Good video (always enjoy your content) Here in Nevada as a Handyman, we are not allowed to do any actual electrical unless we hold a valid Nevada State electrical Contractors license same with other trade - Electrical, Plumbing, H.V.A.C & Refrigeration trade work, not even a State Building Contractor can do those trades unless they hold the actual State License in them. Also we (as Handyman Co's) can only do individual jobs totaling No More then $1000.00 {{Including Material Cost - no mater who purchases the materials}} so I stay busy doing many $1000 or less jobs a week :) most of my business is custom wood working/picture hanging/furniture arranging & product assembly @ $150.00 per hour with a 2 hour minimum - customer supplies all materials
For people commenting about exterior panels theyre fine whats required is your first point of disconnect from the utility (your big main breaker) is required to be accessible outside so fireman can shut off the power in the event of an electrical fire
Try googling a wire reel… set the coil of wire on it at your start point, then pull to where you need to go- wire comes out straight with no knots or kinks. My only grip with them is the amount of space they take up in the van and having to carry another tool in and out of Cust houses.
Highly recommend this or even just roll out all the cable from the outside starting point and set a couple of pulleys inside. It takes a little more set up time but it will actually save you time overall.
Another realistic approach to being handy! I recently took on finishing my basement and adding a couple rooms. I did all my own electrical work from running a new sub panel to running electrical throughout the basement. I installed led can lighting and four outlets per room. Everything is working great and its been over a year now. My question is will I have to tear it all down if I did not get any permits?
I’m wonder why you didn’t run the wiring over the plumbing when you were at the hot water heater tank ??? I know other wiring was ran under the PVC just above the water lines above the hot water tank !
Another great video, thanks for sharing! Working by yourself adds its own challenges to any handyman job. Setting up cameras with adequate lighting for a high-quality video while doing that same job requires a lot more skill and planning, kudos to you for a job well done!
There is no such thing as a house that is up to current code unless they were built this year. Most of the houses I work on don't even have ground wires. Just a hot and a neutral.
@@TheHandyman1Also some states deviate from NEC. Here in WA where lots of houses have crawl spaces and no basements, you can hang romex from the bottom of the joists in a crawl space in protected. They straight up say that section of the NEC does apply not apply to crawl spaces. Im not an electrician so don’t take my word for it.
Just installed two lines for two different mini splits swapped out a fuse box and upgraded a panel for one customer. Somewhere down the line, the old BX wire snapped. Guess where??? The crawl space!!! Cob webs and rat poop! I’m gonna back feed that sucker!
I figured there were three gas meters because it was three separate units in the building, but the AC all runs to the same panel. Is one of the units getting a surprise in their electricity bill?
@@TheHandyman1 I was about the ask the same question for an upcoming job. But if I’m running a circuit from a gazebo under a deck and into a panel inside a basement I can go stranded in conduit from gazebo to panel, right?
What are the rules in most states around doing electrical work as a licensed, bonded handyman company but not actually having gone through an electician apprenticeship? I have wired whole houses (mine), replaced panels, even run service from the street. But is it legal for me to do electrical work and charge for it? (again assuming I license my handyman business). For reference I live in WA.
@The Handyman Thanks for replying. Is the 'make friends' comment implying that he can sign off on me for purposes of licensing? I actually do know a couple electricians. Anyway great content!
Somewhat echoing what Mr. Handyman said, A lot of times you can DO the work yourself, except for the final connection back to your actual electrical panel. You can hire a licensed/bonded electrician (or pay a friend) to come look it over and swear off on your work, and then make the final connection. That's how you get around the regulations in most areas. I have friends who did that exact thing with DIY solar panel system installs.
