Electrical Question on and Low Voltage Permitting for Alpharetta, GA
I have a question I would like someone to answer. I was told that I had to pull a low voltage permit and that I needed a low voltage license to install low voltage landscape lights on a deck.
I currently hold State Licensed Unrestricted Class 2 Electrical License and have done many jobs where we are doing electrical work and along with the work we may add some low voltage, to include low voltage lights, cable jacks, phone jacks, computer networking cables pretty much anything low voltage and have been able to add this to our permit. I am just having a hard time understanding why the City of Alpharetta is telling me that if another city or county is allowing this, that they are breaking the law because it is a State requirement.
Please comment if not I will continue my research and post something later.
RESPONSE:
Hi, we are looking for as much info as we can find on this matter. Any input or help from someone who is more familiar with this issue is always welcome.
Here is a website where we found the below info: www.neca-neis.org/state/state_regs.cfm
State of GA Electrical Regulations
*CODE
The Georgia State Minimum Standard Electrical Code consists of the 2005 National Electrical Code in conjunction with the 2005 Georgia Amendment. Some counties have adopted amendments to this code. Electrical installations are also subject to rules and regulations promulgated by the State Fire Marshal and the Insurance Commissioner.
Enforcement
There is no statewide electrical inspection. However, the Board is currently engaged in a program to encourage county and municipal authorities to require inspection of electrical work, where it is not currently inspected. The State Fire Marshall has broad powers to inspect buildings, though not specifically to perform electrical inspections. The Construction Industry Licensing Board, Electrical Division, has power to license or revoke, and to suspend or restore electrical contractor licenses.
*LICENSING
Contractor
Electrical contractors must be licensed by the Construction Industry Licensing Board, Electrical Division. An examination is required and licenses are issued to a person, not a firm. Renewal requires the contractor holding the license to complete four (4) hours of continuing education courses per year.
Journeyman Electrician
Journeymen employed by a licensed electrical contractor do not need a separate license.
HERE IS THE PART THAT’S RELEVENT:
Low-Voltage Systems – Although a restricted low-voltage license is required for electrical contractors when doing such work exclusively from regular electrical wiring, low-voltage work may be done with an unrestricted, normal license when the low-voltage portion of the contract is incidental to the main electrical contract.
What I get from the above statement is that if we are doing an electrical permitted job in Georgia that has low voltage we are allowed to handle the low voltage permitting part or at least have it on the same electrical permit.
UPDATE:
I was told that the only time an unrestricted electrical license holder can do the low voltage on any job is when the job is a new construction job from the ground up.
Other than that you must hold a low voltage license and pull a low voltage permit.
This was told to me by State Construction Industry Licensing Board, Division of Electrical Contractors – H. Cosper of Powder Springs, GA.
Thank you for your time today and all the information you gave me. It has helped us out a lot.
Tony Blanca ~ Owner Lightning Bug Electric | 404-223-5274