible as the electrician should the inspector deem the electrician's work as adequate. Proper training, education, experience and licensing minimize one's risk of liability. In one post the 'homeowner' stated he was comfortable with his DIY wiring. A reply questioned the safety of future owners. What about the safety of his visitors and guests? Trust a properly trained, qualified, licensed and insured professional. WB
 
#55 ·
No person, firm or corporation shall enter into, engage in, or work at the business or occupation of
This has been debated over & over
I'm a homeowner...I'm not running a business...so I am allowed to work on my own home

I dealt with a licensed properly trained electrician
I spent 3 days cleaning up his mess & took me 3 weeks to get back my $50 wire cutters he took with him
 
#60 ·
I called the building dept in my town in MA and the electrical inspector can pull permits for homeowners. It costs $40. He of course can approve or disapprove it. I hope he lets homeowners do their own work, within reason. I can't afford an electrican to come in and do every little thing. I am new at electrical work, but I have an electrical background, am conscientious, and feel like I can do a good job.

How does the permit process carry out for a typical homeowner doing their own work? In my case, I want to replace old 2-wire NM with grounded wire. So I apply and pay for the permit, do the work, and have the inspector come look at it? Or do they inspect your work at different stages of the project?

What if, at some point during my work, I decide to modify a little more wiring, beyond what I described in the app. Would the EI give me hell for doing something I technically didn't apply for?

In my house most of the wiring is old, but some of it looks newer, probably done within the past few years. Would the EI ever call into question the newer wiring, and ask if a permit was pulled for it?
 
#61 ·
Just call up the inspector and ask. Being on good terms with the inspector goes a long way. If you want to do a little more work or change something, give him a call and he'll let you know if you if it's covered under the permit or if he is going to amend it.

He might call into question the newer wiring, that is why being open and upfront with your intentions will help you. You might have an inspector that doesn't give a crap or you might have one that inspects everything with a microscope. Either way, letting him know that you are doing everything by the book will help.
 
#63 ·
Is is true that you can start electrical work prior to pulling a permit?

The electrian who is doing work on my house told me he has 5 days to obtain a permit, he's doing the work now. I thought that was rather odd.

Also, once work is complete, it needs to be inspected by city inspector?
Can some one please advice.
 
#70 ·
lol.... there is one you should probably bookmark, Dave.

That must have taken some research! If it's anything like my State Codes, what a headache.....

Welcome to the forum, Mashole.

Gary
 
#71 ·
Planning ahead

I live in MA and am about to pull a permit for finishing my basement. I want to do the electrical work myself and spoke to the wiring inspector today. I can confirm most of what was said on this board. I have the right to pull the permit, but I already met some resistance. He said that "he often runs into problems with homeowners doing the work and advises my to get a licensed electrician".
That said, I am wondering if I need to be worried about "preexistng" work in my home that might cause me problems at inspection time. The wiring in and around the panel looks more like the negative example photo that was posted earlier.
The house was new when I bought it 5 years ago and of course all this was inspected before, but: should I invite the inspector to "sign off" on the prior work before I start, so that he can't deny his signature on the grounds of something that I did not do? Has anybody run into this? I assume I can take pictures of everything before I start, but I'd rather save myself the hassle.
 
#72 ·
You might want to contact the inspector and see if he would look at what you have and what you propose to do, before you start work. Doesn't hurt to ask. Either way, taking before and after pictures is an excellent idea.
 
#73 ·
Does anyone have experience pulling electrical permits in the actual city of Boston. The website says that electrical permits need to be pulled by a licensed electrician, but of course that contradicts the MGL. I'm wondering if anyone has actual personal experience with inspective services.
 
#74 ·
Finish work?

I had an electrician pull a permit, and do all the rough work. all was inspected and we put up the walls. He came back to start the finish work, got most of it done, and then disappeared. I finally got a hold of him and he informed me that his company is being sued (internal conflict between partners) and he wont be able to finish.

There are a few outlets and switches left. Can I finish it up and call for the final myself and remove the original electrician from the permit?

I am in Natick Ma.
 
#78 ·
I had an electrician pull a permit, and do all the rough work. all was inspected and we put up the walls. He came back to start the finish work, got most of it done, and then disappeared. I finally got a hold of him and he informed me that his company is being sued (internal conflict between partners) and he wont be able to finish.

There are a few outlets and switches left. Can I finish it up and call for the final myself and remove the original electrician from the permit?

I am in Natick Ma.
Don't ask us - we cannot speak for your town.

There is a good chance the inspector may allow it, but then also want you to designate which switches and outlets you finished.....

Check with your local electrical inspector to get the yay or nay on that.
 
#75 ·
I've read this 5 page thread, read the MGL sections that apply, and have the following question:

The actual ability for a homeowner to pull a permit in the governing town/city/etc seems to vary. If I live in a town whose inspector says - "No, we don't give permits to homeowners" - what is my recourse?

I have done home electrical work that has been inspected and passed a bunch of times before, a few here in MA, once in NJ. I would like my work to be inspected, not only to ensure its correct, but also so that homeowners insurance is not compromised.

Before I approach my town's inspector, what are the *facts* here? Thanks.
 
#76 ·
I've read this 5 page thread, read the MGL sections that apply, and have the following question:

The actual ability for a homeowner to pull a permit in the governing town/city/etc seems to vary. If I live in a town whose inspector says - "No, we don't give permits to homeowners" - what is my recourse?