Washington state here - but not a handyman. Be smart about it. If you are doing a bathroom remodel or kitchen remodel or something small like this that won’t draw any attention, you should be fine. You don’t need a permit for replacing outlets, switches, lights, etc. on the other hand, if you are doing a massive addition and there’s permits pulled with the city or county, yeah get a friend in the trade to pull the permit and “sub it out” or sub it out. Also make sure you have a good customer and doesn’t have any beef with their neighbors. If it’s some big new home construction or commercial job - stay away. It’s probably crawling with IBEW guys. That’s likely who wrote the laws to begin with. Edit: also funny thing I heard once from a coworker. Seems like a bad idea but who knows. His handyman would hang on to older romex and boxes from remodels. So if he knew the local building inspector (who doesn’t do electrical) was coming through, he could match the wiring to make it look like that’s what was originally there in the first place. My coworker was removing a load bearing wall and replacing it with a beam so he had to get the local building permit. His handyman had to move all the utilities out of the wall and he was able to make it look like they were never in there to begin with.
CPVC. The pipes in my 1998 house are all CPVC. How screwed am I? Any remodeling I do am replacing with PEX but wondering if I should just go and try to redo as much as I can. I did pinch clamp PEX in my laundry room since I didn’t want to spend 400 on the expander tool.
@@garret2042 I’ve had three neighbors have issues with it already with varying levels of damage. The guy across the street had his hot water line in the crawl space blow up during a snow storm while they were on vacation. I see a lot of plumbing trucks in the neighborhood. Last week I saw one with a bunch of PEX in the driveway… and doesn’t look like they have been working on a remodel….
Is your price due to where you are working? I am an electrician and if I charged 300/hr for this kind of work only the desperate would hire me. It's a different story if it's a bigger job where I can give a larger estimate but still.
Are you self employed or do you work for someone else. What would you charge for this job. 3 circuits to 3 AC disconnects. I charged $1,500 and completed it in 5 hours. That includes drive time and time spent getting materials. This price is at or below the going rates for major metro areas.
@The Handyman I'm not in a major metro area, so that plays a roll for sure. I am employed by a company but I also do work on the side. 1500 for 5 hours is not as far off as I thought. For me driving time is generally negligible. City traffic is not something I considered. The last minisplit I did used short home runs. Almost 2hrs. I charged about 150/hr
Maybe it’s because I’m in a northern climate, but I’ve always been confused by places with electrical panels outside. What’s stopping some goofball from cutting the lock and turning off all your power??
I have never seen a lock on an outdoor electric panel. Some jurisdictions require the panel on the outside. The next town over will require it on the inside. I'm glad mine is on the inside.
I also always wondered as well why folks don't put locks on their outside electrical panels; however I do, at both my places. Also good to lockout anyone else from touching stuff in there when you're working on a circuit (like lockout/tag out at industrial places.
Exterior panels are so silly to me. Nothing like working on a metal box that's exposed to the elements. Every one I've ever opened is full of rust, bugs, or small animals.
@@rawniew I've yet to come across a house that the panel wouldn't be better off inside of the structure. I know customers might not want to see it but you will replace an exterior panel 4 times as often as an interior panel. I'm also in Michigan so I'm not about go outside to reset a tripped breaker in 2 feet of snow.
@@TheHandyman1 $300 can turn into $30/hr easily after all the expenses. I'm just looking at what could be considered a good medium. Time is always a constraint with any hourly job. You can never make more than you can put in in hours so you are subject to the rules of the game. Still from where I sit $30 an hour is better than what I make. I've been considering starting up an all in one business that deals with anything from IT, to light car repairs, to replacing a toilet. Nothing extensive like replacing a pipe in the ground or replacing a connection to a house. I'm currently working on a business model.
@@TheHandyman1 My brother just paid $1700 to add an outlet and a light in a room and the house has a full basement. Guy didn't even fix the drywall after!
@@nick21614 I have always tried to do right with people. Never though will I leave a job half finished even if I'm doing the job as a favor for a friend or otherwise.
@@ccc822007I pay a small business guy $20 to cut & edge my front lawn; it's not very large & he uses a rider mower. He & his assistant finish the yard in less than 15 minutes. Then he mows 3 neighbor's yards in about the same amount of time, 15 minutes each. This equates to him making about $80 an hour, cutting grass. That said - you should charge/make more than $30 an hour for the type of work you do, imho. (Not a slur against his work - he works hard, does a great job & always shows up when he's supposed to. He also hasn't raised his price in 5 years. I offered to pay him more when gas prices went up but he called me crazy for suggesting it & said no. He's a sweetheart.)
