**ATTENTION**
WE DO NOT PROMOTE OR ENCOURAGE YOU
TO DO YOUR OWN ELECTRICAL WIRING!!!
IT IS BY FAR THE MOST DANGEROUS THING
YOU CAN ATTEMPT. YOU COULD PUT YOUR
FAMILY AND WORLDLY POSSESSIONS IN DANGER!!!
The state of North Carolina allows you to personally do your own wiring in your own
home provided you personally will reside in the home and that it is not for rent or
intended for sale within one year after you complete the electrical installation. All
electrical installations, changes, additions, or modifications to wiring systems are subject
to permitting and inspections.
What is Electrical Contracting?
87-43. Electrical contracting defined; licenses.
Electrical contracting shall be defined as engaging or offering to engage in the
business of installing, maintaining, altering or repairing any electric work,
wiring, devices, appliances or equipment. No person, partnership, firm or
corporation shall engage, or offer to engage, in the business of electrical
contracting within the State of North Carolina without having received a
license in the applicable classification described in G.S. 87-43.3 from the State
Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors in compliance with the provisions
of this Article, regardless of whether the offer was made or the work was
performed by a qualified individual as defined in G.S.87-41.1.
87-43.1. Exceptions.
The provisions of this Article shall not apply:
(5) To the installation, construction, maintenance or repair of electrical wiring,
devices, appliances or equipment by persons, firms or corporations, upon their
own property when such property is not intended at the time for rent, lease,
sale or gift, who regularly employ one or more electricians or mechanics for
the purpose of installing, maintaining, altering or repairing of electrical wiring,
devices or equipment used for the conducting of the business of said persons,
firms or corporations;
(5a) To any person who is himself and for himself installing, maintaining,
altering or repairing electric work, wiring, devices, appliances or equipment
upon his own property when such property is not intended at the time for rent,
lease, or sale;
(7) To the replacement of lamps and fuses and to the installation and servicing
of cord-connected appliances and equipment connected by means of
attachment plug-in devices to suitable receptacles which have been
permanently installed or to the servicing of appliances connected to a
permanently installed junction box. This exception does not apply to
permanently installed receptacles or to the installation of the junction box.
PLEASE NOTE:
This exemption is for you personally to actually perform the electrical work
yourself. (YOU CANNOT GET A PERMIT FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO DO THE
WORK FOR YOU) You must be the legal owner as recorded on THE COUNTY
tax records and reside in the property yourself.
About the Test
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You are required to take and pass the written exam (minimum passing score is
72).
This is a written 25 question test with a two hour time limit.
There is no fee for this test.
You must make an appointment to take the exam.
Please call 704-336-3521 or 704-432-1775 to schedule your test.
YOU ARE ALLOWED TO TAKE THIS TEST ONLY ONCE.
If you pass you will be qualified to do the same type of electrical work on the
home you occupy now until the next code change. (A separate permit is required
for each project you do)
The homeowner test is based on the current edition of the NEC.
This is an open book test. (The NEC Code book will be furnished to you for the
exam.)
Electrical Permits
Most Homeowners DO NOT take out the necessary electrical permits and get an
inspection of their work. This is a very important step and it is a legal requirement.
When is a permit required?
a. Anytime you alter, change, modify, add to, remove, replace, or repair any of
the permanent wiring, devices, or equipment in or attached to your home or
out building.
How much does a permit cost?
a. There is a minimum permit fee of $38.00. The fees are based on total
construction cost including all equipment being installed.
Where do I get a permit?
a. You must come to 700 N. Tryon St. Charlotte, NC. You are required to take a
Homeowner exam to get your permit. This is the only place the home owner
electrical exam is given.
The Homeowner Exam
Do I have to take a written exam?
a. Yes, there is a 25 question written exam with a 2 hour time limit. The test is
based on the scope of your project and the current edition of the NEC.
Where do I take the electrical homeowner exam?
a. You must come to 700 N. Tryon St. Charlotte, NC. This is currently the only
place the electrical homeowner exam is given.
Can I be denied a homeowners permit?
a. Yes, The Department may deny the issuance of electrical permits to,
homeowners under any one of the following circumstances:
• There is reason to believe the proposed electrical work will be done by
someone other than the owner.
• There is reason to believe the property is or will be sold on the
completion of the electrical work.
• There is a reputable presumption that the property is or will be sold on
the completion of the electrical work if the applicant, within the prior
five years, has sold his or her home and the electrical work for said
home was performed by the applicant under a homeowner's permit
• Previous homeowner electrical permits have not been completed in
compliance with the code.
• The owner is temporarily residing in the home.
• If the homeowner is found to have at any time violated or falsified any
of the above items, they shall immediately cease all electrical work,
forfeit the homeowner's permit, and obtain a registered electrical
contractor to complete the electrical work in compliance with the job.
When can I take the homeowners exam?
a. You must call in advance to schedule the exam. Please call 704-336-3521 or
704-432-1775 for an appointment.
What if I do not get a permit to do my own wiring?
a. If your home has a fire or if someone is hurt as a result of work that has not
been permitted or inspected, your insurance company could refuse to pay for
the damages. When you sell your home the buyer could hire a home
inspector. If they discover you did work without permits and inspections, you
could lose the sell of the home or be required to get permits and inspections
before completing the sale.
Can I have someone else do my wiring for me after I get my permit?
a. NO the homeowner permit is for you personally to do your own wiring. You
are not allowed to get someone else to do the work for you.
Can my permit be revoked?
a. Yes, if your work is failed more than 2 times, the electrical inspector at his/her
discretion may require you to stop work and hire a qualified electrical contractor to
complete the job.
Inspections
How many inspections are required?
a. Usually two inspections are required for most projects. However your project
may require more inspections. Check with your inspector if you are in doubt.
