Side Work: Is It Worth It?
Should you REALLY be doing side work? A tough but worthy question to ask. In the latest episode of Electrician U, Dustin talks about what side work is and what the potential problems can be if you get caught working without the appropriate licensing.
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Let’s define Side Work first. Side work is work that you perform away from your normal job and get paid for it. So, say, your folks need some lights installed at their house, or someone you know has a building that they would like some receptacles installed in. second, you must consider your location in the country. Some states have rules governing contracting. Many states require a license for the particular trade in question and those states may also require some type of insurance to go along with that license. If you are performing work out there without these items, you can face serious consequences if you are caught. So, make sure and check with the state you are presiding in about the local rules. Another thing to consider is the company you are CURRENTLY working for. Are they OK with you doing work away from work? Or will they view that as taking customers away from them. Most employers are good with you performing small amounts of side work as long as it doesn’t impact your performance at the job or interfere with their customer base. But check first!
The problem really lies in the liability. If you honestly are not a qualified electrician (or any tradesperson!) you should not be performing side work. Our trade has A LOT to learn, and we should NOT be out there working on our own until we have enough experience to install things properly. If installed incorrectly, electricity can cause massive amounts of damage to houses, businesses, equipment and so on. It can also cause serious injury or even death. So, if the state you live in requires licensing, go out and get the required license and insurance. Even if the state you are working in does NOT require licensing, insurance is always good to have because we can’t possibly see each and every outcome for every situation up front.
Well, why would we do side work anyways if it’s such a liability and a huge no no (for the most part)? Finances could be one reason. We all know what its like to be just starting out as an adult and having more bills to pay than money coming in. Maybe, we want to learn additional skills. For some of us, we love the trade, and we love to work (yes, I am one of those!! Workaholics I think we are called!!). Some of us want to get into contracting and this may seem like the logical first step. I think it’s safe to say that most of us tradespeople do work on the side or have at least done some in our career. Whatever the motivating factor in your desire to look into side work, you really must weigh the potential consequences and see if it is worth the potential risk. Again, it depends on the municipality, but there can be stiff fines/penalties, removal of any licensing you currently have, and even the denial of any further licensing you want to obtain! So non conformance to the rules can have a lasting negative effect on your ability to work as an electrician.
We hope this sheds some light on the topic of whether we should do side work or not. Is there a topic you want to hear about? Leave a comment in the comment section and maybe we will do an episode on your question/topic. Please continue to follow Dustin and Electrician U as we are constantly adding new content to assist our followers in their careers as electricians!
#electrician #electrical #electricity
Doing things safely is the last thing they are worried about. All the government wants is making sure they get their grubby hands on your money.
Wrong
@@tennesseewebb2651 bootlicker
It's true. I've seen a lot of shit work that's passed inspection. Some of the inspectors are just as clueless as some electricians.
Get this man a mic
They might want more taxes for sure.
Not me watching this video inside an attic at the side job I’m doing.
"Side jobs" were actually my introduction to the world of electrical work . During the early 1970s there were a lot of furloughs and 6months on and 6 months off (or whatever it was ) going on with a lot of the unions. My Pop started doing them when he realised unemployment wasn't cutting it for a family of four with a mortgage . I was 13 and dragged in as slave labor , but after a few weeks , I started making a little cash and it beat the hell out of my allowance !! LOL as time went on when Pop went back to work , I'd pick up work with some of his friends who were doing the same thing and then when he was furloughed again go back to working with him . I finally got the call to join the apprentice program but by that time a sound company I had been working for shoved a world tour in my face and I took that instead . Had a great career doing live sound and my Pop encouraged me . He never said so , but I always felt like I let him down not following in his footsteps . A few years before he passed I was changing a ballast in a fluorescent light and when I was on the ladder he just looked at me and said " You would've been a good electrician ......." Talk about a lump in my throat ......? Sometimes you gotta' do what ya' gotta' do !!
Thanks for the story brother
I can relate. My father wasn’t an electrician but I tried to get my brother and my nephew both in the apprenticeship and both of them showed interest but took other career paths. I was excited about having another family member in the trade to take under my wing and eventually team up with to make money on the side and/or possibly even start up a family business. Sounds like you took the right path!
I never comment to like but dam someone was cutting onions and my finger slipped.
Great story
yeah if you were a good person , that means more then a career field to your dad
I know what you mean. I did some side work too before getting my license. I wanted new seat covers in my classic car and made a deal with an upholstery shop to do my seat covers in trade for running them a new circuit and hanging a string of lights in their shop. About a month later I drove back by that shop and it was a huge pile of burnt lumber. I was scared to death. After asking around I found out that they had a bunch of dirty cleaning rags in their trash cans that ignited spontaneously and burnt the entire shop down. I never did another moonlight electrical job after that.
