atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring Permits????

We recently moved a customers telephone system to Totowa NJ. While the Electrical Inspector was inspecting Electrical in the new facility , he told our customer there was no LV wiring permit taken out and they could not get a CO with out it. After being told twice by the Building Department at the town there was no need for LV permits/inspections, we finally forked over the $47.00 permit fee at the Electric Inspectors demand just to move on.....
Anyone else running in to this "new" requirement? No one including the Electrical inspector could tell me when permits/inspections went into effect.

Oh, permits are required for LV wiring just about everywhere in the Washington, DC area. I just had to spend an entire day taking a course to receive "continuing education credits" just so I could renew my electrician's license in just one county! The course was on "safety when working with high voltages and arc faults". Like that has anything to do with low voltage wiring!

Anyway, that county requires a full electrical contractor's license to install low-voltage wiring (well, to obtain permits anyway). In DC, nobody is allowed to install low-voltage wiring except fully-licensed master electricians. They don't even have a "limited" license available.

Sounds to me like you actually got off light! Still, you should probably get used to it. It's a huge revenue generator for the towns, cities and counties. Ca$h is what it's all about.

All the new construction jobs around here requires a permit for LV. In all the municipalities I've worked in they won't even issue a permit if you don't have a NJ Telecommunications exemption certificate.
The only way around the permits is to cable the office after the CO is given.

I don't do much cabling anymore. Only programming now. But I remember having to get permits for a job in Edison NJ. In NJ, It may depend on the town. This however, was the only town that required it that I ran into.

Another reason I live in Texas.

Give em time Dan. It won't be long until they realize they're missing an opportunity to tax us. I think once they do I'll apply for a job with DnR so I can sit in a phone closet with my head buried in the sand. :>)

Are you sure you are not a former employee of mine. You seem to know what many of my so called techs do?
lol

LMAO. That wouldn't be nearly as funny if I hadn't dealt with having employees. Actually, now that I think about it, that's probably what has me ready to go sit in a phone closet. :>)

In our county there is a $100 Application fee and $50 Annual renewal fees. A permit costs $44.50. AND OBTW the city of Akron, which resides in our county, also has permit fees.
I'm thinking double-dipping is excessive taxation.
The rich get richer .....etc.

I have everyone beat. For those of you who are familiar with my mile-long posts, fasten you seatbelts. Here we go:

An existing customer is expanding and opening a fourth office (YES!). Not a huge jub, but it's nice to have them keep coming back. I am not complaining.

Customer needs 32 cables run, a less than $3,000.00 job. We started negotiations on this job a while back, but didn't actually go to get the permit until we had the deposit in-hand. They give us the site address and tell us it's in the city of Rockville, MD. We contact that city's permits office and they inform us that no license is required, just a simple form and a check. That was a month ago, so we figured it wouldn't be any big deal.

We go to the city office on Wednesday with check in hand, only to be told that this particular block on that street isn't within the city limits (the city/county boundary zig/zags). We are directed to go to the Montgomery County, MD offices up the street (within the city; how confusing). We don't do a lot of work in this area, that's why we don't know much about the local policies.

There, it's not so simple. They don't allow us to use our statewide Maryland license and a local business license like most other jurisdictions. You have to apply (and be approved by the board that meets twice a month). They allow reciprocity using another license from a neighboring jusrisdiction. Fortunately, we have plenty of them.

Problem is, I have to take the forms to the neighboring Prince George's County and have them sign-off. That's not normally something they do on a walk-in basis; you leave the forms there and they call you to come pick them up once they are signed. I manage to call (and beg) someone to sign them for me so I can take them to the other county offices. They do it for me and I am on my way around the Beltway.

By the way, my license in that county expires tonight at midnight, but I have attended the continuing education classes, paid the renewal fees, sent them photos of myself (see left), all that is required. Thank goodness that while I was there begging them to sign my form, they happened to remember having seen my renewal application and "there was a problem".

You see, there are varying degrees of license level fees in this county (Prince George's County, MD). We checked the wrong box and sent the wrong amount in with the renewal forms. They allowed me, while I was there, to just give them a check for the difference. So far, things are going very well for me today.

I arrive at Montgomery County's offices (located in downtown Rockville, MD) with all of my forms, insurance certificates, affadavits, check for $506.00, you name it. I wait in line, eventually get my turn and all is good. Fortunately, the board will be meeting on Monday night, so my application will be presented and I will be legitimate by Tuesday morning.

Not bad! The guy even lets me go ahead and fill out the permit application for the job and pay the $140.80 fee for it. He is going to hold onto it until he gets the green light and he will speed-process it for me so we at least have a permit number on Tuesday. Bear in mind that we were supposed to start the job on Monday, but hey, that's our fault for waiting until we had the job deposit.

Only one catch: My Prince George's County license expires at midnight tonight. The Montgomery County Board doesn't meet until Monday night. By then, my supporting documentation will be invalid. The guy tells me to just fax him the new license from Prince George's as soon as I receive it. Keep in mind that as of 11:30 this morning, P.G. was still sitting on my application, so something tells me I won't be seeing my new license in the mail on Monday. Get where I am going here? It's a Catch 22 situation.

OK, well I will just have to wait and see what happens on Monday. I am on the way back to the office after having completely (yes completely) circled the Beltway (about 60 miles) in my quest. My phone rings and I am told that a Fairfax County, VA permit that we pulled last week has the wrong suite number on it and it will have to be redone. Back to the office, pick up another check and application, then head out to Fairfax. By 3:30, I have the new permit in hand and I head back to the office.

It's been a whole day of my time, 200 miles @$3.00 per gallon, and $771.80 worth of checks written, but hopefully by Tuesday, we will be all set.

God, it sure is great being a legitimate business. 90% of our competition isn't. Hmmmmm.....Maybe they are the smart ones!

I hope you enjoyed my little story about regulation and it's pitfalls.