Lorin Potter wrote in a message to Roy J. Tellason:
RJT>Lorin Potter wrote in a message to Jack Loranger:
 LP> Jack, just to make a comment.  I've done a little electrical
 LP> work myself, but in some states you are required to be
 LP> certified even to work on your own house.
RJT>Just curious,  do you have any particular knowledge that this 
RJT>is a state issue? Around here (PA) it seems to be regulated (if 
RJT>it is at all) more at the municipal level,  and that was my 
RJT>experience when I lived in NY as well.
 LP> There are federal, state, county and sometimes city codes that 
 LP> have to be adhered to.  Worst place I've been was Chicago, Cook 
 LP> County, Illinois. About the only person that could work on 
 LP> electical was a union electrician.
This is true in the NYC area as well.  Worse yet,  I knew a guy who was in 
the union right outside the city,  and couldn't work in the city even though 
he couldn't find work and even though they were crying for people in the city 
at that point in time.  One of those things that's biased me against the 
unions over the years.
They also have somewhat different rules,  in that in NYC you have to use BX 
cable for all wiring unless it's bigger than 3 stories in which case you have 
to use conduit -- romex isn't used at all.
None of this ever stopped me,  though.
 LP> In Colorado, you have to be a certified electrician to even 
 LP> work on your own house.
Who does the certification?  I can see this if the requirements aren't too 
onerous,  in that they don't want you messing around with house wiring if you 
don't know what you're doing.  On the other hand,  it seems to me that you 
run the risk of losing your own property if you screw up,  so...
I'd be interested in collecting some further info on this for my files 
section,  if you know of any out there.
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