Had a similar story but deleted it because I didn't want to take away from this one. Long and short I empathize and its a scary moment in your career.
@@leadoff5411 Thanks, but it would be great to hear anyway. I would not be offended.
If you did it right and were very detailed you should not have questioned your work. The biggest fault most good apprentices have is they dont do good ducumentation. Go back through everything and check it. Write down what you checked. Check, recheck and document. If you had done that you would have never put yourself in a position to doubt yourself. Its too bad you gave up a money stream and additional experience over something that was not your fault. That being said, To you fly by nighters just out to make some beer money. You are the reason for all of the over regulation of the trades. When you just throw some crap together you screw everyone.
Sounds like the "cleaning rag fire" eliminated other suspects....🤪
Lol talk about pit in the stomach! Can't remember the whole story but the guy who taught me HVAC told me he put a gas furnace in (although this was for his company he worked for) and basically came home to see the house had burnt down on the evening news. It was unrelated but man was he scared to death until he found out the cause.
Never do side work on a house built in the 70’s. If it’s wired with aluminum, it especially needs to be done by a contractor who’s licensed and insured. I was offered a side job for a home owner that had an interior recessed FP panel. In the process of removing the panel cover I saw arcing and lights flickering. I very carefully put the panel cover back and told them to call a contractor who’s licensed and insured.
Thanks for the wisdom and for choosing your user name. I looked up the verse and it was a blessing to research again
😬😬
I’m a 3rd year apprentice and I was constantly getting in over my head at the beginning of my apprenticeship. Took on a ton of electrical side work and realized how much of a responsibility I had for all the work I did. Now I only do electrical work for family. Taught myself networking, camera systems, alarms and access control and now I just do that on the side while using my construction and electrical knowledge to my advantage
Have you ever worked?
At my dad's office, they would design tracthomes, and entire HOA neighborhoods.. they were not equipped for, or interested in small jobs like remodels or custom homes, but they still got calls about it, so they set up a "side job" program for their workers to use their work machine and work software to take these side jobs in their off hours. So kind of a side job, but under the umbrella of the office license.
What a nice story. It literally makes me happy that some people use their resources to help others. And in the end it’s probably better for your dads offices in the end.
The dillema of side work is strictly a legal/ liability one. Nothing immoral about working for some extra$. However if you're doing side work in a jurisdiction that requires licensing just realize you're on your own if things get sideways and you cause loss off property or life. Ask yourself am I prepared to face that? Its really no different than flying down the interstate at 100 mph depending on your skill level, road, and other factors it may be a really bad idea, or no problem at all.
I like that
imagine believing the govt deserves a portion of every penny you ever earn. (chuckles in Liberatarian)
OTOH, if you are licensed and you are an experienced tradesman, then in many jurisdictions its legal. In those cases its not a matter of legality, but whether or not it is moral/ethical to do side work, especially since side work is often taking work away from your peers and being paid cash under the table (which in and of itself would be illegal).
@@TwilightxKnight13 "Taking work away from my peers?" That's called competition, its how businesses works. If a small company or an individual with low overhead gets projects at a lower rate nobody has "taken anything away."
@@Enlightn76 But it's not competition. If you are working a side job, you are taking on work that you could funnel to your current employer, and peers. Sure the customer might pay more, but you are undercutting the same person that signs your paycheck. In the case the video is talking about, you are also taking away money from the person that took you on, and agreed to train you up to the point that you could go start your own business if you wanted.
Before my electronics career took off I had been in electric trades in high school, and worked a second job for a local electric company for many years, finally getting my journeyman lic in a few local cities. I did alot of side work but 99% of mine were mostly troubleshooting things from hotwater heaters to tripping breakers. I found most people did their own installs then called someone if it didnt work or caught fire....
Thanks for your honesty. Your always on target and point us in the right direction. 👍
Weird how your videos relate so much. Getting ready for my side job right now. Helps out for a new family
Damn, and I’m up getting ready to head to a side job right now! LOl
Don’t do side jobs that you aren’t familiar with. Nothing over $600. Just do the basic things. You should be fine. Anything to make some extra cash. Just be careful in what you’re doing.
As a apprentice?
The low voltage death had me fucking crying 😭😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I love this channel and I thank you for many of us in the trade. I have been watching these videos since my 2nd year and now I’m a graduate and going for a masters. 😬 During that time I worked “side jobs” but still under a licensed journeymen. I enjoyed learning as much as possible and it isn’t the easiest to learn when your stuck on large projects. The checks were nice and I learned even more. That all being said I never took on side jobs unless it was under someone licensed and it solved any issues of time and delivery of someone still learning. But I never got in over my head. Thanks for your videos Dustin!
I appreciate all your videos and I most definitely appreciate this one. Thanks!
