Electrical Inspection Problem

Greetings everyone! My home is in Des Moines, just south of Seattle in King County, Washington. This last Oct 31st we had major electrical work done on our house by a local company. They told us they would arrange for the required electrical inspection to be completed - where one of the repairmen would be present to answer any questions the inspector might have. Since that time, they have a number of times given us a time range for the inspection, then did not call and no one showed up. They have failed to call back numerous times, when they said they would call to schedule a new time. As a result, as of today, they still have not arranged for the inspection - most recently saying they'd call us yesterday, and did not.

Two days ago, I finally called WA State Labor and Industries and was told the the City of Des Moines is responsible for making the inspection of my home. I called the City of Des Moines, and was told there is no record this company ever filed for a permit for this job. I apparently have three more months before the 180 day period the inspection normally is supposed to be done expires.

I have a couple questions, which I hope are helpful to others as well:

  1. My understanding, based on my phone call with the City of Des Moines, is that the electrical company that did the work is responsible for correcting any problems the inspector finds - is this generally the case?

  1. What are my options or leverage as far as encouraging the electrical repair company to follow through with their commitment to schedule the inspection? I am thinking of calling the Better Business Bureau. Any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance for any information.

Reply to
Jerry Butler
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If you have a written contract for a licensed and permitted job, yes.

If they were in fact unlicensed and/or unpermitted, then you may get some enforcement from the local code or licensing authorities. But they will basically be protecting the trade, not you.

Hire a lawyer to write a nastygram. Not worth it? Then forget it and start over.

Forget the BBB:

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Reply to
Richard J Kinch

inspection -

Call them and explain what you know or think you know, give them the benefit of the doubt. Sugar gets more fly's. Push for a inspection with the appropriate people and be there for the inspection. No more that 48 business hours. If the contactor fails to show or there is major problems then.... With any luck you still owe them money. All payments stop as of now, until they correct the issues. Washington I believe requires a master license. Find out what the license number is and file the master license. A few phone calls or a trip to the authorities, here it would be the register of contractors. Last resort call or get a referral to an CONSTRUCTION attorney. FILE IMMEDIATELY ON THEM ..... Make em bleed. Suck the life out of them. File a lean on the owners home. Get vicious.

Reply to
SQLit

This is Turtle.

Call your state licencing Board to report a unlicenced electrical contractor that has screw up a job and will not complete it or finish the inspection. I don't know what the fines and jail time is for your state but here in Louisiana it is first offence $5,000.00 and / or 1 to 3 years in prision. Second offence $35,000.00 and / or 3 to 5 years in the state prision. Now just not pulling a permitt is only $500.00 and operating in the city limits with out city licences is only $500.00. If you call the state licencing board and get them to looking at them. When they come down on them , they will be down at your house tring to do anything you want to keep the state off their ass. A fellow here got cought and he had to hire a licenced contractor to come finish the job and pull the permitts and get it straight. He got is straight but the State still hit him with the $5K fine but no jail time.

If you can't find your state licencing board number you can call your state Governor's Hot line listed in your phone book and find out all details. Do save all the paper work of what is to be done or did , all checks and copys to show them. You can also find the state livcencing board over the internet for your state.

TURTLE

Reply to
TURTLE

inspection -

IF you want a final write off, yes. If you can not get the original to complete the work, you get to start over...

From what I can find about your state....good question. There is not an electrical licence board that I can find. You will need to start with the states Attorney General and find out what you can do from there. The BBB is a joke to anyone that has had dealings with them of any sort. Complaints can be remvoed with a simple letter that states: I will not do anything for this customer, in any way, shape or form." As long as there is a reply to a complaint, its gone. They have NO authority. None. You figure it out....if a hack screwed your home up, didnt pull permits, and wont show back up, do you think an organization that has no leverage is going to worry him?

Reply to
CBhvac

I dunno. I had good response after filing a complaint with BBB in s Florida. This was NOT regarding a building trades problem.

First thing that happened, I got a refund check from the company. Second, I got a letter from BBB asking if the problem had been satisfactorily resolved. I replied that it was.

This was my only experience using BBB.

YMMV

Charlie

Reply to
Charlie Bress

As others have said , the BBB is a joke and has no finite power. only COURT ruling has. The BBB even if it wins your case can NOT ENFORCE A JUDGEMENT/////////////////

An uninforced judgement is worthless Therefore money will not be seized and can not be seized as only a court can .

Persue the matter through Court. Small Clain is step 1 Then follow up your case with reinforcements to alll governing boards and agencys

Reply to
m Ransley

All jurisdictions that I am aware of hold that it is the property owner's responsibility to obtain the necessary permits before work begins. The contractor usually pulls the permits for you but it is still your responsibility to make sure they exist before the work begins. They are to be posted at the job site while work is being performed. Further a licensed electrician knows that the work requires a permit and inspection. Since the permit costs money he has improved his margin by the amount of the permit. Turtle's suggestion that you assert that an unlicensed electrician did work which requires a license may be the only way to get any action. Unfortunately the bulk of the action may be against you since it is your property that has been wired without having a prior permit.

RB

Jerry Butler wrote:

Reply to
RB

As I understand things, here in Washington all electrical work is regulated by the state Department of Labor and Industries. This department does all inspections too except for some cities, and Des Moines must be one of those. The L&I people get seriously bent out of shape when unlicensed people do electrical work, and the licensing rules are complicated and expensive. I think this is your best approach. They may red tag your house, but the threat to the contractor that did the work is severe (high fines and jail time) and that should be the hammer you need to get these guys to respond.

-- Mark Kent, WA

Reply to
Mark or Sue

Not locally. If there's no permit, then the contractor didn't exist as far as the building department is concerned. The homeowner is always ultimately resposnsible anyway.

Of course, your contract with the electrical contractor would cover this...

See your contracts section on remedies.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Cochran

Note that the BBB will only take complaints and pursue them if the company being complained about is a member...

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Cochran

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