Using Licensed Electrician for Design Only


  #1  
Old 03-01-13, 02:52 AM
K
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: United States
Posts: 1
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Using Licensed Electrician for Design Only

Has anyone had any luck getting an electrician to just do drawings and design, then doing the implementation yourself, and having in the end good luck with the inspector?
 

Last edited by Nashkat1; 03-01-13 at 08:48 PM.
  #2  
Old 03-01-13, 04:45 AM
chandler's Avatar
Banned. Rule And/Or Policy Violation
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: USA
Posts: 36,607
Upvotes: 0
Received 9 Upvotes on 8 Posts
You probably wouldn't use an electrician for design, although they can do it. I would consider an architect to make drawings including the electrical needs you specify. It will be in blueprint form so it would be easily readable. There are parameters electricians must adhere to when installing components. That is not a problem. It appears, however, you are looking to electrical "design", and it would be what YOU want, and not what is required by code.
 
  #3  
Old 03-01-13, 05:33 AM
M
Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: USA
Posts: 929
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Is this for a house you're building or planning to build? If you know some basics of the NEC (and you must if you intend to do the installation yourself), you could probably lay out the electrical yourself. That's what my wife and I did when we built our log home a few years ago. Once we finished all the framing, we went through each room and marked where outlets, switches, and fixtures would go, which switches would be three-way, which outlets would be switched, etc. Then I drew a very simple hand sketch showing what circuits would be needed, what amperage for each, and breaker type (regular, GFCI, AFCI).

I had intended to do the installation entirely by myself, but in the interest of it not taking forever (I'm not a pro) I hired a Master electrician friend to help me. He looked at the layout and my sketch and didn't recommend a single change.
 
  #4  
Old 03-01-13, 08:52 PM
Nashkat1's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 7,458
Upvotes: 0
Received 6 Upvotes on 5 Posts
Welcome to the forums!

Has anyone had any luck getting an electrician to just do drawings and design, then doing the implementation yourself, and having in the end good luck with the inspector?
Designing an electrical system is a job for an electrical engineer. Electricians are responsible for doing the installation.

Most jurisdictions require an EE's stamp on an electrical plan before they will review it.
 
  #5  
Old 03-02-13, 04:42 AM
M
Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: USA
Posts: 929
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
Isn't the "design" of an electrical system entirely dictated by code requirements and not by engineering principles? I've never even heard of an electrical plan, at least not for a residence. There's certainly no such requirement where I live. My electrical system was "designed" as I explained in my earlier post; there was no review except by the electrician I hired, and no approval by anyone. Of course, it did have to pass inspection, which it did.
 
  #6  
Old 03-02-13, 02:10 PM
Nashkat1's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 7,458
Upvotes: 0
Received 6 Upvotes on 5 Posts
Isn't the "design" of an electrical system entirely dictated by code requirements and not by engineering principles?
No. The requirements that have been adopted by each local jurisdiction set the minimum standards that must be met for approval.

I've never even heard of an electrical plan, at least not for a residence.
There always is one. It may only state that "all work must conform to the 2009 Electrical Code of East Armbuckle County," but it exists.

There's certainly no such requirement where I live.
Yes, there is. See below.

My electrical system was "designed" as I explained in my earlier post; there was no review except by the electrician I hired, and no approval by anyone. Of course, it did have to pass inspection, which it did.
If there was no plan, there would have been nothing to permit and nothing to inspect.
 
  #7  
Old 03-02-13, 02:18 PM
M
Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: USA
Posts: 929
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
In my jurisdiction, there is no separate permit for electrical. In fact, there's no separate permit for anything, only a single permit to build an entire house. I still have the blueprints the log home company drew up, and there is nothing electrical on them. So the only "plan" was as I have already explained. I do understand that other jurisdictions may be more strict.
 
  #8  
Old 03-02-13, 03:05 PM
Nashkat1's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 7,458
Upvotes: 0
Received 6 Upvotes on 5 Posts
I understand. Residential permits, particularly for new construction, sometimes include all of the work in one permit number. That said, there's more to a permit application than the drawings. There are also specifications, and those usually include specs for the electrical, mechanical and plumbing work. YMMV.
 
  #9  
Old 03-02-13, 05:33 PM
M
Member
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: USA
Posts: 929
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes on 0 Posts
OK, let's call this a draw. It's obvious the rules where I live are quite different than what you're talking about. Gotta love WV, I guess.
 
  #10  
Old 03-02-13, 05:42 PM
chandler's Avatar
Banned. Rule And/Or Policy Violation
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: USA
Posts: 36,607
Upvotes: 0
Received 9 Upvotes on 8 Posts
Gotta love WV, I guess
Yeah, y'all don't measure in "miles", but in "minutes". Chevron???, Yeah it's 13 minutes east. Roads are too curvy for miles. Chevron is only 3 miles away
 
  #11  
Old 03-03-13, 06:39 AM
CasualJoe's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: United States
Posts: 9,871
Received 185 Upvotes on 166 Posts
In my jurisdiction, there is no separate permit for electrical. In fact, there's no separate permit for anything, only a single permit to build an entire house.
I've seen integrated permits more than just a few times. In some rural areas I have seen an entire house built and finished with the only inspection being as the new homeowner was about to take possession on closing. The one small town I am thinking of sent the dog catcher out on the inspection day to see if the lights worked and toilets flushed. "Passed!"

That being said, many contractors have design/build capabilities, but generally those contractors will not design or do drawings or seal drawings for other contractors or individuals to work from. It's an insurance thing; Errors and Omissions insurance isn't cheap.
 
 

Thread Tools
Search this Thread
 
Ask a Question
Question Title:
Description:
Your question will be posted in: