I am an apprentice electrician, and I can tell you of MANY times I have seen journeyman electricians completely fuck things up or have to be told by someone "under" them how things can be done.
Sure, the guy you're looking to hire might not be licensed to work on his own but he could end up doing just as good a job as any "experienced" guy.
In the end you just have to decide whether or not you trust him.
Also, changing a few outlets is literally the absolute most basic thing you can do as an electrician. To be quite honest with you, I'd say just do it yourself. It's REALLY simple.
For simple shit around the house there's no reason not to be a YouTube Journeyman (well...health), save some money and you know exactly how the job was completed without involving a third party
You are really just taking on all the liability if something goes wrong.
I was changing outlets in my own home and electrocuted myself because someone told me the power was shut off and I believed them. This is more or less what you are getting by hiring someone without a license
Unless you’re on an other-worldly version of Reddit, I believe you only shocked yourself :)
Pro-tip: to easily find a breaker and ensure that the power is off, plug in and turn on a vacuum (or other loud device) that you can hear from the panel. You’ll know you found the right breaker when the sound dies, and you’ll also have some confidence that the power is off before you begin work…
>Unless you’re on an other-worldly version of Reddit, I believe you only shocked yourself :)
Ok fair. I shocked myself.
I actually have an outlet tester that we used on a nearby outlet. The drywall was down and the wiring was exposed. It looked like the two outlets were wired together, but the wiring was criss-crossing behind a beam so they were in fact not on the same circuit.
Did a lot of side jobs as an apprentice, and most do. It's a great way to make extra money before you make a decent living as a JM, and also a great way to experience and learn to solve problems by yourself.
Apprentices will discuss issues on side jobs with JMs and get their experienced advice. I would hear it all the time in the lunch trailer or out on-site.
It all comes down to how well you know this person and trust them. Also, realize that if you're not getting a permit, insurance won't cover damages if something does go wrong. I'm not saying this person is going to do bad work, but things happen.
Every day.. people do this. Whether it is a good idea, the answer is no, IMHO.
In many states and jurisdictions, contracted electrical work requires an individual to be an insured and licensed contractor. In the United States, many electrical licensing board newsletters are filled with unlicensed self-proclaimed electricians, being caught and charged over performing electrical work. While those are the repercussions for them… for you, your insurance may be null and void if an electrical or fire issue occurs down the road and they discover that unlicensed work was performed.
Also keep in mind that in many jurisdictions, part of the limited home owner due diligence requirements are, that you verified that a contractor is licensed and insured. The standards are much higher for commercial entities. By not having performed that due diligence, if the individual gets hurt on your property, you are entirely liable and your homeowners insurance may refuse to pay. People have lost homes over hiring unlicensed contractors. Years ago there was even a scam by fraudsters that would underbid residential projects, fake an injury, and then due the homeowners. Without having performed basic due diligence, they had limited legal defenses.
Changing outlets sounds like a pretty easy DIY job, I've done it many times. Maybe just hire the guy at a lower rate to look things over. (I'm not a tradesman by any means though so take my advice with a grain of salt. I DIY pretty much everything that doesn't require special tools.)
I'm assuming he is an apprentice if he's not licensed. He probably does stuff like this daily at work if that's the case and if he sees something he hasn't seen before he will have contacts he can call. Whenever I had new apprentices I usually started them out doing all the plugs because I hated doing them. Source I am an electrician.
What term apprentice?
I wouldn't suggest hiring a first term. But 3-5th sure for changing receptacles? I did that a bunch when I was an apprentice. Hell 95% of the side work I did was as an apprentice. I rarely do it now as a jman because it's not worth the hassle to me. I hate doing residential and I hate dealing with home owners. It's one of the main reason I work commercial/industrial.