Your story made my lower extremities pucker! I too did electrical side work for years ! I went to trade school and took industrial Electricity. I took my Journeyman test in 1983 and passed it . I never did work for an electrical contractor as I had a good job at a local factory where I lived . I was very fortunate to never have any problems with the work I did .I never had a house burn down or anyone have to go behind my work . MY greatest personal achievement was to wire my brother's house by myself in 1988. I haven't done any side work going on two years .I am 68 years old now and my wife's salary as Collège professor means I don't have to do any side work . I still have all my tools and test instruments and do electrical work in my own home but that is it ! Thank you for sharing these .Everyone who do side work needs to watch this !
I know exactly what you are talking about, I've worked 4.5 years under a licensed electrician and then he was ready to retire and it was a good opportunity for me to start my own company and get my license. But in them years working for him I would get asked all the time to do side work and I did some and my boss was totally fine with it. It's just so much service work out there and not near enough electricians, so people will do anything just to get it done whether licensed or not. I got to the point where very seldom I answer new calls as it's no way I'm keeping up, most messages they leave are about issues. Thanks for the video definitely a good warning to all of us that did and do side work!
I hear ya man.. I was 15 when my son was born. Had to get a damn work permit to even get a job at that age. My 2nd year I was making 16 an hour, not bad for 2002, but I still had to borrow lunch money because they were taking so much of my check for support. Today, my son is apprenticing under me!
Traditionally, adulthood was thought to start at about age 13. Thus, I believe society should treat young parents more like responsible adults, and should not be subject to "child" labor laws, since there are now the parental duties. Should be able to sign a rental lease, buy a house, open bank account, get credit cards. But no young parent needs to be drinking alcohol though. Glad to hear that your son is doing so well. I carry a cooler to work. Eating out is so expensive. At least there is a tiny microwave oven there.
Now that is a great story to pass down!!
I currently am in low voltage. I love it. I mainly do card access and surveillance.
Dustin, you're so transparent. That's awesome!
Some years back my FIL needed a new service panel to be able to add A/C to his house - his old panel was not only too small, but it was also in a location that does not adhere to current code. He was quoted an extremely high price by the A/C contractor so I told my FIL that we could do it ourselves even though the A/C contractor tried to tell him we couldn't. We called the city utility and asked. They asked if either of us was licensed. Neither of us was. They said, in that case, YES we could do it ourselves as long as it passed current codes and my FIL pulled the permit as a homeowner. If either of us had been licensed, we would have had to pull the permit under the license. I was also told that I could not take any money for helping since this was a homeowner job and I did not have a license. Fortunately I did have the knowledge to do the job and what the current code was. Short ending, we did the job for about a third of the A/C contractor's quote and everything passed inspection. The new service is still working. The thing is, we did not try to just DIY it - we pulled the permits and had to pass the inspections - which means it had to be up-to-code and properly done.
If you spent a third of what the A/C contractor quoted and didn't get paid for it, was the quote that high then?
@@tomasmerino1039 Since other electricians I knew on the job (I worked in construction back then) said the estimate was about double the going rate at the time - yes, it really was high.
I'm just getting ready for my side job on memorial Day
Me too! 😅
Ya be Becarefull lol
I won't touch a side job unless I get asked by a licensed friend, or if I go by myself and it's for someone I know/good friend, and we come to an agreement on a "just in case" accident happens. Nothing deadly, but more of a "I'm not patching your wall if you want a receptacle moved"
The scariest thing for me is the thought of doing some side work for someone, and then the house coincidentally burns down because of something someone else did on the place before me 😬
glad i am not the only one... i have known people to go out and just hire people off the street or by word of mouth. get the cheapest handymen they can find. then they want me to do some work .. how am i supposed to know that some work they had done by joe schmo is actually good and didnt cause a problem... makes me nervous when i see they have had work done other places.
@@michaelhanson5773 yeah, part of me wants to fix other people's work, and the other part wants to stay the hell away from it...
One time I was running a low voltage wire. I drilled from the outside into the basement. I have done this many times before. But this time I was under the meter. Went through the wall and hit the service entrance cable, starting a small fire in the basement. Very embarrassing. I immediately realised what I did and pulled the meter out. Also the basement was full of junk. Could have been much worse.
crazy things occur sometimes, don't they
Man, You made me feel the anxiety you must’ve felt.
Thank you for sharing!
Amazing video!! Thank you kindly!
Good on ya for sharing your thoughts!
I remember there is another video in your channel saying same thing about 3 or 4 years ago. It really inspired me and I now became contractor. Side job is the best way of testing you can do everything by yourself. But, as dustin says, you should know what you doing for sure.
I remember this story from Journey to Master! Ive been watching your stuff for awhile man!