You look like a psycho in the thumbnail but you are the best. Learned tons from you for home improvement. I tend to be more of a car janitor. (auto detailing) but from a business perspective many things are the same.
This is the best garden hose I have ever used. Click here to get one www.apexhose.com/synergy
Good video (always enjoy your content) Here in Nevada as a Handyman, we are not allowed to do any actual electrical unless we hold a valid Nevada State electrical Contractors license same with other trade - Electrical, Plumbing, H.V.A.C & Refrigeration trade work, not even a State Building Contractor can do those trades unless they hold the actual State License in them. Also we (as Handyman Co's) can only do individual jobs totaling No More then $1000.00 {{Including Material Cost - no mater who purchases the materials}} so I stay busy doing many $1000 or less jobs a week :) most of my business is custom wood working/picture hanging/furniture arranging & product assembly @ $150.00 per hour with a 2 hour minimum - customer supplies all materials
For people commenting about exterior panels theyre fine whats required is your first point of disconnect from the utility (your big main breaker) is required to be accessible outside so fireman can shut off the power in the event of an electrical fire
Try googling a wire reel… set the coil of wire on it at your start point, then pull to where you need to go- wire comes out straight with no knots or kinks. My only grip with them is the amount of space they take up in the van and having to carry another tool in and out of Cust houses.
I carry a traffic cone and hang it from my ladder.
@@lorenrickey5481 that’s actually pretty clever. I like it..
Highly recommend this or even just roll out all the cable from the outside starting point and set a couple of pulleys inside. It takes a little more set up time but it will actually save you time overall.
You can tell someone has confidence in their craftsmanship when they used 37 nails to scab a floor joist.
Sometimes, you just gotta make sure your new nail gun is working properly lol.
I thought we lost you when you touched those wires.
This was absolutely electrifying!
Another realistic approach to being handy!
I recently took on finishing my basement and adding a couple rooms. I did all my own electrical work from running a new sub panel to running electrical throughout the basement. I installed led can lighting and four outlets per room. Everything is working great and its been over a year now. My question is will I have to tear it all down if I did not get any permits?
🤐 don't ask don't tell.
I’m wonder why you didn’t run the wiring over the plumbing when you were at the hot water heater tank ??? I know other wiring was ran under the PVC just above the water lines above the hot water tank !
Another great video, thanks for sharing!
Working by yourself adds its own challenges to any handyman job. Setting up cameras with adequate lighting for a high-quality video while doing that same job requires a lot more skill and planning, kudos to you for a job well done!
Holy shit! You’re wearing a tool belt! Haven’t seen that other than the Stanley vest you tried out years ago.
Numerous violations in existing wiring? Under the rafters rather than thru them?
There is no such thing as a house that is up to current code unless they were built this year. Most of the houses I work on don't even have ground wires. Just a hot and a neutral.
@@TheHandyman1Also some states deviate from NEC. Here in WA where lots of houses have crawl spaces and no basements, you can hang romex from the bottom of the joists in a crawl space in protected. They straight up say that section of the NEC does apply not apply to crawl spaces. Im not an electrician so don’t take my word for it.
I was about to comment troll when it looked like you were going to run the romex through the conduit. So glad I didnt have to. Pfew. 🤣
Oh don't do it don't do it don't do it you did it another job well done
Just installed two lines for two different mini splits swapped out a fuse box and upgraded a panel for one customer. Somewhere down the line, the old BX wire snapped. Guess where??? The crawl space!!! Cob webs and rat poop! I’m gonna back feed that sucker!
You bet they could. The problem is they are some of the most arrogant tradesmen out there thinking they are untouchable because of their license
Rocking your summer beard.
9:10 angle of the dangle... this is why you're #1
I figured there were three gas meters because it was three separate units in the building, but the AC all runs to the same panel. Is one of the units getting a surprise in their electricity bill?
Separate electric meters. There is only one water meter so they all have to split the bill
Shouldnt of you run THHN wire through the conduit instead of Romex?
The romex insulation was all stripped off. And you can run romex through conduit for short runs to protect it.
@@TheHandyman1 . Wow. Good to know. Thank you
It think the max is 4.5 feet.
