ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Business Related Discussion Unusual request to pull a permit...

So you "are allowed" to do some of the work and then his employees will do the rest? And he is willing to compensate you for the handling of the permit stuff? Oh, and you can inspect his employees work too!
My "gut" feeling is...walk away!!! You will get to do the first 1, 2, or 3 units then his guys will mimic what you have done. He is getting the work done a lot cheaper than having you do it, you got the permit (solved another problem for him) and you will be pre-inspecting the work so that he can get green tags. Makes him look like a reputable EC and you have taken all the responsibility and you will in effect be training his crew. And for how much????
If you really want to do this, I would work for him as an employee (salaried or hourly) have him pay for your fuel, etc. and have him carry all liabilty, workmans comp, etc. In addition to that, I would want a percentage of the profit on the 250 units. Remember you are facilitating him being able to do this job by pulling the permits in the first place and you are training his people as well!

Well that is my 2 cents for what it is worth.

WhiteRook

Anyone doing electrical work needs to be properly licensed, if they aren't then they need to have direct supervision, such as an apprentice/journeyman situation. Direct supervision is defined as within sight of. This means that any unlicensed person must have a licensed person working with them at all times. I would be very hesitant to enter into an arrangement such as this from a liability standpoint not to mention the hairy business arrangement.

Thanks again to everybody for the input.

Many of you have voiced some of the concerns I have with this arrangement. Just to clarify, the idea was to pull a permit for a single (big) basement remodel, not the 200+ unit condo complex... my good nature and buddy relationship have some limits...

Calls into to attorney and insurance for "informational purposes only".

Doug, I guess it's really none of our business how you choose to operate. However since you brought it up here it brings us into it. To me it does not matter what the job is, condo complex or basement, you would not be less dead in one or the other should a situation arise. Pulling a permit on your license for someone else to do the work is wrong and in some places illegal. In Massachusetts you sign the permit application under the "Pains and Penalties of perjury". Which, unless you happen to be Bill Clinton means you lie, you in trouble. All that aside to take your license, which you earned, and let someone who is not qualified and has not earned a license borrow it cheapens your license (and the trade in general) to nothing more than a peice of paper with your name on it. It also says alot about a persons ethical standards or lack there of. No good deed goes unpunished!

[This message has been edited by Electricmanscott (edited 05-25-2005).]

I recently bid a commercial project to an out of state contractor that I had worked with previously. There were to be fourty of these to be built in my state alone. I thought this was just the ruse to get a cheap low price. About two days later an out of state EC buddy of his called me and had a job in my state that he wanted me to pull a permit for. I immediately dropped the afore mentioned job file in the trash. It occured to me that if I had just ridden in on the proverbial turnip truck, I shouldn't be that hungry yet. Why is it that all of these guys think they are always the first to tell you about the grand and glorious things to come, and if you do something real stupid right now you will become the one that they will want to spread their wealth upon???? Show me a little good faith and let me make some money now on this one!!!

[This message has been edited by watthead (edited 05-27-2005).]