Very good point I’m going to share this video. To be a Master is a journey.
I have always done “side work”, also known as my company before I could make it full time. Companies would hire then lay off. By doing side work it helped me to understand my true potential and value. If I didn’t know if I was capable to do that certain task, then you hire a guy who can and learn, or ask your teacher in the trade school you should be attending
Man-o-man, I thought you were reading a chapter from my past. I'm glad you made it over those hurdles in life. It appears that you're doing a okay now. Keep up the good work 👍👍 my brother from another mother.
Great food for thought. Message received.
Good advice. Really enjoy this channel.
Thanks, Well spoken and informative.
Better question is, when you do diagnoses and repair side work for friends and family why is it always the most complex issue to diagnose and repair you’ve seen in your entire career regardless of experience? I just did a job for a friend where a breaker would randomly trip for some lights once every other month or so. After nearly a year I found that with you stepped with all your weight on a very small but very specific area on the floor a wire that was pinched between two joist would short. Since nothing that provided immediate feedback (like a light) would turn off (just some outlets in another room) it seemed random. It was between floors behind drywall. Even once I found it and cut out the drywall it was still difficult to repair due to the joist. So yeah, if you don’t want to go insane then don’t do side work.
Right? I helped my friend out, all he needed for that day was to delete an old (previous owner installed) plug that he said tripped the breaker every time it was used, and properly rewire an existing 240v water heater and add in a timer. During that process, I discovered a short circuit leading to the bathroom light switch, a ground to neutral bond in the subpanel, a 30 amp circuit breaker on a circuit which requires a 15 amp, bad wiring, overloaded circuits fed with way too small wire, and joints so tight and stressed in the water heater I couldn't get the box off the wall without pulling them apart. An hour or two buddy favor turned into a 10 hour headache 😂
Its crazy man ur story is just like mine bubba word for word how things went for me love ur channel bubba keep em comin my guy!
well said !! great video's!!!
Business owner says no side work. Employees say otherwise. Tale as old as time.
I've got 30 plus years as an electrician, got a license and ran my own company. Now closing in on retirement and working for a company for the last twenty plus years. I do plenty side job's and always make sure I don't compete or take away from my employer perspective job's, usually friends and family work or older clients unrelated to my employer. I can tell you can triple your weekly take home easily, but be picky choose people who you know and respect. You can also do the barter system if you need work or skills from someone else for your own needs.
Great story. Reminds me of about 10 similar events I had on the way to my physician's license.
I liked this story...working hard to have a better life for yourself and your child...I needed this reminder. Thank you.
This video was so fun to listen to!
My mother had the local "handyman" install a couple branch circuits and receptacles. Without asking me. It was a mess. Kept tripping breakers. I - a humble DIYer - tore it out and installed completely new lines on separate breakers. No problems.
A Handyman(in terms of electrical work) is a Handyman with how much code there is.
I meant to say diyer dumb brain is dumb
Been doing Hvac service work for 7 years I feel pretty confident in doing residential wiring work don’t do any electrical side but I definitely do Hvac side work
It’s the wild Wild West out here in Georgia. I was listening to this story while on a side job. But I am a journeyman so I make sure everything’s safe and up to code
yeah Dustin, i did side work at one time, but I had insurance, business licenses, State electrical license, etc. while working a full time job. Just got to a point in my life, didn't like working late each evening and weekends anymore!! Now retired and teaching at a community college!!
Great talk. Good advice for both new and old electricians. Both pros and diy’s. “Up front” is always easier to sleep and live with yourself knowing you have covered the bases and have pride and responsibility for the work you’re doing and have done.
I will make a long story short. I am a master Plumber now retired union. Like you when I started out in the trade I was doing side work seeing I came from a Plumbing family and had been work along side my uncle from the age of 12. Short story now. After starting in the union training program I made it to my third year before I got cought. I was fined 3000.00 dollars and put on probation for the remainder of my apprenticeship. Like you when I got my masters I went into business for myself.
Great video has always !!
Your videos are gold.
Very good point to your story.
Without watching the video and just reading the title. Should you be doing side work? Yes. If you have the time, and it doesn't affect your personal life, family time, etc. then of course you should be doing side work that you can handle with your current knowledge and skillset.
I appreciate your vulnerability of sharing your real life story. Having pride and integrity in following the national electrical code also means adhering to all of it including the part about following your local and State laws. If I complain about hacks during the day, but I am one in the evening or on the weekends, (without proper licensing and insurance) then I’m not only a hack I’m also a hypocrite.
