Can I Do My Own Electrical Work?

Electrical work can seem daunting. Approached carefully, DIY electrical work can be a safe, rewarding, and money-saving home improvement project. But can you do your own electrical work—both legally and from the standpoint of your own set of skills?

You can usually do your own electrical work as long as it is done for yourself, not commercially. Other conditions may apply, too. You may need to show a house deed to prove that you are the owner. You may need to take a brief examination to gain a temporary license to perform the work.

Can You Legally Do Your Own Electrical Work?

The legality of do-it-yourself electrical work varies from state to state and from one municipality to another. Always call your local permit office.

In the electrical permit application, you may need to attest to being the owner-occupant and that this work is being done for your benefit, as opposed to commercially.

Typical of language found in many states' law books is this, from Washington State, which expressly allows an owner-occupant to do their own electrical work:

Nothing...shall be construed to require that a person obtain a license or a certified electrician in order to do electrical work at his or her residence...unless the electrical work is on the construction of a new building intended for rent, sale, or lease.

Homeowner Electrical Exams

If the regulating body allows you, the owner-occupant, to do the work, you might be required to obtain a temporary license to do this work. In some cases, you might be required to take a test to obtain this temporary license.

This is not the same as the extensive test taken by individuals wishing to become certified electricians or master electricians. Instead, it is usually a modified, scaled-down test designed to ensure that the homeowner knows a few of the basics of electrical code before embarking on the electrical work.

Montgomery County, Maryland, for example, allows owners of single-family detached dwellings to do their own electrical work after passing an examination. The person taking the test must be able to show that they are the owner or an immediate family member of the owner and that the home is their primary residence.

Montgomery County's exam is based on the current National Electrical Code (NFPA 70). The test-taker can use a copy of the code book during the test, and the exam pertains to the type of work that they are doing.

Why Do Your Own Electrical Work

If you're already inclined toward doing your own electrical work, here are a few reasons why you might want to start pulling wire and setting electrical boxes on your own:

• Save money: If you want to save money on remodeling costs, start with highly skilled, expensive trades like electricians.
• Get the work done quickly: Electricians might be booked out for days or weeks. When you do your own electrical work, there are no scheduling problems. After a quick trip to the home center, you'll have those outlets wired or lights installed by the end of the day—not weeks later.
• Take control of your home: Houses are big, complex places. It's easy to feel that the house is in control of you, not the other way around. But when you do your own electrical work, nothing is a mystery any longer. Plus, you know how to fix it.
• Electrical work is safe: With proper precautions and attention, electrical work is not dangerous. For example, circuits can safely be worked on as long as the circuit breaker is turned off. With that circuit broken and by properly testing with a voltage tester, you'll know that electricity is not flowing to the device that you are working on.

When to Call the Professionals

Even if you are comfortable doing your own electrical work, there are times when you will want to hire an electrician.

Professionals are trained and licensed, plus they do this work every day. Projects that require a steep learning curve for you are second nature to them. Consider calling an electrician for:

• Heavy-ups
• Installing a sub-panel
• Fishing cable through walls
• Installing outdoor conduit
• Adding a circuit
• Or any work that involves opening up the inside of the electric service panel