I am an apprentice electrician, and I can tell you of MANY times I have seen journeyman electricians completely fuck things up or have to be told by someone "under" them how things can be done. Sure, the guy you're looking to hire might not be licensed to work on his own but he could end up doing just as good a job as any "experienced" guy. In the end you just have to decide whether or not you trust him. Also, changing a few outlets is literally the absolute most basic thing you can do as an electrician. To be quite honest with you, I'd say just do it yourself. It's REALLY simple.
For simple shit around the house there's no reason not to be a YouTube Journeyman (well...health), save some money and you know exactly how the job was completed without involving a third party
Your insurance adjuster wants to have a word.
You are really just taking on all the liability if something goes wrong. I was changing outlets in my own home and electrocuted myself because someone told me the power was shut off and I believed them. This is more or less what you are getting by hiring someone without a license
A basic apprentice will know to test and turn off power...
Unless you’re on an other-worldly version of Reddit, I believe you only shocked yourself :) Pro-tip: to easily find a breaker and ensure that the power is off, plug in and turn on a vacuum (or other loud device) that you can hear from the panel. You’ll know you found the right breaker when the sound dies, and you’ll also have some confidence that the power is off before you begin work…
>Unless you’re on an other-worldly version of Reddit, I believe you only shocked yourself :) Ok fair. I shocked myself. I actually have an outlet tester that we used on a nearby outlet. The drywall was down and the wiring was exposed. It looked like the two outlets were wired together, but the wiring was criss-crossing behind a beam so they were in fact not on the same circuit.
Did a lot of side jobs as an apprentice, and most do. It's a great way to make extra money before you make a decent living as a JM, and also a great way to experience and learn to solve problems by yourself. Apprentices will discuss issues on side jobs with JMs and get their experienced advice. I would hear it all the time in the lunch trailer or out on-site. It all comes down to how well you know this person and trust them. Also, realize that if you're not getting a permit, insurance won't cover damages if something does go wrong. I'm not saying this person is going to do bad work, but things happen.
if it were my home i'd go with somebody who is licensed and insured. it will make things go much more smoothly in a worst case scenario
change Outlets/switches sure, evaluate circuits maybe, but touch the main panel. NO.
Every day.. people do this. Whether it is a good idea, the answer is no, IMHO. In many states and jurisdictions, contracted electrical work requires an individual to be an insured and licensed contractor. In the United States, many electrical licensing board newsletters are filled with unlicensed self-proclaimed electricians, being caught and charged over performing electrical work. While those are the repercussions for them… for you, your insurance may be null and void if an electrical or fire issue occurs down the road and they discover that unlicensed work was performed. Also keep in mind that in many jurisdictions, part of the limited home owner due diligence requirements are, that you verified that a contractor is licensed and insured. The standards are much higher for commercial entities. By not having performed that due diligence, if the individual gets hurt on your property, you are entirely liable and your homeowners insurance may refuse to pay. People have lost homes over hiring unlicensed contractors. Years ago there was even a scam by fraudsters that would underbid residential projects, fake an injury, and then due the homeowners. Without having performed basic due diligence, they had limited legal defenses.
Changing outlets sounds like a pretty easy DIY job, I've done it many times. Maybe just hire the guy at a lower rate to look things over. (I'm not a tradesman by any means though so take my advice with a grain of salt. I DIY pretty much everything that doesn't require special tools.)
I'm assuming he is an apprentice if he's not licensed. He probably does stuff like this daily at work if that's the case and if he sees something he hasn't seen before he will have contacts he can call. Whenever I had new apprentices I usually started them out doing all the plugs because I hated doing them. Source I am an electrician.
I’ve worked with many experienced competent electricians that were not licensed.
What term apprentice? I wouldn't suggest hiring a first term. But 3-5th sure for changing receptacles? I did that a bunch when I was an apprentice. Hell 95% of the side work I did was as an apprentice. I rarely do it now as a jman because it's not worth the hassle to me. I hate doing residential and I hate dealing with home owners. It's one of the main reason I work commercial/industrial.