How about charging what the other guys are charging? Oh yeah, he is unlicensed.

Reliable Electrical handyman skilled in all of the following:

-Lighting (Installation, Design and Layout)
-Kitchen Lighting
-Undercabinet Lighting
-New Fixtures (Recessed Cans/ Pendant/ Ceiling Fans/ Sconces, etc...)
-Appliance Electrical Hook-up (Dishwashers, Garbage Disposal, etc...)
-Outdoor lights (Motion Sensored)
-New Outlets or Switches
-Timers/ Light-Sensitive Switches
-Running Cable (Standard 12/2-12/3-etc.../ Cat5e/Cat6/ Coaxial/ Telephone)
-Small Networks
-Vonage, (VOIP) Setup and configuration to existing home phone lines
-Troubleshooting
-And much more....

I can also do other home improvement projects such as painting, plumbing, flooring, hardwood refinishing, and other things of this sort...just ask!

If you're looking for something that is not mentioned above, e-mail or call me and I can probably do it...

Rate: $28/hr OR by project-(one set price)

E-mail: Reply to the above link

Gotta love it ! AAAARRRRGGGG!!!!

I actualy replied to one, They claimed to be laid off. My advice was to charge the going rates and get insured.

In MA. The law states that on ANY advertisment, ( CO.check,Bussiness card,truck, add etc.) You MUST list your lic. #.

I look, And I call. For this very reason. We also have a very handy state web site for checking licenses, and status. By name or number.

Some think I'm a Pri*k, But just trying to feed the family and add to my toy collection.

I am not too crazy with the Craiglist because what it will do is show many HO what thier rates [ the trunkslammers ] and not our rates becuase many HO think we do rip them off.,,

Well they dont relized that we spend alot of time with traning with the latest code etc and we do make honest buck for the family to support.

Merci, Marc

Its not just the HO.

Then there is the fat EI who looks the other way. Lazy and not interested in enforcing "law".

UNTIL! "we" dont file a permit.

In my state it is against the law for anyone other than a liscensed electrician to perform "work". Said law espouses all manner of regulations and penalties etc.

The "trunkslammers" are doing just fine.

Lawmakers.

I feel your pain.
Many legitimate businesses like mine, also utilize Craigslist as another advertising medium.
The home or building owner that uses those lowbrow operators you speak of do so because they can, and are only taking one thing into account, “how much is this going to cost me”. Unfortunately, the real answer to that question sometimes comes much later on as a visit from the local fire department and their insurance adjuster.
Many homeowners in my state also don’t realize that if they hire a so called “contractor” without verifying that he has the proper liability insurance for the types of work he is performing and that person gets injured while working on their property, they are the ones who’s are liable for his injuries and any damages.
In addition, no insurance company I know of will issue commercial liability insurance for any type of electrical work without that person being duly licensed by the state.
That includes the Class-D, low-voltage installers license, in MA, which is not adequate for anything but fire and burglar alarm wiring.
I mention this because some handymen are presenting the Class-D as credentials that they are a licensed electrician in their Craigslist ads and on their websites.


I my opinion, and from my personal experience, the real problems in the electrical industry starts at the state and local government levels with the lack of uniform regulation, licensing and enforcement, and ends at the manufactures and supplier level.
I can’t say that I blame them, but manufacturers and suppliers are and have been very happy and willing to cash in on the huge DIY market and hence have flooded the field with cheap readily available electrical supplies for one and all. This easy access makes it almost impossible for an honest contractor to research suitability, spec, price, purchase, supply and install materials at anything above cost. At least in the residential and light commercial markets.
That leaves the labor rate as the only variable. Since overhead determines your labor rate, you can only work for so little before you are working for nothing.
This is where the fleabags flourish because no schooling, experience, licenses, proper insurances, inventory, ethics, etc, makes for some awesomely low overhead.
The problem of dangerous DIY’ers, handyhacks and unlicensed, uninsured, no-permit, slip-shod fly-by nighters exist in every trade. If they are unable to get materials, they are out of business. Even licensed lowball, cut throat bidders and high priced gougers would put themselves out of business because there would be no room for them with every one else competing and operating within an average median priced playing field.
I detest government regulation and wish we could all just rely on our own honesty and integrity, but you as you can see, you can’t do it alone. You need the uniform backing of state and local government, manufactures and suppliers.


