Re: Home Automation Qualifications...

["Robert L Bass" <robertbass1@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

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

Here's the California rule (abbreviated) which I pilfered from:
http://www.ctshomestudy.com/contractor_license_require.htm

      Who must be licensed as a contractor in the State of California?
      All businesses or individuals who construct or alter any building, highway, road, parking facility, railroad, excavation, or
other structure in California must be licensed by the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) if the total cost (labor and
materials) of one or more contracts on the project is $500 or more. Contractors, including subcontractors, specialty contractors,
and persons engaged in the business of home improvement (with the exception of joint ventures and projects involving federal
funding) must be licensed before submitting bids. Licenses may be issued to individuals, partnerships, corporations, or joint
ventures.

      Is anyone exempt from the requirement to be licensed?
      Yes. Here are some of the exemptions:

      Work on a project for which the combined value of labor, materials, and all other items on one or more contracts is less than
$500 falls within the minor work exemption; work which is part of a larger or major project, whether undertaken by the same or
different contractors, may not be divided into amounts less than $500 in an attempt to meet the $500 exemption;

        a.. An employee who is paid wages, who does not usually work in an independently established business, or who does not have
direction or control over the performance of work, or who does not determine the final results of the work or project;
        b.. Public personnel working on public projects;
        c.. Officers of a court acting within the scope of their office;
        d.. Public utilities working under specified conditions;
        e.. Contractors operating on federally owned property;
        f.. Oil and gas operations performed by an owner or lessee;
        g.. Owner-builders who build or improve existing structures on their own property if they either do the work themselves or
use their own employees (paid in wages) to do the work. This exemption is only valid if the structure is not intended or offered for
sale within one year of completion;
        h.. Owner-builders who build or improve existing structures on their own property if they contract for the construction with
a licensed contractor or contractors;
        i.. Owner-builders who improve their main place of residence, have actually resided there for one year prior to completion
of the work, and who complete the work prior to sale. (This exemption is limited to two structures within a three-year period);
        j.. Sale or installation of finished products that do not become a fixed part of the structure. (This exemption applies to a
seller of installed carpets who holds a retail furniture dealer's license but who contracts for installation of the carpet with a
licensed carpet installer. This exemption does not apply to material suppliers or manufacturers who install or contract for
installation of products, nor does it apply to those who install mobile homes or mobile home accessory structures);
        k.. Security alarm company operators (licensed by the Bureau of Security and Investigative Services) who install, maintain,
monitor, sell, alter, or service alarm systems (fire alarm company operators must be licensed by the CSLB); and,
        l.. Persons whose activities consist only of installing satellite antenna systems on residential structures or property.
These persons must be registered with the Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair.


> 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?

Here's a link to a page on California's Department of Consumer Affairs website.  The page has access to info pertinent to
alarmcompany licensing.  Since the knowledge and experience requirements for alarm installers are less than those for electricians,
as a new HA aspirant you may want to go that route.
http://www.cslb.ca.gov/contractors/default.asp

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

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Bass Home Electronics
4883 Fallcrest Circle
Sarasota · Florida · 34233
http://www.bassburglaralarms.com
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