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Homeowner as contractor(s)?????

"One of the stipulations usually is that it is your own house and you are the only one performing the work."

Does that mean that the homeowner can't subcontract work that he or she doesn't feel competent to do?
Yes, the owner needs to be physically performing all work.
 
Yes, the owner needs to be physically performing all work.
So a (non-resident) son or daughter helping is not allowed in your interpretation? I took out a permit to build a detached 28 x 32 garage and hired an excavation contractor to dig. In-laws helped a couple of days with footers and stem walls. Then after I framed walls my son showed up for a week to help frame and cover roof. I finished trim and all electrical with sub-panel. And you say the IRC doesn't allow that? I find nothing in the NYS Residential Code about who can do the work.

There seems to be very little licensing if contractors in NY, at least upstate. No statewide requirements except design professionals. (Maybe crane operators, elevator contractors, and asbestos contractors.) So what's the difference if I pull the permit and my son or a stranger does the work? I'm still responsible for it passing inspection.

Interesting topic.
 
So a (non-resident) son or daughter helping is not allowed in your interpretation? I took out a permit to build a detached 28 x 32 garage and hired an excavation contractor to dig. In-laws helped a couple of days with footers and stem walls. Then after I framed walls my son showed up for a week to help frame and cover roof. I finished trim and all electrical with sub-panel. And you say the IRC doesn't allow that? I find nothing in the NYS Residential Code about who can do the work.

At least in Connecticut, digging holes doesn't require a license (or even a permit, for that matter). Beyond that ...

Plumbing, electrical, and HVAC work requires a trade license unless performed by THE homeowner, in his or her primary residence. Most other work requires a Home Improvement Contractor license, again unless performed by THE homeowner on his or her primary residence.

In Connecticut, it's not spelled out in the codes, it's in statute. The general chapter is Chapter 393

The chapter, in general, says nobody can perform any of the regulated work without holding a current, valid license. Buried in the verbiage is the exceoption for homeowners. The pertinent section is:
Sec. 20-340. Exemptions from licensing requirements. The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to: (1) Persons employed by any federal, state or municipal agency; (2) employees of any public service company regulated by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority or of any corporate affiliate of any such company when the work performed by such affiliate is on behalf of a public service company, but in either case only if the work performed is in connection with the rendition of public utility service, including the installation or maintenance of wire for community antenna television service, or is in connection with the installation or maintenance of wire or telephone sets for single-line telephone service located inside the premises of a consumer; (3) employees of any municipal corporation specially chartered by this state; (4) employees of any contractor while such contractor is performing electrical-line or emergency work for any public service company; (5) persons engaged in the installation, maintenance, repair and service of electrical or other appliances of a size customarily used for domestic use where such installation commences at an outlet receptacle or connection previously installed by persons licensed to do the same and maintenance, repair and service is confined to the appliance itself and its internal operation; (6) employees of industrial firms whose main duties concern the maintenance of the electrical work, plumbing and piping work, solar thermal work, heating, piping, cooling work, sheet metal work, elevator installation, repair and maintenance work, automotive glass work or flat glass work of such firm on its own premises or on premises leased by it for its own use; (7) employees of industrial firms when such employees' main duties concern the fabrication of glass products or electrical, plumbing and piping, fire protection sprinkler systems, solar, heating, piping, cooling, chemical piping, sheet metal or elevator installation, repair and maintenance equipment used in the production of goods sold by industrial firms, except for products, electrical, plumbing and piping systems and repair and maintenance equipment used directly in the production of a product for human consumption; (8) persons performing work necessary to the manufacture or repair of any apparatus, appliances, fixtures, equipment or devices produced by it for sale or lease; (9) employees of stage and theatrical companies performing the operation, installation and maintenance of electrical equipment if such installation commences at an outlet receptacle or connection previously installed by persons licensed to make such installation; (10) employees of carnivals, circuses or similar transient amusement shows who install electrical work, provided such installation shall be subject to the approval of the State Fire Marshal prior to use as otherwise provided by law and shall comply with applicable municipal ordinances and regulations; (11) persons engaged in the installation, maintenance, repair and service of glass or electrical, plumbing, fire protection sprinkler systems, solar, heating, piping, cooling and sheet metal equipment in and about single-family residences owned and occupied or to be occupied by such persons; provided any such installation, maintenance and repair shall be subject to inspection and approval by the building official of the municipality in which such residence is located and shall conform to the requirements of the State Building Code; (12) persons who install, maintain or repair glass in a motor vehicle owned or leased by such persons; (13) persons or entities holding themselves out to be retail sellers of glass products, but not such persons or entities that also engage in automotive glass work or flat glass work; (14) persons who install preglazed or preassembled windows or doors in residential or commercial buildings; (15) persons registered under chapter 400 who install safety-backed mirror products or repair or replace flat glass in sizes not greater than thirty square feet in residential buildings; (16) sheet metal work performed in residential buildings consisting of six units or less by new home construction contractors registered pursuant to chapter 399a, by home improvement contractors registered pursuant to chapter 400 or by persons licensed pursuant to this chapter, when such work is limited to exhaust systems installed for hoods and fans in kitchens and baths, clothes dryer exhaust systems, radon vent systems, fireplaces, fireplace flues, masonry chimneys or prefabricated metal chimneys rated by Underwriters Laboratories or installation of stand-alone appliances including wood, pellet or other stand-alone stoves that are installed in residential buildings by such contractors or persons; (17) employees of or any contractor employed by and under the direction of a properly licensed solar contractor, performing work limited to the hoisting, placement and anchoring of solar collectors, photovoltaic panels, towers or turbines; (18) persons performing swimming pool maintenance and repair work authorized pursuant to section 20-417aa; and (19) any employee of the Connecticut Airport Authority covered by a state collective bargaining agreement.

