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GoogleLocal builders and developers will soon find themselves impacted by Iowa's new state electrical licensing laws.
Jason Vacura, city code enforcement officer, told Le Mars City Council members Tuesday that under the new provisions, also requiring electrical inspections as of March 1, there are a number of concerns facing the city as well.
Among immediate changes is the need for listing of an electrical contractor, with proof of a state-issued Class A master or a Class B master license on all building permits, Vacura said.
While he is still awaiting state clarification on parts of the new law, Vacura added, it appears at the present time that an electrician with a journeyman license, apprentices and unclassified license holders must do the work under the supervision of a class A or B master license holder.
A major area of concern, Vacura said, is that of required inspection by either local or state certified electrical inspectors.
At present the city does not have a certified electrical inspector and would have to rely on one assigned by the state.
Plans at present, Vacura said, call for a total of 16 state inspectors to be assigned statewide with two of these individuals in northwest Iowa, one located in Ida Grove and the second in Spencer.
Mayor Dick Kichoff asked whether this would mean delays for local builders in completing a project or for owners to move into a new home.
Vacura said he state law requires inspectors to be available within three days of a request for an inspection. Contractors will have to call or email the state. A state website will be set up as of March 1.
Options available to the city, Vacura said, include local jurisdiction licensing and inspection, increasing local requirements and supervision of electricians and revision of the city code to equal or expand on the newly adopted state code.
City inspector certification is an option if the individual is approved by the Iowa Electrical Examining Board should the city chose to assume enforcement duties locally.
Council members appeared to lean toward relying on state inspections while awaiting more definitive information on the code changes.
Vacura said, meanwhile, letters are being sent to local contractors and developers make certain all are aware of the changes.
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Statwide Liscensing of course it is a GREAT idea. Being a skeptic, I have read this law several times now. The bottom line is that we are going to have our children and grandchildren living in safer homes in the future. The electrical installation will be done by certified, educated, tested qualified electricians! Not only that, these inspections will be performed by certified, educated, tested, professionals of the electrical trade. Iowa is blessed with some of the BEST code professionals and instructors in the US. Not only that some of them have been hired by the state to oversee the program! What more could we ask for! The inspections DOES not cost the city as a whole a penny, and if a permit costs $250.00, and that seems to be to high ... could someone give me a good fair price for safety, if this is an issue maybe you should rethink that $800.00 fawcett you were going to put in the kitchen. (Just my opinion.)