STOP and ask these questions: 

Hiring a State Licensed Electrical Contractor for your Dock Project is a STATE Requirement

YOU MUST CONSIDER THIS: (This is an important read...THAT WILL SAVE YOU THOUSANDS!)

Your new Dock will become like a magnet. A place where your family, children, and friends will hang-out swimming and boating for years to come. More than likely, you will have spent between 50-250K (maybe even more) on the construction of your New Dock.

Electricity over water is a very serious thing, and must be considered just as important as the construction of the structure of your Dock.
The Electrical installation to and on the Dock is not something you just have anyone do. It requires a specialized Electrical Contractor (like Lake Norman Electric) with QUALIFIED ELECTRICIANS that are trained in SPECIAL installation techniques that are different than a Residential, Commercial Electrician or Contractor. There can also be lethal consequences if compliance to NEC ARTICLE 555 and 682 are not followed. The cost of a professional Electrical installation should seem just as necessary and appropriate to you in comparison to the funds you have spent building your dock.

As the Electrical portion of your dock project is almost always excluded by the Dock builder, homeowners are left to search for a reputable Electrical Contractor. Because of Lake Norman Electric's long reputation of being the BEST in dock Electrical installation someone will have more than likely referred us, or you will have found us online. Either way, our hope is that inevitably we will meet. As you go through this process the differences between Lake Norman Electric and ANY other contractor's you may interview will become obvious to you...from our Prompt Response, DETAILED Bid Proposal, Presentation & Dock Electrical Knowledge, Construction Methods & Techniques to our Resources & Products used for your project. We will provide you with a list of as many completed Docks projects as you would like to see, for we have completed over a 1000 of these. (literally)

What we’re attempting to do with this DOCUMENT is layout the sequence that is not known to most homeowners navigating their way through the construction of their Dock. 

If you read and follow these STEPS... you will NOT become the VICTIM of a dishonest or unqualified Electrical Contractor.

First, your new OR remodeled Dock REQUIRES a COUNTY ELECTRICAL PERMIT WITH INSPECTIONS. This permit is different from the DUKE permit, OR the county permits that the DOCK BUILDER is required to obtain for their work. These permits, with inspections can help protect you from liability and will be very important when you sell your home someday. Make sure ALL OF THESE PERMITS have been closed out with FINAL inspections. This can be verified by contacting the County Building and Permitting Department in the County where the permit has been pulled.

The Duke Permit will be processed separately through Duke but must be closed out.

To identify what is a QUALIFIED Electrical Contractor for your Private Dock, Marina or Community HOA Docks, ASK these questions of your prospective Electrical Contractor:

(It is important that ALL responses to these questions are IN WRITING back to you from your candidates)

For North & South Carolina: (separate license is require for each state)

 ASK: Has the Company who is being interviewed installed an Electrical system on a private Dock? 

          (Use this answer to establish experience) 

          If applicable: replace private Dock with Marina or Community Dock. 

 ASK: How many systems has the interviewed Company installed? (Use this answer to establish experience)

 ASK: What is the Company's North or South Carolina STATE issued Electrical Contractor license number?

 ASK: What is the license classification attached to the state issued number? 

(North Carolina uses classifications Limited, Intermediate or Unlimited)
(South Carolina uses classification "Groups 1-5", contact our office and we will walk-you through this)

In North Carolina there are (3) *acceptable Electrical classifications: 

(responses MUST be ONE of these (3))

L (Limited)
Can contract Electrical projects $60,000 and under. In our opinion is UNQUALIFIED and should be avoided. State testing is limited as to NEC Article 555 / 682. (pertains to Electrical over water) AVOID.

I (Intermediate)
Can contract Electrical projects $150,000 and under. In our opinion is QUALIFIED depending on their experience with NEC Article 555 / 682. (pertains to Electrical over water) 

U (Unlimited)
Can contract Electrical projects of ANY size and contract amount. QUALIFIED..."This is what you're looking for" as long as they are staffed and there has been experience with NEC Article 555 / 682. (pertains to Electrical overwater) This classification of contractor will have provided CPA audited financial statements to the state and is proven to be adequality capitalized. 

 Note: Marina Electrical design and installations are ALWAYS performed by an UNLIMITED Electrical Contractor with a personnel staff of between 15-30 Electrician's, have an Office location and don't work out of their personal home residence. Special Electrical systems and installation equipment is required.

*There are other North Carolina Electrical State License classifications, but those will NOT be authorized to perform installation as to the requirements of NEC Article 555 / 682. AVOID

ASK: Are you the Qualifier on the state issued license number you have submitted to me above? 

If the Electrical Contractor’s answer is (YES), when you verify this with the Electrical Contractors Board website it MUST match.  

