As a licensed electrical contractor for 28 years and an electrical instructor for 30 years, There is nothing but sheer joy for being a licensed electrical contractor. I can wire anything legally, I take pride in my experience, knowledge and understanding of the national electric code.

A lot of my work consist of going in after commercial electricians have attempted to wire up a building. I cannot express the importance of knowing the local ordinances of each city you work in.

As far as on licensed electrical work in this area, we have a lot of it. If I want to buy a hot water heater for my home or a central air conditioner/furnace, I am not allowed to purchase this equipment nor am I qualified to put it in as a homeowner. Anyone can go buy a three phase 400 amp panel box. This is where I see the problem; the electrical supplies are not regulated as well as HVAC. So now we have people wiring buildings that should not be.

Do the paperwork, do your homework, file for the permits, get the inspections and be done. Has anyone ever seen a electric range wired with 12 gauge copper Romex? I have seen it in rental property.

I had a customer with a brand-new $ 150,000 machine. It was used to make plastic yard signs. This gentleman wanted me to tap into the main line side disconnect and installed some lights and limit switches. He did not want me to run a separate 120 volt circuit from 50 feet away, he just wanted me to tap into the "B" phase of the primary supply. This is a perfect example of when I just walked away, I gave the job to another electrician. I did not want to do it his way, let alone drill holes on a brand-new machine and void the warranty. So having an electrical license also allows you to be selective in your work.