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NM Homeowner Electrical exam

Bernco has always been strict on permits, once had a State inspector Tell customer that I regularly passed Bernco inspections so there was little chance he would find anything wrong.
It's been too many years since I had any dealing so I wouldn't know anyone there to talk to.
 
I'm a residential GC and wanted to get my own electrical license for small shit. To do that, I'd have to work under a licensed electrician for 4000 hours first. :laughing: Fuck that, I just wanted to take the test and pay the extortion.
 
NM is a Democrat run state, so no surprise they are making life hard on the little guy. I mean fugg you if you want to build your own own house and pass. the same inspections as the contractors. Next will be a homeowner plumbing test.
 
I recently learned that in Wisconsin if you have an Electrical Engineering degree you can bypass all the hour and work requirements and just take the exam to become a master electrician. It's open book. I'm half tempted to just go take it to see how terrible I'd do.

I'm doing DIY solar next year and it looks like my town has some similar requirements for needing someone licensed.

Figured it may still be cheaper to get licensed myself.
 
Provience said:
I never knew CA required so many permits for homeowners until well after i'd left the state :laughing: There's a whole lot of "legally required" and never enforced
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I just don't consider those as required. if you don't enforce a rule, it is more of an opinion than a rule.
 
Norm said:
NM is a Democrat run state, so no surprise they are making life hard on the little guy. I mean fugg you if you want to build your own own house and pass. the same inspections as the contractors. Next will be a homeowner plumbing test.
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Just relocated from NC. Should have looked closer at the demographics before i accepted the job offer. instant regret there....

They have a homeowner plumbing exam here as well. :mad3:
 
bigun said:
Bernco has always been strict on permits, once had a State inspector Tell customer that I regularly passed Bernco inspections so there was little chance he would find anything wrong.
It's been too many years since I had any dealing so I wouldn't know anyone there to talk to.
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They're quite abrasive to say the least. Even if i'm able get the permit issued, I have a feeling that I would probably have to fight tooth and nail to get them to pass the inspections.
 
Have you thought about doing a hybrid system? Basically most of the benefits of solar without inspections. You just can't sell back to the utility, but that is a shitty deal anyway. Set up solar panels that feed into a charge controller/inverter that charges up batteries that then feed your house power via a transfer panel. You can control some makes with an app so that if solar input sucks and you deplete your batteries you can switch back to the grid if need be.

And to head off the OMG lithium Ion batteries will burn down my house and cause male pattern baldness, the new batteries are LiFePo4 and much safer without most of the hazards of Lion
 
Rob hunter said:
Sounds like the woman I spoke on the phone with. I'm fairly certain if you have all of the requirements (docs and plans), apply and pay the fee, they can not legally refuse to issue the permit. It sounds like a potential law suit brewing if they're refusing permit issuance just because they decided so. They are not the law.
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Briansc33 said:
Hey look Mike, you've attracted your own Fed...

I'm telling you man, it's much easier..
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The Feds might as well be holding my dick while I pee with the amount of info they have on me due to work.

Maybe my inlaws will forgive the loan for the land but cant see that happening yet. Whats 10 years of payments in the grand picture but when Im ready to put in solar I will reach out.

Sceep said:
Congrats! Thats badass.
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Just wish it was better layout overall but should be a sound investment for the future.

Rob hunter said:
Just relocated from NC. Should have looked closer at the demographics before i accepted the job offer. instant regret there....

They have a homeowner plumbing exam here as well. :mad3:
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Ignore the requirements for plumbing and electrical. Plenty of times I have added circuit breakers, outlets, water heaters, redid bathrooms etc. Solar is just a different beast due to PNM's involvement.

You end up in ABQ for the labs or another place on base?

Rob hunter said:
They're quite abrasive to say the least. Even if i'm able get the permit issued, I have a feeling that I would probably have to fight tooth and nail to get them to pass the inspections.
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You may never pass. Briansc33 has been involved in the construction market for a long ass time so he could help on that end.
 
Rob hunter said:
They're quite abrasive to say the least. Even if i'm able get the permit issued, I have a feeling that I would probably have to fight tooth and nail to get them to pass the inspections.
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I built a cabin in NM about 30 years ago. What I found (taos county) was that if I could figure out who the inspector was, they would usually tell me what they needed... which was usually to pay someone 500.00 to 1000.00 for services to make sure we'd pass. In each case, the person came by, walked the job with me, usually pretty friendly and once or twice a minor, minor thing or two and then, boom, approved.

There aren't a ton of surnames in NM, so the fact that some surnames matched the inspector... was total coincidence.

I used a local sawmill for lots of the wood which seemed to get me some credibility with the 'officials'.... the thing is, find out what is really required, stop thinking of things as fair or not fair and keep moving!
 
gladman said:
...which was usually to pay someone 500.00 to 1000.00 for services to make sure we'd pass....
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That's what i'm beginning to realize here. That might be the least painful route. I just don't know any contractors here that would take that offer and let me do all the work. Back home it wouldn't have been a problem. I know most of the inspectors and have friends that are contractors.
 
Rob hunter said:
That's what i'm beginning to realize here. That might be the least painful route. I just don't know any contractors here that would take that offer and let me do all the work. Back home it wouldn't have been a problem. I know most of the inspectors and have friends that are contractors.
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I love New Mexico. I do. Nice people, beautiful, lots to do, not too crowded... but, take the 'new' part off. It is mexico. In mexico, you'd just pay someone and they will fix it. Which is to say, you can buy permission AND you are one of the good guys for playing along. If you are a gringo, get over it. It is their place and you are visiting, if you play along, you pay'em and they'll bring you some elk steaks or some green chile and tortillas and be your friend.

My buddy there called it 'honest corruption'. I laughed when he said it, but I don't think he is right... but, for a couple of grand, you can have your place and they leave you alone. I don't know much about Bernalillo County, but, I'd imagine it works pretty much like that. Go in and see the bitchy girl at the counter and give her a 20.00 starbucks card and say, 'sorry for being grumpy the other day, I didn't have my coffee' she'll still be bitchy but when you give her the card, her attitude will change and she'll tell you what you need to do.

It isn't America there. It is Mexico... and that is alright. Great food, great scenery, nice folks... just different customs.
 
You are so completely wrong, but yet so completely right.

Yes, parts are full on Mexico.
Parts are full blown America. They're within a 20M radius. Then there's Santa Fe :shaking:

Whatever you want can be purchased, but it's not as simple as giving little Suzy a gift card.
 
gladman said:
Great food, great scenery, nice folks... just different customs.
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I agree! I guess i'm expecting something close to where I came from and that's my fault. I'm accustom to having to jump through hoops with the county and keeping inspectors happy, but this is a whole different chupacabra than i've encountered before.
Briansc33 said:
Whatever you want can be purchased, but it's not as simple as giving little Suzy a gift card.
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Any advice to grease the wheels would be appreciated. I would prefer to build myself, but if that's just not going to happen without tremendous effort, I suppose I need to bite the bullet and find a contractor to pull the permits.
 
Money in high places and knowing the process.

If you want a legit home built here, and are committed, I'll help a Fed out. If you're on the fence, perhaps our Company is not for you.
 
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