I hear your point, and I'm definitely gonna spend some time thinking about it. But the NEC is not written by lawmakers, And so the NEC's endorsement of lawmakers may not properly be part of the NEC's work. It's certainly not part of the NEC's core work, and is therefore not really something they're qualified to speak about. For instance, are they really qualified to advise on insurance and insurance practices. Presumably, comma lawmakers are qualified by the voting public. But does that mean that everyone that endorses the law is thereby qualified to endorse the law. Or put another way, just because the writers of the NEC are qualified electricians are they also qualified to speak to the morality of insurance. You'll have to forgive me, I was a philosophy major at University. It's a really interesting question and you make a really interesting point.. But I think there's more to it.
@Joseph DESTAUBIN, I appreciate your response. It is tempting to go down the philosophic “qualified personnel” rabbit hole of political lawmakers and insurance companies. It was wise that the NEC doesn’t go into detail about local laws and insurance requirements but each State and jurisdiction can adopt the code and make their own amendments and license and insurance requirements however they see fit. There is always room for local laws to be improved, but ignoring them or “flying under the radar” is not actually doing the hard work needed to change them. It usually just facilitates more regulations and ways to enforce them to stop the offenders.
@@CrossTimbersSon That is all definitely true, pragmatically speaking. But you take my point, that it may not necessarily be hypocritical to criticize electrical work that violates code Why are one's own presence in the field Is itself a violation of their endorsement of of the legal system to lagitimize the NEC in the 1st place. Still, it's a hard question and I've not made up my mind.
@@josephdestaubin7426 The NEC (NFPA70a) is a "model" and is authored by the National Fire Protection Association. Who is the NFPA? A creation of the insurance industry, as was Underwriters Labs. These were intended to significantly reduce financial risk for insurers and their insureds. The model Codes are adopted by state or local governments, who are free to edit, amend, change, or rewrite as seen fit by the regulatory agencies of those governments. As licensing requirements are local matters the NFPA wisely does not inject the Code into that discussion.
@@raygunsforronnie847 Yes, I am aware of all of this. On the face of it it doesn't seem to add much to the conversation.. But in reality, Your comment very much gets to the point that the NEC is making with respect to followingIs the laws of the local terrestriction. The NEC was not trying to endorse licensing, rather they were saying that the electrical laws of the local jurisdiction should supersede the any season model code the NEC was not trying to endorse licensing, rather they were saying that the electrical laws of the local jurisdiction should supersede the any season the NECs model code. This they did because without such a caveat there would be no wide adoption of the code. While this is historically factually correct, it's a much less interesting argument than the argument that I was making about the philosophical nature of making advice outside of your area of expertise. Nonetheless, I'm glad that someone here posted what you did because facts matter, and you did that well.
Great video, but you saved the best for last. That closing starting at 15:00! Very nice. Words to live by.
Solid points. I do my own electrical and know a decent bit about it. I’m fairly confident I can do my own solar set up wiring but I still plan on having a licensed electrician go over everything and eventually do the final hook up just to make sure. I’d hate to save $200 on my utility bill for 2 months to burn it all down and have to buy another house. Lol
lmao fair point, hope that goes well bud
In aus we call side work “Cashy’s” and it’s pretty common for even 3rd year apprentices to do these
I have come across back-fed breakers and they were done by electricians. It took out the main breaker. I had to replace it. It happens to HVAC guys all the time. When the customer says they have a circuit that does not shut off that is the sign you have a back fed breaker. If you hear that don’t think they don’t know what they talking about they might.
Love the honesty in this video. I doubt this applies as I dont know anything about the structure of the electrical field (note; I am an electronic engineer, so I know the product) So to my point, when I was in my 20's I worked at a car stereo shop and the owner said they wont like it if I do side work, but if I wanted to do a side job, they would be happy to have me do the side job at their shop after hours or on my day off. The reason they said, and I believe them: they said when I do a side job, I reflect them as I work for them, if I mess up a job or dont have the right tools, I can damage their name. So they said if I do it at their shop, the proper tools and equipment are available as well as resources. Also I would fall under their insurance. They gave everyone who worked their options: do a side job at the shop or bring the job to the shop and give the customer a major discount and get a commission. -- I know some will say they just wanted more money, but to be honest, it was a win win for all of us and the few side jobs I did bring in the clients were very happy. So, I wonder if an electrician could just bring the side job into the employer with the same options?
The first side job I ever did was at the home of the fire marshall that was inspecting the commercial building our company was working on.
This is what I think: of your employer is happy with your work then it’s the time to do side work. I started doing side work after two years doing electrical. I already knew how to do most everything in a house. I never had problems. Two years now running my own bussiness and the only two complaints I get is about my prices being high and the time that I don’t have
Also , really enjoy your videos .
🤣 this was awesome , thanks for the tips
Rough. I bought a fixer upper when I was 18 and work work work, renovating and saving for a different place… finally I had just bought an acreage with a house and garage etc.. and my career was swiped from underneath me as an electrician. Kicked out of school and let go from my job because I didn’t want to get the covid shot here in Canada and for sure I was freaking out.
