You can't use telephone wire to wire up you outlets anymore in Iowa.

[MikeInEburg]

In our area a homeowner can do their own electrical or plumbing work only after taking a county-administered test that covers appropriate code knowledge. The spirit is not only to save you from yourself, but also to protect subsequent owners of the property.
Mike

 

[J.Walker]

Better check the laws, your wife will need a license to trim the trees in your yard.

 

[Jeepnford]

Being from Iowa with most of my family still there,I'm not surprised at all. But I'll stop before getting political.

 

[Duffster]

In one particular municipality in Iowa you technically can't even change a switch cover without having a licensed electrician doing it.

The homeowner can change a light bulb and that is about it.

 

[Big Bri]

Install the bare minimum to code by a licensed electrician & plumber. After the work's been inspected and signed off, then go back in and do the rest yourself.

+1, our laws have gotten out of control as well. I have a well and when i built my new shed (at the house) i was told i had to hire a plumber to hook up the water even though i had a well. Now thats crazy.

Also i'm building a new commercial building and code states that i must have motion sensor on all the office lights, I guess the government wants us to be more productive and not just sit around (because the lights will go out).

 

[nwbearcat]

You can't add any thing to an existing system, you can't do any work in a breaker/circuit panel. About all you can do is replace an existing outlet. Anything more needs to be done by a licensed electrician, then inspected by a state inspector. Even out here in the country...I wired my whole house 4 years ago myself...got that done just in time... I had the new law here somewhere on my desk, but can't put my finger on it now...Here's this, but it says you can add switches, I'm not sure the paper I got from the state read that way exactly...
State implements new electrical inspection program - traerstarclipper.com | News from Traer, Cluter, Buckingham, Dinsdale, Iowa - Traer Star-Clipper

 

[Travelover]

Sounds like your municipality has swung from one extreme to another. When I was first buying a house 30 years ago I came to appreciate minimal requirements, as many of the houses were basket cases and there was really no way to find or fix really basic construction problems.

Your new rules go too far.

 

[sweettractors]

25 years ago, I wired my home. No license required by Ky, however, it did need to pass state inspection standards, which it did first time. On the same house, I hired a Licensed plumber at $8 per hour and I helped him glue and cut pipe and got by really inexpensive. Today, every thing in building a dwelling has to be inspected. Unless, you are adding on a existing farm dwelling. Ken Sweet

 

[Duffster]

25 years ago, I wired my home. No license required by Ky, however, it did need to pass state inspection standards,

I am all for that.

The necessity to have a "license" is mostly the work of the unions.

 

[mmurphy]

Well here in Iowa I am sure our 1 term govenator will be replaced by a 4 time govenator, (like that will make a difference) maybe things like this will be relaxed. :laughing:
My thing is they do not always have to know every little detail you do. I am not about to tell them everything.
My folks have had rental property. They would hire a so called certified electrician to do work, they would leave and never check work, I would get a phone call from them (3 different times I can think of) frantic cause something will not work now. So being a nobody with a brain, would have to find out what they done wrong. Certifcation does not always = quality work, or done properly.