JMHO

Actually, the problem is the fault of ... you and me, and those around us.

A friend recently urged me, in the strongest of terms, to let their mechanic work on my truck. He was good, and cheap, and came to you. He was cheap, because, he didn't have the expenses of a shop and real business would have.

How many of us have hired such 'trunk slammers' for ourselves? Did we really expect these guys to 'respect' our trade?

Moreover ... how many contractors keep the details of running their business secret? Do your employees KNOW where the $100/hr shop rate really goes? Or, is the crew always hearing about the weekend you spent at your cabin on the lake? No wonder they think all that money goes into your pocket.

It doesn't help that, many times, licensing laws are used to restrict competition. Many times, the folks running the 'established company' would never be allowed to open the business, were they to try to start it today.

Things like "Craigs' List" are the only check we have on the governmental tendency to strangle everything .... or the 'ins' twisting the rules to favor themselves.

----I my opinion, and from my personal experience, the real problems in the electrical industry starts at the state and local government levels with the lack of uniform regulation, licensing and enforcement, and ends at the manufactures and supplier level.---

Very true. Some trades have that cooperation. HVAC.
Try to buy some gas.
I tried to buy a pad for my pool heat pump, I was asked for my license. Produced my Elec ticket and the clerk responded.." Well guess you can't hurt yourself with just a pad".. Any thing more and I would have needed my refrigerant lic.

So yes, I agree with limited supply in states requireing trade licenses.

Yup, nugh said! We need a long hard look at ourselfs.

A few years ago I was on a long road trip interrupted by short term gigs to replenish my wallet. In most instances I was able to get hired by an established EC who (after the first day of checking me out) was happy to have had me. In too many instances tho (especially out west) I was not able to apply my trade because of insane laws that restricted me from legally using my skills, experience and knowledge.

One example was Bozeman Montana where I wanted to spend a couple months in mid summer (best trout fishing I've ever seen). Long story short I had 5 SOLID and GOOD paying job offers for before noon but! because I didn't have a MT issued Jcard I couldn't legally go to work.(WA at least allowed you to register with the board to at an A card)

hello Craigslist. hello HD parking lot.
(And met an EC there who set me up for some good work in washington)

[/quote]
"I was not able to apply my trade because of insane laws that restricted me from legally using my skills, experience and knowledge."


Been there, seen it, done that.

Probably about 17 years ago, I had a similar situation trying to find work after moving to MD. I was a licensed Master electrician in my home state at the time, which had much tighter state-wide licensing laws and requirements, unlike MD’s county by county licensing system. I had to retest just to get my EPA/Montgomery County J-Card, which was only reciprocal with the surrounding southern counties, D.C. and N.Virginia, but basically useless in Baltimore, which had their own city license.
As I said in my previous post, I detest regulation, but I realize that a certain amount of it is necessary. It also needs to be applied properly. Individual states seem to concentrate their efforts on making it more difficult for others of the same profession to interact, while forgetting that it is the fleabags that don’t follow rules, obey laws and have absolutely no concern for providing reinforcement and validity to what legislation lawmakers do pass for enhancing the trade we work in and protecting consumers.
Moreover, what is the mentality behind some states allowing a property owner with limited or even no experience to pull a permit, install their own electrical service and wire their own building, rough to finish, but not allow them do their own plumbing?
At the same time, an experienced licensed electrician from another state cannot pull permit or perform any electrical work legally without that states license. Even though we all follow the NEC, no matter what edition. Who is more qualified in this instance? Hogwash!

On another note, other trades enjoy a greater level of security and prosperity, almost nationally, by reducing access of materials through industry wide cooperation with suppliers. Requiring credentials and using commercial accounts almost exclusively, greatly helps filter out unqualified, unlicensed, uncertified individuals such as DIY homeowners, handymen, fly-by-nighters, and moonlighting helpers. All of these undermine professionalism in your trade, increase hazards to consumers and pick your pockets. Some schleps will always get through, but as a whole, this system seems to work pretty well.
The electrical trade as a whole is way too fragmented and has never quite been able to grasp this concept. Unfortunately, the genie has been out of the bottle for a long time and it’s unlikely to go back in willingly.