Hey Dustin, like those vids 👍
Great comments. I did a bit of side work but after five years doing electrical for companies I went on my own after I got my Electrical Contractors license. Maybe I should say earned. Nevertheless the electrical industry was good to me. Doing good work busting my ass working 70 and 80 hours a week for 20 years later I became a millionaire. I now live in Hawaii with an ocean view of my home surf break. Being a good electrician is one thing but being a good business owner is another. BTW I've never owned a new car.
Great vid bro
Good story time. Thank you.
I think all of us can relate to your early side work story. It seems the trade has gotten better to apprentices but it was always a famine a feast scenario. I started in 2007 at $9 and hour. The last day of my fourth year apprenticeship I was making $17 an hour and then magically after my graduation ceremony I was instantly paid $26 an hour. It seemed silly to me.
RIGHT!? It's like "here's your little paper card AND your new super powers!" It's ridiculous.
Now think about the $26 you make now, and imagine how much you're missing out on by not being a master and doing your own. That's why I'm going for my masters.
Do you not do schooling in between your years of apprenticeship? Makes total sense why it's paid differently, it's incentive to get your education completed lol
@@dellhoskins4668 now the wage is 36 and hour the 26 was in 2011. I make much more now as a contractor
@@Tre16 No. It should be incremental. Not stepped so dramatically. If you have to be motivated by a dangling carrot, you're the wrong dude for the job.
Some states have handyman exceptions. It's worth looking into and making sure you stay in those bounds. I paid for most of my electrical engineering degree with handyman qualified recessed lights. You still need insurance, business license, and handyman number.
Which state are you in? I’m in CA and it seems we need licenses
about 25 years ago I worked for a heating company and needed to run new oil lines through the rim joist of a building into the boiler room. We found a suitable area and landmarked it as next to where the phone lines came in. Had 14" between floor joists and the wires were off to one side. I holler through a vent hole to my partner.... drill a few inches to the right of the phone cable. (was a 30 pair commercial feed) He grabs one of those 18" long feeler bits and gives it hell. I hear him drilling away and have no idea why he's not through yet. It dawns on me he's off too far and is probably going into the end of a joist. He takes another stab a few inches away and pops right through a few inches to the left of that cable. A few moments later a maintenance guy comes in and says their phones are dead. I look through the hole and it's a straight shot. No way we damaged his cable. I go back outside and look closer to find the phone company had also hit a joist but decided to drill again at 45 degrees so many inches difference between inside and outside. (pulled out the broken wire and looked in the hole) Basically, the hole we drilled went dead center through that cable. Who could have figured on that cable route? My boss was pissed but fully understood what happened. Luckly we had insurance for such a screw up. I have no idea if my boss made the phone company eat that job due to their poor installation. If that was a side job I would have been up the creek.
Washington State has some of the strictest skilled trades laws in the country. Side Work is not legal here. If caught, you can be fined. You can have your certificate revoked. And if your "customer" decides to not pay you for your work, you have absolutely NO legal resources to get them to pay for something you were not supposed to be doing in the first place. Having said that, I can relate to how little apprentices get paid and the resulting temptation to make up the difference through side work. I can also relate to Justin's stories of shoddy work being done by people who clearly do not know what they are doing. In Washington it is legal for a homeowner to do work on their own residence. As an inspector I see this work weekly. I also see work being done by marginally qualified electricians (they passed the test but clearly do not know what they are doing). As Justin said, there is so much shoddy work being done out there. In this state you cannot get insurance if you are not a legal contractor. Do you have the personal funds to cover a liability law suit lodged against you should something go wrong with the side work you did? Something to think about.
I live in Washington too. Used to do a lot of side work in my earlier days as an electrician, but the older and wiser and more experience I got, the risk became higher than the reward and unless I’m doing it for a friend or family member, I don’t do any side work anymore because the penalty in this state is not worth a little extra money in my pocket. I know too many people with horror stories, whether getting caught and fined or even losing licensing or not getting paid or whatever the case, it just isn’t worth the risk.
Another situation the homeowner should also be aware of is that if you have GFCI receptacles or breakers in your dwelling beware of outside lightning strikes! The outside lightning striking high voltage lines can and will have an effect on your GFCI equipment and the phase that gets struck by lightning! It happened to me with my garage GFCI protected circuits! I had a 240 volt surge protector on my panel @ 30 amps which had phase indicator lights on it to indicate what phase got hit! When the light went out on the phase that got hit it was the same phase that the GFCI protected receptacles were on. It is a good idea to have a surge suppressor installed in your service panel! Also after lightning strikes check all your GFCI protected circuits! Make sure they haven't tripped!