@@TheHandyman1 that's incredible information. Much appreciated
@@TheHandyman1 I was about the ask the same question for an upcoming job. But if I’m running a circuit from a gazebo under a deck and into a panel inside a basement I can go stranded in conduit from gazebo to panel, right?
Panel is outside?😮
Ha ha ha, that's a first, my uncle and I used to work for Teknor Apex back in the 90's. He worked in the hose department and I in the plasticizer.
What are the rules in most states around doing electrical work as a licensed, bonded handyman company but not actually having gone through an electician apprenticeship? I have wired whole houses (mine), replaced panels, even run service from the street. But is it legal for me to do electrical work and charge for it? (again assuming I license my handyman business). For reference I live in WA.
@The Handyman Thanks for replying. Is the 'make friends' comment implying that he can sign off on me for purposes of licensing? I actually do know a couple electricians. Anyway great content!
Somewhat echoing what Mr. Handyman said, A lot of times you can DO the work yourself, except for the final connection back to your actual electrical panel. You can hire a licensed/bonded electrician (or pay a friend) to come look it over and swear off on your work, and then make the final connection. That's how you get around the regulations in most areas. I have friends who did that exact thing with DIY solar panel system installs.
Washington state here - but not a handyman. Be smart about it. If you are doing a bathroom remodel or kitchen remodel or something small like this that won’t draw any attention, you should be fine. You don’t need a permit for replacing outlets, switches, lights, etc. on the other hand, if you are doing a massive addition and there’s permits pulled with the city or county, yeah get a friend in the trade to pull the permit and “sub it out” or sub it out.
Also make sure you have a good customer and doesn’t have any beef with their neighbors.
If it’s some big new home construction or commercial job - stay away. It’s probably crawling with IBEW guys. That’s likely who wrote the laws to begin with.
Edit: also funny thing I heard once from a coworker. Seems like a bad idea but who knows. His handyman would hang on to older romex and boxes from remodels. So if he knew the local building inspector (who doesn’t do electrical) was coming through, he could match the wiring to make it look like that’s what was originally there in the first place. My coworker was removing a load bearing wall and replacing it with a beam so he had to get the local building permit. His handyman had to move all the utilities out of the wall and he was able to make it look like they were never in there to begin with.
This fella is the definition of professional!
Yup....always feel better on a day that I work than on a day I try to relax.
Why not use a subpanel ?
the old tool vest wasn't enough for this job, had to bring out the heavy bags.
How much for the days work....$1600 ???
lol the thumbnail edit
Making cottoncandy with your drill and spider webs lol
I'm sure you're looking forward to the day junior helps dad getting tools and watching drill bits go thru walls. While wearing a caulk hat and t shirt
Afraid to fall asleep tonight... 🖐️
CPVC. The pipes in my 1998 house are all CPVC. How screwed am I?
Any remodeling I do am replacing with PEX but wondering if I should just go and try to redo as much as I can. I did pinch clamp PEX in my laundry room since I didn’t want to spend 400 on the expander tool.
Whats the issue with CPVC? Its great to work with.
@@garret2042 I’ve had three neighbors have issues with it already with varying levels of damage. The guy across the street had his hot water line in the crawl space blow up during a snow storm while they were on vacation. I see a lot of plumbing trucks in the neighborhood. Last week I saw one with a bunch of PEX in the driveway… and doesn’t look like they have been working on a remodel….
Greetings, how are you doing?
Is your price due to where you are working? I am an electrician and if I charged 300/hr for this kind of work only the desperate would hire me. It's a different story if it's a bigger job where I can give a larger estimate but still.
Are you self employed or do you work for someone else. What would you charge for this job. 3 circuits to 3 AC disconnects. I charged $1,500 and completed it in 5 hours. That includes drive time and time spent getting materials. This price is at or below the going rates for major metro areas.
@The Handyman I'm not in a major metro area, so that plays a roll for sure. I am employed by a company but I also do work on the side. 1500 for 5 hours is not as far off as I thought. For me driving time is generally negligible. City traffic is not something I considered.
The last minisplit I did used short home runs. Almost 2hrs. I charged about 150/hr
@@TheHandyman1did you charge materials separately?