The selectivity of the law state by state is definately confuseing and at times comical. When I recently left alaska (Municipality of Anchorage) any homeowner there was allowed to pull any permit and DIY, except for one.

You could wire/plumb/duct...set gas fired appliances...install infloor/ceiling heat...tile/brick/block...pour foundations..etc,etc...

The only thing a homeowner could not do was run gas lines within the premises....now think about that for just one second. I can install a furnace and run my own stack through the attic but can't run the 1/2" 7-PSI gas line to feed it? Gas lines are required to hold a 60-PSI pressure test for 24 hours prior to the final inspection...so how is 7-PSI going to leak after that?

Ehhhh...whatever, just goes to show the whimsical nature of enforcement and the codes at times. (also that the boiler fitters have a very strong union up there). I could go on to quote some horror stories about owner built dwellings up there that passed inspection but that would be getting a bit too far off topic.

I agree that license reciprocity is a long overlooked issue that should be addressed. Alaska is now finally reciprocal with three other states, none of which I am currently living in. County by county licenseing and city licenseing should have disappeared at least twenty years ago. This is a ridiculous situation when by driving 20 miles in the wrong direction your license is no longer valid.

All "State" testing should conform to the same standards and should allow you to work anywhere provided that you buy a license for the state you happen to be in at the time. Yes you should have to renew your license every two years and yes you should have to show CEC credits of at least 16 hours every two years before you can renew (or just retake the test to renew). If you give the beancounters at least that much control they would probably be happy with it.

What worries me is just how many of these "unlicensed" workers might once have been one of us. Todays economics being what it is with so many living payday to payday and falling prey to the instant credit industry...who is to say that some of these advertisers aren't skilled? Just something to think about.....

Ausador wrote: "All "State" testing should conform to the same standards and should allow you to work anywhere provided that you buy a license for the state you happen to be in at the time."

Several Issues:
1) To operate as an EC business the prospective owner should have a higher threshold of competence (business issues as well as trade work) than just paying a fee and arranging a bond. And yes it should be streamlined for reciprocity.

2) To work as an employee of an EC shouldn't require anything more than the confidence of the employer that you have the competence to do the assigned work. They are the ones who have their tail over the fire to warranty what is being done by their employees.

(I'm not aware of any J-card holding mechanic having any liability for work done as an employee of a licensed/insured EC.)

3) This gets us into the "states rights" political arena because electrical work is just a drop in the bucket of all the areas of life where the rules change by driving as little as 20 miles in one direction.

When you are hired as licensed electrician, your license is representation to an employer that you have acquired a certain minimum level of trade related skill and competence and are capable of performing at least minimal code compliant installation practices, reading plans and following written or verbal instructions, etc…
An electrical contractor can be found not to be responsible, or at least not entirely, for work performed by a licensed employee if it can be shown that the employee did the work without the direct knowledge, instruction or supervision of the electrical contractor. This is not a scapegoat for contractors, but you can sometimes be held accountable, at least in part, for the work you perform as an employee.


Also, at least to me, it would seem more logical that an individual states “rights” would be better served and protected through actual uniform state regulation and licensing requirements, not through segmented, non-standardardized county and city jurisdictional regulation and licensing.

Regards

KJay wrote: "When you are hired as licensed electrician, your license is representation to an employer that you have acquired a certain minimum level of trade related skill and competence...."

I didn't really intend to imply otherwise.

My point remains tho that the EC still has the responsibility (and self interest) to *confirm* what the guy "represents" to actually be true. Which is why most EC's will still give their own test and question the prospect when interviewing.

But having that card sure makes it easier for the guys who bounce around.

I agree that license reciprocity is a long overlooked issue that should be addressed.--

We reciprocate with only a few states, mainly based on the code cycle they operate with. This is foolish. Work under the cycle enforced in that state.

All Licenses should be State wide and uniform.
This will insure that the State still gets its greedy lil' hands on all revenue due,yet the trades will know what the rules are.