The State Building Inspector is not authorized to interpret statutes, so we can't ask her what this means. The statute says "Owned and occupied by ..." A strict reading would hold that only the person whose name appears on the deed can perform any work. That could be tough if a house is in the wife's name and the husband wants to do the work. I think a reasonable reading (my opinion only) would be "the immediate family." So a father and his teen-age sons could frame and wire a house. But ... brother-in-law George from the next town? Nope -- not allowed to pick up a hammer or a tool unless he has the appropriate license. The same would apply to adult children who have moved out and have their own homes. They no longer occupy the premises being worked on, so they are not allowed to work on it unless they hold the appropriate license.
 
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In our municipality you may swing your own hammer (with a bond in place) but the trades have to be done by state licensed contractors.
 
In-laws helped a couple of days with footers and stem walls. Then after I framed walls my son showed up for a week to help frame and cover roof.
Any free help is acceptable. If you hire and supervise help that is acceptable. However, you hire help and they are deemed employees under state laws then workers comp laws and insurance may come into play.

Had a son in-law who wanted to re-roof his mother in-laws house while she was on a cruise as a surprise. I told him he was not the owner and therefore I could not issue him the permit (Fl Law) he asked what if I just did it over the weekend and I told him his mother in-law would be assessed a double permit fee of $40.00. He did the roof over the weekend with employees from his hardware store. One fell off the single story home and broke his ankle. Workers comp went into his store insurance and charged him roofer premiums for 6 employees for 6 months. At that time the WC rate was about 115% of the hourly rate paid to the employee.
 
At least in Connecticut, digging holes doesn't require a license (or even a permit, for that matter). Beyond that ...

Plumbing, electrical, and HVAC work requires a trade license unless performed by THE homeowner, in his or her primary residence. Most other work requires a Home Improvement Contractor license, again unless performed by THE homeowner on his or her primary residence.

In Connecticut, it's not spelled out in the codes, it's in statute. The general chapter is Chapter 393

The chapter, in general, says nobody can perform any of the regulated work without holding a current, valid license. Buried in the verbiage is the exceoption for homeowners. The pertinent section is:


The State Building Inspector is not authorized to interpret statutes, so we can't ask her what this means. The statute says "Owned and occupied by ..." A strict reading would hold that only the person whose name appears on the deed can perform any work. That could be tough if a house is in the wife's name and the husband wants to do the work. I think a reasonable reading (my opinion only) would be "the immediate family." So a father and his teen-age sons could frame and wire a house. But ... brother-in-law George from the next town? Nope -- not allowed to pick up a hammer or a tool unless he has the appropriate license. The same would apply to adult children who have moved out and have their own homes. They no longer occupy the premises being worked on, so they are not allowed to work on it unless they hold the appropriate license.
No Amish in Connecticut I guess. That would not fly in upstate NY for that reason alone, let alone many others. And state legislators know that.
 
Plumbing, electrical, and HVAC work requires a trade license unless performed by THE homeowner,
That is a law that defies enforcement. It’s the same thing with jurisdictions that require the owner to live at that residence and not sell it for some arbitrary time frame. I saw many for sale signs at the final inspection. Nobody cares.
 
That is a law that defies enforcement. It’s the same thing with jurisdictions that require the owner to live at that residence and not sell it for some arbitrary time frame. I saw many for sale signs at the final inspection. Nobody cares.

Nobody said it was easy to enforce. It's still the law.
 
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