Well just reset them right?
As long as your licensed in my state its legal. Ans it isn’t easy getting licensed in ma. When you pull the permit you either need insurance or homeowners can sign a waiver acknowledging that you don’t have insurance.
Absolutely you should be doing side work if you need the money, you don't owe it to your employer to not do side work , they are after money same as you . As long as your ok with the possibility they will fire you for it .
Got my masters license and immediately applied for, and got my electrical contractors license. I never do side work, but here and there it's nice to get extra cash for vacations or etc! But not worth losing the years of studying and blood sweat and tears that went into getting my masters!
What a story. Govt scares the heck out of you and then...leaves the hammer hanging over your head for months and months. But at least they gave you a pass in the end and you were able to continue in your trade. Which is great because it means we also get all this awesome content!
I have a fairly large number of rental houses. They are older houses and I am slowly moving from fuse boxes to breaker boxes. I have completely wired over 20 houses. In my jurisdiction, you can do electrical work if you own the property. I always pull a permit and have the work inspected. Our inspectors always complement me on the quality of my work. I have also "helped" my father and brother do electrical work. Once I was replacing a weatherhead and meter on a vacant house. I noticed a van with writing park in the allie. I had a permit, so I was not worried. This guy comes walking up and said "don't you need a permit for this." I told him I had a permit. He said not many non-qualified people were doing electrical work. I was nearing completion of the job, so I asked him what he thought about the quality of my work. He said it looked better than many electricians. He then asked if I would do this type of work for others. By that time, I figured out he was a young electrician that thought he had busted a (comparitively) old man doing electrical wok. I told him that I only did this for myself and I owned the house. He sheepishly said something like "sounds great, you have a nice day" and went back to his van. If I wanted to make some money as a jackleg, I could, but it took years to develope a good relationship with our Building Department and inspectors - it is not work it.
I worked for a large commercial company for 8 years till I decided to do sidework the beginning of last year. I did so well that I went front living paycheck to paycheck as a father of 3 to buying a house, a brand new 2022 truck for the business and quit my job all before the end of the year. I'm now licensed and insurance and getting ready to hire a couple of guys. That being said, I recommend not doing side work. I'm experienced, capable and aware of the possible dangers that come with the work.
Nice man, those are my goals as well
I'm sure that technically you're right but back when I sure made a lot of money on "side work". I always did it "right", never cut corners and worked every Saturday and sone Sundays, never took work away from my boss as he had more than enough.
I used to get asked to do some side work and i generally would tell the people it would cost them more money for me to do something on the side then it would to just go straight thru the company. some people think they will get a huge deduction by hiring out a side job and to me it is just not worth it. my opinion if you work for a company they insure you and the customer let it be that way. if you think you are not making enough money working for the company, find another job you will be happy at.
I help my foreman’s with thier side jobs but I do side jobs as well like a installing a fan adding receptacle easy stuff first
I love how you say is it worth your career So true I’ve been doing this since 2003 and in the commercial field . Never advertise word of mouth only and keep your stuff under 500 dollars Do everything to code if you’re not licensed and bonded that person to do side job for May not pay you saying you’re not licensed or bonded what can you do you just basically got screwed so get everything in order sometimes that extra cash is not worth it people as cheap as they can be I got screwed on taxes I did low-voltage stuff for someone later he asked for my Social Security number IRS audited him side job isn’t worth it if you’re going to do it make sure those people pay you but like I said $500 and under don’t steal from your company either if you’re residential don’t do residential work if your commercial don’t do commercial work that will really screw you over it doesn’t matter how good you are it’s like saying for a Doctor Who didn’t become a real doctor can you do surgery on me no get licensed cover your ass!
In the state of Washington if you do side work and and advertising on Craigslist it is the first place at electrical inspectors go to find people we are very strict
Even low voltage network cables do require you to comply with regs. Specifically plenum vs non-plenum cable is dependent upon what's up in an office ceiling. If you don't use flame retardant cable and a fire occurs you could be liable for accelerating a fire.
Hey Dustin What books do you recommend for learning electrical. I’ve been doing it for 1 year but i want to study more
They don’t care that your license, or know how to do it, with they care about is eliminating competition and keep it that way. The real question is why? I’m a big believer in free market.
In NJ any home owner can do any work on there own house or have anyone they want do work on their house but the owner has to pull the permit, that's typically what I have them do. I'm a commercial electrician and you have to hold a license to do commercial work the owner can't pull their own permits.
I live in jersey. So let’s just say I want to add outlets or canned lights, are they able to pull permits for me to work in their homes?