Maybe it’s because I’m in a northern climate, but I’ve always been confused by places with electrical panels outside. What’s stopping some goofball from cutting the lock and turning off all your power??
I have never seen a lock on an outdoor electric panel. Some jurisdictions require the panel on the outside. The next town over will require it on the inside. I'm glad mine is on the inside.
I also always wondered as well why folks don't put locks on their outside electrical panels; however I do, at both my places. Also good to lockout anyone else from touching stuff in there when you're working on a circuit (like lockout/tag out at industrial places.
You're the Fox Mulder of remodelling.
Exterior panels are so silly to me. Nothing like working on a metal box that's exposed to the elements. Every one I've ever opened is full of rust, bugs, or small animals.
old houses some times their is no good place to put them or the customer doesn't want to see it.
@@rawniew I've yet to come across a house that the panel wouldn't be better off inside of the structure. I know customers might not want to see it but you will replace an exterior panel 4 times as often as an interior panel. I'm also in Michigan so I'm not about go outside to reset a tripped breaker in 2 feet of snow.
Here in Texas meters and mains are typically outside, and sub panels are inside.
Many times in depends on the age of the house too.
🇺🇸🤘😊 Heck Yeah Handy Dandy 😊🤘🇺🇸
16:08 😅
That Mongoose sure is looking nice. 😉
Thanks.
Come on everybody give the Handyman tumbs up love watching his videos
I’ll bet some electricians can learn a thing or two from this Handyman episode. All the best!
Handyman better get those knee pads on! Nothing worse than not being able to sleep at night cause your knees are hurting!
Fake electrocution……Always funny! 😂
❤❤❤❤
Only time I’ve seen more than 1 mini split is on grow houses….
You have great skills and do a great job
Thank you.
eww gross. CPVC!
Kneepads brother.... Kneepads
Man you look so young with the face hairs gone.
how much of that $300 is overhead?
Depends on what you want to include in over head. My retirement? my paid sick days? my paid vacation days? My Taxes? The list goes on.
@@TheHandyman1 $300 can turn into $30/hr easily after all the expenses. I'm just looking at what could be considered a good medium. Time is always a constraint with any hourly job. You can never make more than you can put in in hours so you are subject to the rules of the game. Still from where I sit $30 an hour is better than what I make. I've been considering starting up an all in one business that deals with anything from IT, to light car repairs, to replacing a toilet. Nothing extensive like replacing a pipe in the ground or replacing a connection to a house. I'm currently working on a business model.
@@TheHandyman1 My brother just paid $1700 to add an outlet and a light in a room and the house has a full basement. Guy didn't even fix the drywall after!
@@nick21614 I have always tried to do right with people. Never though will I leave a job half finished even if I'm doing the job as a favor for a friend or otherwise.
@@ccc822007I pay a small business guy $20 to cut & edge my front lawn; it's not very large & he uses a rider mower. He & his assistant finish the yard in less than 15 minutes. Then he mows 3 neighbor's yards in about the same amount of time, 15 minutes each. This equates to him making about $80 an hour, cutting grass. That said - you should charge/make more than $30 an hour for the type of work you do, imho.
(Not a slur against his work - he works hard, does a great job & always shows up when he's supposed to. He also hasn't raised his price in 5 years. I offered to pay him more when gas prices went up but he called me crazy for suggesting it & said no. He's a sweetheart.)
You’re not a real electrician unless you use your linemen’s to bang in those staples. 😂
CPVC everywhere. 😭😭😭😭
You look like a psycho in the thumbnail but you are the best. Learned tons from you for home improvement. I tend to be more of a car janitor. (auto detailing) but from a business perspective many things are the same.
You mentioned enjoying how you feel after crawling around and it made me think of this video; th-cam.com/video/X6rk8saEAo8/w-d-xo.html
Handyman needs a lawn service.
That's a rental house that I'm trying to get the grass to grow.
@@TheHandyman1 I was just kidding, good luck, my renters are never good at taking care of the lawn
whoevr does your thumbnail.... the highlighting of the eyes and mouth is creepy!
👍👍😎✌️🤟
Yeah $300 a month 😂