If the Electrical Contractor, you are interviewing answered (NO) you would then ask if the qualifier (name) on the license that was presented to you by him/her was the owner of the company being interviewed. If that answer were again (NO) this would be a red flag. There are un-scrupulous people who will simply create a business name, use a "friends" Electrical license (or pay a percentage fee to the "SOMEBODY") and or your interviewee simply has no state issued Electrical Contractor's license. This situation matters and should be considered in vetting the applicant. In our opinion this would be unacceptable. AVOID.

ASK: Do you “self-perform” ALL your work as described in your contract? (you want to hear “self-perform”) If the Electrical Contractor, you are interviewing answered (NO) this would be a red flag. AVOID

A REPUTABLE Electrical Contractor will provide YOU a Detailed Written Estimate / Contract based on the code requirements of NEC article 555 & 682 along with discussions as to your wants and needs. The contract should be a fixed price with a pay schedule tied to inspections along with an understanding as to completion date of their work. The contract MUST be signed by both parties. The Electrical Contractor should also include in their written contract to you that all work performed is warranted for 1-year parts and labor.  

Request from the Electrical Contractor "a Certificate of Insurance" which must be inclusive of General Liability (with a minimum of 1M per occurrence / 2M Aggregate), Workers Compensation and Business Auto Insurance. (no workers compensation is a red flag) Request that you be added as “ADDITIONAL” insured. This item will protect you later if warranted. The insurance company MUST send this DIRECTLY to you at no additional cost. If the contractor is unable to provide this as requested, they are more than likely uninsured. (AVOID) *If provided this information will help provide evidence of self-performance. 

There should be NO CONSULTATION FEE OR DEPOSIT for their work. If they have requested funds before any work has been completed this would be a sign of an under-capitalized Electrical Contractor. AVOID

Have the Electrical Contractor provide you with project references with the address of the work performed at Marinas, Community Docks and Private Docks. Make sure they include the date of the project, contract amount with a contact name and phone number. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT YOU CHECK THESE REFERENCES. We have been called out so many times after the fact to FIX IMPROPER INSTALLATIONS on unpermitted work. This pain we see folks go through could have been avoided by doing these steps.

We have also seen Dock Builders who INCLUDE the Electrical installation for the Dock. They will say they have an “Electrician”. The “Electrician” may or may-not be a State Licensed Electrical Contractor (you need to find out).  The Dock Builder may request that you as the homeowner, pull the required county Electrical permit or even try to talk you into not having a permit & inspections. (DON'T AGREE TO THIS & PUSH BACK OR LOOK ELSEWHERE!) Remember, ALL DOCK ELECTRIAL WORK REQUIRES A STATE LICENSED ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR with the CORRECT classification to pull a COUNTY PERMIT FOR YOUR DOCK.
It is illegal for a Dock Builder to advertise that they provide Electrical services and installation to Docks. To do so requires the advertising party to hold the required STATE ELECTRICAL LICENSE and classification noted above. This should be reported to the State Contractor's Board. 

Even if you decide to go with the “Dock Builder” who is including the Electrical, you are well within your right (THIS IS A MUST DO) to interview "his" STATE LICENSED Electrical Contractor and go through the vetting process we have shared with you. You would want to do this BEFORE signing ANY contract with a Dock Builder. We would encourage you to reach out to Lake Norman Electric and we will quickly price your Dock Electrical project directly to you for comparison.  

Lastly, the North & South Carolina Electrical Contractors Board websites have a link that is available for you to check a contractor's name, license number(s), classification and or file a complaint. For all three options all you need is the contractors state license number and the qualifiers name which you would have collected during your interview. 

LOOK FOR STATE ISSUED PROBATION OR SUSPENSION ACTIONS AGAINST THE NAMED COMPANY, LICENSE(S) AND OR THE OWNER! **AVOID** 

LINK           (NORTH CAROLINA ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS' BOARD WEBSITE) 

                                                  LINK            (SOUTH CAROLINA ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS' BOARD WEBSITE) 

Here at Lake Norman Electric were EXPERTS AT ELECTICAL OVER WATER. This has been our focused business for a very long time, and we take it seriously. Everything we have provided in this link is policy and practiced here at LKN. We meet ALL the requirements and expectations addressed in this document and are prepared to provide you with ANY additional information upon request. We know competitors and alike will read this and pray to God you don't ask for the things we have shared with you here. But, to PROTECT YOURSELF you MUST be BOLD! Be fearless and don't let a FAKE get their hands on your hard-earned money.

We are confident that these step-by-step instructions make it clear "YOU" have all the power to PROTECT YOURSELF. No leap of faith is required. With these tools you will not be the victim of a scam Electrical Contractor that is unqualified and in the end could care less about your investment in living the Lake Life. 

We are happy to have shared this important information to help in your selection of a QUALIFIED Electrical Contractor for your DOCK project. 

We look forward to the opportunity to bid your project and as we say here: “YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED” that's our mission!

If you have questions about this document, please reach out so we can assist you.

From the Team at Lake Norman Electric