I work in maintenance mainly for material handling systems. We do a little bit of everything here including work on PLCs. I do get asked to perform side work for a lot of people who work here. If it's painting someone's wall probably not a big deal. If I'm adding an outlet or expanding an existing outlet, installing a ceiling fan (with the wiring already setup). I'll do things like that. If it were to involve me adding breakers to the panel I'd rather not go that route. I have no problem doing that in my own house. I heard stories of auto mechanics doing side work. They sometimes shy away from doing that too because depending on who their employer is. Those employers are going to be thinking, "This is money that we can be making." A lot of times I don't have the necessary tools to make some side jobs efficient for side work. And the cost to purchase those tools would not be worth the job most of the time. Also I'm charging minimum wage or less money per hour than I make at my regular job.
Minimum wage???? Do you hate yourself?
Wow, it's great they actually have rules and check. I just found out in CA that GCs can hire anyone to do electrical work for a job they bid with more than two trades (so they can't bid a panel upgrade job). The only requirement for an electrical license is for people working for a C10 electrical contractor.
I nearly spit out at the mention of crypto
Your telling my story bro
Side jobs are a very touchy subject. I know for myself I’ve done it, but never did any work I was uncomfortable doing. Fortunately in Hawaii if you go to a trade school and get a degree in EIMT that will give you enough accredited hours to apply for a maintenance electrician license. So you won’t be doing from the ground up new construction, but you can at least work on existing electrical systems. Not all hope is lost. 🤙🏾🤙🏾
never heard that kind of card....
i would think that some companies also would not want employees doing side work from a business aspect. When i had some work done at my house i asked the guys if they ever did work on the side and they said they were not supposed to because they could be fired for taking business away from the company... i guess it came down to work they do on the side could be hours and work billed to the company... so maybe not just laws you need to look at, but also employer rules.
I always refused side work. When friends asked me to do some work for them I said yes but under one condition. I'm not going to charge you but you have to go to the supply house with me and pay for the material. Amazing how many people believed I could do the work and charge them less than the material ended up costing before we went to the supply house. They got an awakening and I didn't lose a friend who thought I was over charging them.
This is one of those great bits of info that the unassuming public, like myself seldom get to hear. My only issue is that some of the licensing requirements are really overreaching. There are people out there who probably know more about electricity than you can imagine without licenses issued by the state. The roadblock for such persons to obtain the necessary permit to legally do, even their own work is huge.
i get what ya mean....just because someone pass' a test, doesnt make them "qualified". ive seen book smart idiots in the field. ..
@@keything8487 ... ya mean like the electrical engineer who wired his own home and didn't know about the code aspect of the actual installation?
Unlicensed experts are no good for anyone but themselves and those who know them well. They have no qualified evidence to back up their claims of expertise. Any shmuck can claim to be an expert, ffs, and even believe it themselves. That's why trades are licensed to provide a consistent educational curriculum, required amount and type of experience, and qualified supervision, evaluation and testing. Bad apples may still slip through, but it's the best and only apple sorting facility one can trust.
@@rupe53 That's a bad apple EE with more than enough confidence for the task. EEs will also be able to correct errors that electricians make, and understand the fundamental theories behind much of "the code book" they haven't read or even have.
@@davidneufeld26 ... while they can fix many things, most have no understanding of why certain things are done a certain way, or the exceptions to the rule. Then there are common work practices of using noalox, torque drivers, when to use staples or clamps, etc. They know how electricity works but don't know the nuts & bolts of common components and hardware. Mechanical engineers are the worst when it comes to doing proper repairs on vehicles. EE are a close second place in wiring.
I was told by my local, that were not legally supposed to do side work. Only valid side work we can do is something for a family member and as long as its free. But I was also told, 'unofficially,' that when times get tough and the local cant get you work, that they'll "sort of" look the other way when it comes to side work. Otherwise, I know many electricians that do side work. I personally dont do paid side work because its usually just a hassle and not worth my time. The only side work I have done is for family and they do pay me, but they only pay me with food. lol
I appreciate the IBEW for the education I received, but my biggest issue with them was how quickly they would drop my insurance if I wound up out of work. Yet they still expected dues to be paid on time. They don't want us doing sidework, but they damn sure want their dues when they can't keep you working..
Moon light I work for a C10 electrical contractor on the weekdays and another C10 Contractor on the weekends I get a 1099 for my weekend gig so I can deduct lot of expenses. But your right the liability you don’t want to have .
I see this is old but walked into a service call where the ceiling fan is reported as sparking from the top of the housing, proceed to crawl up into the attic to find the whole new addition is wired up in lamp cord yes lamp cord the entire new addition.. Sorry mam nothing here we can do at this time I suggest who ever wired this come on back ASAP. Sad news was the home had just passed a 4 point home inspection prior to the people moving in. Walking away I told my helper LOL does show tho that 16/2 lamp cord is underrated. Can't believe the place was still standing. No charge for that call.