I have done home electrical work that has been inspected and passed a bunch of times before, a few here in MA, once in NJ. I would like my work to be inspected, not only to ensure its correct, but also so that homeowners insurance is not compromised.

Before I approach my town's inspector, what are the *facts* here? Thanks.
527 CMR 12.00 (Massachussets Electrical Code) Admendment 90.6
90.6 Interpretations and Appeals. To promote uniformity of interpretation and application of the provisions of this Code, interpretations may be requested from the Board of Fire Prevention Regulations. Requests for interpretation shall be in the form of a question that can receive a "Yes" or "No" answer. This in no way supersedes the right of any individual who is aggrieved by the decision of an Inspector of Wires to appeal from that decision to the Board of Electricians' Appeals in accordance with M.G.L. c. 143, § 3P. The Board of Fire Prevention Regulations shall, upon the request of the Board of Electricians' Appeals, render interpretations to the Board of Electricians' Appeals.

Ask the question: Can the owner of a standalone, owner occupied single family residence perform their own eletrical work?
If owner of a standalone, owner occupied single family residence perform their own eletrical work performs their own eletrical work, do they require a permit?

In Massachusetts Cities and Towns derive authority from the state. Under MGL 143 Section 3L, for uniformity permitting, the permiting process is a State Function, enforced by the local Inspector of Wires. In theory this means that determining if you can perform your own electrical work should NOT vary from one town to the next.

Problem 1: No where does the law allow or deny a home owner from performing there own electrical work.
MGL 143 Section 3L specifically says "for hire" and MGL 141 Section 1A (Electrician Licensing) says "engage in, or work at the business or occupation of installing wires...". So the law only deals with professionals not home owners and unlike the plumbing code which specifically prohibits unlicensed work, the electrical codes do not address non-professionals.

Problem 2: 527 CMR 12.00 Rule 1
All installations, repairs and maintenance of electrical wiring and electrical fixtures used for light, heat, power, signaling and communications purposes in buildings and structures subject to the provisions of M.G.L. c. 143 shall be reasonably safe to persons and property.
Many Inspectors of Wires interpret this to mean they have broad authority, including authority to require licenses electricians, especially in the Democratic Republic of Cambridge and the like.

Problem 3: The permit application requires the signature of a licensed electrician. It's a catch-22. You don't need a permit becasue you aren't a professional, but if you "do the right thing" you can't apply for a permit. So, in reality the inspector is not rejecting your application, becasue you are a homeowner, but because it fails to meet form.

Problem 4: The rights of the home owner are not in the code, but in case law (court decisions). I'm still looking for the case, that basically didn't so much grant homeowners the right to do their own electrical work, but for public safety extended the permitting and inspection process to owner performed work. When I find it I'll add it.

Problem 5: Don't piss off the inspector, he can make your life miserable. A good way to win him over is to show him a detailed plan that shows 1) you know what your doing and 2) you know and planned for the quirks of your house. The MA application does not require plans.

Useful links:
MA Adoption of NEC 2011 public notice as required by law: http://www.nema.org/stds/fieldreps/codealerts/20110224ma.cfm
MGL 143 Section 3L (The Official Unofficial Law on Electrical Inspection) http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXX/Chapter143/Section3l
527 CMR 12.00 (Massachussets Electrical Code and NEC Admendments) http://www.lawlib.state.ma.us/source/mass/cmr/cmrtext/527CMR12.pdf
 
#77 ·
Came on this thread with interest and it even prompted me to sign up here... I've always lived in much "mellower" states than MA but now facing a situation where I might want to do some work on my own house... I've kinda been warned about the anti-DIY sentiment you can run into in places but hoping its not too bad.

To the inspector who says "I give homeowners one shot to get it absolutely perfect and if they don't then I screw them" - well thats a really great way to encourage people to not ever go near you. Real smart. I mean you COULD actually give people valuable input and advice so they learn from your inspection and learn to do things right and get rewarded for dealing with you... and you COULD constructively point out why you can't pass them yet and even advise them to go work with a licensed electrician to finish the job without being punitive about it, but nawww who'd want that. Instead just prove how smart and powerful you are - that's a much better idea. :no:

Anyway... our place is old ungrounded stuff everywhere and with more than a few legacy polarity faults from original construction 70 years ago or whatever it was. I can't afford to pay an electrician to do everything, but we ARE paying him for parts of a renovation and putting in a new service entrance and main service panel. I am hoping to both enhance the safety as well as the capacity of the system over time myself - replacing the ungrounded service that the electrician won't be doing in the first round as well as things like expanding the service in the garage for instance.

Sadly if it comes down to the only choices be "go with the union / inspector monopoly cartel and pay full freight" or nothing, the answer for us would have to be "OK then we'll stick with crappy old less safe and more overloaded wiring". But I'm hoping there's a more sensible route in the middle.

BTW unlike some in this thread who were obviously abused by bad electricians when they were young, I have every respect for good tradesman and for safety and for high quality craftsmanship. But I also know that I am smart enough to learn the basics and do a quality job as long as I don't get over my head and I get good advice and coaching. I work with high voltage electronics sometimes (400-500-600V vacuum tube amps anyone? 1KV CRT supplies?) so I have a full appreciation of the dangers as well as some of the specific considerations involved like why ground loops are bad etc etc...

My intended approach was going to be to pay my electrician for some time to be sure my design / materials plan is up to snuff, and then have him come out and give the job an eyeball again after I'm done before having the inspector come out. I know lots of friends/family that have done that in other states, but any comments on that? Does that work in MA or am I likely to run into trouble?
 
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