Re: Home Automation Qualifications...

[Roy L Butler <roy.butler@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Robert,

Robert L Bass wrote:
>> Do home automation consultants/installers/owners
>> need to be licensed as perhaps electricians or some
>> other kind of contractor in order to perform business?
>
> In California, yes.  An alarm installer's or electrician's license will do.  You pay more with an alarm installer.  Electricians
> usually (but not always) do neater, more careful work.  Unfortunately, most electricians and alarm installers don't know HA very
> well.  A few do.  There are also professional HA contractors but unfortunately, they tend to charge top dollar.
>
>> If not a requirement, would the choice effect company liability insurance costs?  The area is Los Angeles, if
>> it varies district-to-district.
>
> If a license is not required in a given area then it won't make any difference in terms of insurance costs.  For that matter, where
> a license isn't mandatory, ione generally isn't even available.
>
>> Thanks in advance for any advice.
>
> Are you considering delving into HA for a living or hiring an HA professional to do a job for you?
>

Thanks for the good advice.  I'm considering possibly entering the field
in the far-off future.

I've heard that to get an electrician license you need to shadow someone
with experience for a number of years.  I'm going to look into it more,
but do you know off the top of your head if this is necessarily the case
or if there's a quicker way for professionals in semi-related (but
unlicensed) fields with the aptitude to simply take and pass a set of
tests and/or classes?


Thanks again,
Roy