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Of course this will never happen because "the licensed trades" have more policital clout than "joe owner-builder"...

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Originally posted by Rob Tucker

While on other topics the issue of constitutional rights have come up.... this requirement by Hawaii to only use licensed trades smacks of unconstitutional to me. I'd donate to a fund to challenge the law to the Hawaii Supreme Court. Need a willing plaintiff and some money.

I see this law as making an assumption of incompetence by the state. We are assumed to be competent to defend ourselves in a court of law on a murder charge but aren't allowed to glue two pieces of ABS together or wire an outlet. I think the local and state governments have the right to tell us if we are doing the work right or wrong (building inspections) but not to tell us we can't do it ourselves.

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Originally posted by peteadams

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Of course this will never happen because "the licensed trades" have more policital clout than "joe owner-builder"...

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Then perhaps all the joe owner-builders should get together and work to change this. This irritation against the licensure restrictions is not a new issue. Rob has been wanting to do something about opening up electrical/plumbing work to owner-builders for years. Get together. Do something. Find an amenable councilperson. Find a helpful lawyer. Etc. If the anti-GMO, anti-geothermal hysterics (IMO) can move the county council to produce new laws, maybe a crowd of joe owner-builders could also. Or you could just pre-concede powerlessness and grumble a lot on a forum.

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Originally posted by peteadams

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Sorry to tell you, but I've seen plenty of union work that was not up to code.

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Should be blazingly obvious that you can find a lot more amateur work that is not up to code.

Why should an inspector assume that a non-professional knows anything at all, anything, about installing electrical or plumbing according to code? I would think if some exemption were carved out for amateur electricians or plumbers, the inspection fee should significantly increase as every detail of the installation should be examined, nothing should be assumed as the inspector might with a professional.

Defeatist attitudes are sad.

And if you want that exemption, feel free to pursue it. This is a governmental situation, you, and every citizen, have ordinary recourse to promote new law and regulations, either working with the governing body or filing suit. It's called progress. Try to complain to Exxon about gas prices or Wall Street for gutting your 401(k).

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