Inspections are required before any of the wiring is covered with insulation, dirt,
concrete, or any type of building finish
When should I call for inspections?
a. Rough-in inspections: (prior to installation of insulation or any other building
finishes).
b. All wiring that will be covered by any building finish shall have a rough-in
inspection. i.e. (walls, ceiling, floors or insulation)
c. All outside wiring that will be buried shall be inspected for cable type, burial
depth, size, location and so on.
d. Final inspections: After ALL, fixtures and ALL other electrical equipment is
installed and completed.
How do I schedule an inspection?
a. You may schedule an inspection by MARVIN (automated interactive voice
response). Please call 704-336-8000. Your permit number is required. You may also
schedule your inspection by phone. Please call 704-336-3830.
Tips for the homeowner
1) Leave enough wires at the outlet boxes. Short wires make it hard to install or
replace the switch or receptacle, should the need arise. You must leave at least
six inches of wire extending outside of the outlet box.
2) Properly install the cables in the outlet box. The cable sheath must be inside the
box at least 1/4" to 1/2". You should not see the individual conductors outside of
the box where the cable enters. If the box has cable clamps make sure they are
snug to prevent the cable from coming out of the box.
3) Many times cable is installed where it can be damaged. Anytime NM-B or UF
cable is run outside of the framing members it shall be protected by some type of
conduit, either flexible, PVC, or rigid conduit.
4) If UF is installed feeding a pole light or utility building, it shall be protected by
either a metallic or PVC conduit to keep it from being damaged by gardening
tools, pets, pests and etc. Schedule 80 PVC conduit must be used to protect the
UF down at least 18" into the ground and up to 48” when it emerges from the
ground or a slab.
5) Use a proper connector when inserting the cable into a metal box, light fixture,
bath fan or panel board. A proper cable connector must be used to keep the sharp
edges of the metal from damaging the cable sheath and causing a short circuit or
possibly a fire.
6) The NM-B should be stapled within eight inches of the box and at least every four
feet thereafter. Be careful when stapling that you do not damage the cable with
the hammer. Do not drive the staple so tight as to damage the cable. Drive the
staple so that it is just snug enough to secure the cable. Be sure to staple cables
flat on the framing member (see Figure 1) Be sure to run the NM-B along and
parallel to building members in a neat appearing manner. Do not travel
diagonally across the attic or under the floor. Stay at least 6 feet away from any
access. If you have permanent access to an attic or a crawl space more than 4 feet
high, cable shall not be run on the face of the joist.
7) Be sure to keep the NM-B cable at least 1 ¼ " from the finished edges of your
framing member. This is to keep the NM-B from being damaged by nails that
miss the framing member while the wall or ceiling finish is installed.
8) Drilled holes in framing members shall be a minimum of 1 ¼ inches from either
face of the framing member, or shall be protected by using a steel plate 1/16 of an
inch thick or a listed, approved steel plate of lesser than 1/16 inch of appropriate
length.
9) Use the proper cable for the job. It is a common mistake using NM-B cable for
underground or direct burial use. I know it looks like it will withstand burial
because it has a plastic like coating. But, it will not last long especially if the
ground is damp. You must use UF cable.
10) Homeowners often do not use proper replacement outlet. Always replace a GFCI
receptacle with another GFCI receptacle ONLY. It was installed there for a
purpose. It could save a life, maybe yours, or a loved one.
11) NEVER replace a two-wire receptacle with a three-wire receptacle. If you own
an older home with ungrounded two slot receptacles, you cannot replace a twowire receptacle with a three wire-grounding receptacle unless you run a ground
wire and attach it to the grounding electrode. There is an exception to this; you
may replace a two-wire receptacle with a GFCI receptacle and mark all of the
outlets replaced as no ground available.
12) Do not replace light fixtures in older homes without a grounding conductor.
Replacement of light fixtures require grounding if a metal fixture is installed, or
install GFCI protection on the circuit. Non metallic fixtures may be replaced with
out grounding.
13) It is a common mistake to install ceiling fans without proper support. Be sure that
if you are hanging a ceiling fan you have installed a listed ceiling fan box
correctly per the manufacturers instructions before mounting the ceiling fan.
14) Homeowners get shocked by not turning off power or checking if a circuit is live.
Buy a simple voltage detector. Check your voltage tester on a known live circuit
to be sure it is working properly BEFORE USING.
15) Remember the self help books are not always correct or current. The person who
is giving you advice may not know as much as you or maybe only a little more
than you about wiring. Most often the advice you get is worth just what you
paid for it; as a matter of fact it most often costs you a lot of money to do
our project over to meet the National Electrical Code.
Figure 1
Do you really want to do
your own electrical work?
Electricity works when it is wrong.
Nothing else in your home will operate properly if it is installed incorrectly. Just because
your ceiling fan or light operates does not mean it is safe. It may take years but
eventually it will fail, possibly causing a fire, major damage, or death.
Painting, roofing, floor covering, sheet rock, trim work, landscaping and a host of other
projects can be safely preformed by the homeowner.
Leave the electrical work to a qualified
licensed electrical contractor.
Our Goal
Our goal is to protect the public health, safety, and welfare while delivering services that
exceed customer’s expectations for efficiency, effectiveness, and adaptability.
Exceptional quality service is the standard
Know The Code
Most often the Do-It-Yourself books, home center stores, HGTV, DYI network television
shows are not as helpful as they may seem. They give the impression that many projects
are very simple. The information received from the do-it-yourself books, home center
stores and TV shows is not always consistent with the current edition of the National
Electrical Code. The writers of the shows the employees of the home center stores and
the authors of these books are not always qualified to give the correct information.
To be assured your project will pass inspection you must follow the current edition of the
National Electrical Code.