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Need ELECTRICIAN help w/ adding them on our sign permit application

signspark1988

New Member
Is there any recommendation for an electrician to be added on our sign permit applications for channel letters? We're in need of help in the state of IOWA
 

DStanworth

Stanworth Sign
Yea I’m confused. Your trying to get a permit without a license. Take the test it’s easy. Email me I can help. If you know signs you can pass. Opens lots of business opportunities.

Dennis
 

ams

New Member
Hmm if you get a sign contractors license in Virginia you don't need an electrician. Do you have a contractors license with a sign specialty?
 

Rick

Certified Enneadecagon Designer
I think some of my esteemed (and not so esteemed) colleagues are missing is the you are in Illinois and you plan on contracting a sign in Iowa, since each state has different contractors laws, you may or may not be able to use your current license in the state you are in. If you are license in Illinois, your out of state license may still work in Iowa:

Look at the "Out of State Business" information the following link
https://contractor.iowa.gov/IowaIWD/CREG/common/index.jsp

Or do what sign shops I design for do, post in signsearch and get competitive bids.
 

DStanworth

Stanworth Sign
Hmm if you get a sign contractors license in Virginia you don't need an electrician. Do you have a contractors license with a sign specialty?

Well, here in California we have two sign specialty licenses. The electric specialty license is a C45 Electrical Contractor. Now that everything is LED it's super easy to wire a sign. If you can wire a lamp in your shop you can install LED's. I am no electrician but I can install channel letters. It is all low voltage so it is really hard to mess something up. I studied for three months for the test and passed. It is by far the best thing I have done for my business. I am no longer chasing vinyl jobs. Most of the jobs I chase are in the $5k to $8k range. There is a bit of a learning curve but nothing to difficult. I am also listed on signsearch.com and I have out of state companies sending me installation work. I'm $85 an hour, so two men all day is $1,360.00 I can turn a good profit on that just twisting two wires together.
 

ams

New Member
Well, here in California we have two sign specialty licenses. The electric specialty license is a C45 Electrical Contractor. Now that everything is LED it's super easy to wire a sign. If you can wire a lamp in your shop you can install LED's. I am no electrician but I can install channel letters. It is all low voltage so it is really hard to mess something up. I studied for three months for the test and passed. It is by far the best thing I have done for my business. I am no longer chasing vinyl jobs. Most of the jobs I chase are in the $5k to $8k range. There is a bit of a learning curve but nothing to difficult. I am also listed on signsearch.com and I have out of state companies sending me installation work. I'm $85 an hour, so two men all day is $1,360.00 I can turn a good profit on that just twisting two wires together.

Yep exactly, when I got my license, business tripled and now I do $3k - $5k weekly, I hardly touch normal jobs like banners anymore.
 

Rick

Certified Enneadecagon Designer
Well, here in California we have two sign specialty licenses. The electric specialty license is a C45 Electrical Contractor. Now that everything is LED it's super easy to wire a sign. If you can wire a lamp in your shop you can install LED's. I am no electrician but I can install channel letters. It is all low voltage so it is really hard to mess something up. I studied for three months for the test and passed. It is by far the best thing I have done for my business. I am no longer chasing vinyl jobs. Most of the jobs I chase are in the $5k to $8k range. There is a bit of a learning curve but nothing to difficult. I am also listed on signsearch.com and I have out of state companies sending me installation work. I'm $85 an hour, so two men all day is $1,360.00 I can turn a good profit on that just twisting two wires together.

I would assume the learning curve you speak of was when you were doing your 4 years of apprenticeship to learn the trade and not while you already had a license unless you had it before LED's were popular. It may be easy to take the test, but having verifiable 4 years of training is the tricky part. For shops who can't qualify, I suggest hiring a "qualified" employee who can get licensed and learn from them.
 
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