HomeMy Public PortalAboutOrdinance No. 742-95 02-14-1995 ORDINANCE NO. 742-95
•
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 4 "ELECTRICAL
CODE" OF CHAPTER 3 "BUILDING REGULATIONS" OF
THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, CITY OF RICHLAND HILLS,
TEXAS, IN ITS ENTIRETY, TO ADOPT THE 1993 EDITION
OF THE NATIONAL ELECTRICAL CODE; ADOPTING
PERMIT FEES, INSPECTION FEES AND REGISTRATION
FEES; PROVIDING A PENALTY FOR VIOLATION OF UP
TO $2000.00 PER DAY; APPOINTING A BOARD OF
APPEALS; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE;
PROVIDING A SAVINGS CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING AN
EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Richland Hills, Texas, finds that the health, safety
and welfare of its citizens will be better protected by the adoption of the National Electrical Code
governing electrical work within the City.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
RICHLAND HILLS, TEXAS:
• I.
That Section 4 of Chapter 3 of the Code of Ordinances, City of Richland Hills, Texas, is
hereby amended in its entirety and shall hereafter be and read as follows:
SECTION 4 - EL ECTRTCAL CODE
A. National Electrical Code Adopted
The following documents, copies of which are on file in the office of the
Building Official of the City of Richland Hills, Texas, being marked and
designated as the National Electrical Code, 1993 Edition, published by the
National Fire Protection Association, including the Uniform Administrative
Code Provisions for the National Electrical Code, 1993 Edition, published by
the International Conference of Building Officials, are hereby adopted as the
Electrical Code of the City of Richland Hills, Texas, regulating the design,
construction, quality of materials, erection, installation, alteration, repair,
location, relocation, replacement, addition to or maintenance of electrical
systems, wiring or electrical equipment within the City of Richland Hills,
Texas; providing for the issuance of permits and collection of fees therefor.
• ORDINANCE NO. 742-95 PAGE 1
• B. Amendments to the National Electrical Code.
The follov?nng amendments shall supersede all requirements of the National
Electrical Code. Where an amendment is not clear ar is silent regarding a
certain requirement, the requirements of the National Electrical Code shall be
met.
(1 } The electrical service provider shall disconnect the electrical service
to any building or premises, except private residences and duplex
apartments, each time such building or premises changes ownership,
is leased, or changes occupancy, and it shall not again supply
electricity to such building or premises until authorized to do so by the
Building Official. The owners or the new occupants of such buildings
or premises shall make application to the Building Official for an
inspection. The Building Official shall make a temporary power
inspection within twenty-four hours, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays
and Holidays, of the time such application is made or as soon
thereafter as practicable.
(2} Connection to Electricity Without Building Official Approval.
It shall be unlawful for any person, including the electrical service
• provider, to connect to a supply of electricity, or to supply electricity
to any electrical equipment for the installation of which a permit is
required, or which has been disconnected or ordered to be
disconnected by the Building Official, or, except for private
residences, which has be disconnected for any reason whatsoever,
until such connection has been authorized by the Building Official.
(3) Failure to Obtain Permit.
When electrical work requiring a permit is found to be in progress or
completed and no permit has been issued for such work, the required
permit fee shall be doubled and charged to the Master Electrician
doing all or part of the work. However, a double permit fee shall not
be charged when emergency repair work is performed by a Master
Electrician or by a Journeyman Electrician under the supervision of a
licensed Master Electrician or, by a homeowner who meets the
requirements of this section to obtain an electrical permit for work on
their own home, on an emergency basis at night, on Saturdays,
Sundays or Holidays, so long as the permit for such work is obtained
between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on the first regular working day after
such work has been done.
ORDINANCE NO. 742-95 PAGE 2
• (4) Conductors.
(a) Armored Clad Cable (type A/C or commonly referred to as
BE) shall not be used within the city.
(b} Aluminum and copper clad aluminum conductors shall not be
used within the City.
i n: The electrical service provider is permitted
to use aluminum conductors to a point of termination
of the public utility system.
(5) GFCI Protection,
(a} Whenever a service is changed, enlarged or that value of
electrical work exceeds five-hundred ($500.00) dollars GFCI
protection shall be provided for all receptacles located in
bathrooms and outdoor receptacles. In addition, GFCI
protection shall also be provided for all receptacles located in
a kitchen within six feet of a kitchen sink. This requirement
shall also include commercial and industrial type uses.
• (b) GFCI protection shall be provided for all receptacles located
within any bathroom located within the city.
(6) Permit Fees for Electrical Work
The following fees shall be charged and collected by the City for the
issuance of electrical permits far the items listed herein, and for
inspections and reinspections necessitated by the National Electrical
Code adopted by the City.
Minimum Fee $25.00
New, Remodeling or Repair of Single Family and Multi-
Family.
Residential
500 SF or less $25.00
501 SF - 5,000 SF $10.00 + $.04 SF
5,001 SF - or more .......$200.00 + $.008 SF
• ORDINANCE NO. 742-95 PAGE 3
• Permit fees for electrical work associated with the
construction of new, or an addition to an existing retail,
commercial or industrial structure; or for remodeling or
repairing an existing retail, commercial or industrial structure;
or for tenant finish of a retail, commercial or industrial
structure is as follows:
Commercial
500 SF or less $25.00
501 SF - 5,000 SF $10.00 + $.04 SF
5,001 SF - 100,000 SF ....$200.00 + $.008 SF
100,001 SF - 500,000 SF ..$400.00 + $.006 SF
501,000 SF or more ......$1,500.00 + $.044 SF
Pools, Spas ~ Hot Tubs ......$25.00
Reinspection Fee $25.00
After Hours Fee $30.00/ hour -min 2 hours
• Temporary Service ..........$25.00
(maximum 90 days)
Temporary Pole ............$25.00
Service Change or upgrade....$25.00
(Fee assessed when this is the
only work being performed)
(7) Article 210-4. Multiwire Branch Circuits. Paragraph (d) of said
Article is hereby amended to read as follows:
(d) Identification of Ungrounded Conductors. Where more than
one nominal voltage system exists in a building, each ungrounded
system conductor shall be identified by phase and system. This
requirement applies only to new circuits, extensions or alterations.
The means of identification shall be permanently posted at each
branch-circuit panelboard.
• ORDINANCE NO. 742-95
PAGE 4
(8) Article 250-81. Grounding Electrode System. If available on the
premises at each building or structure served, each item (a) through
(d) below, and any made electrodes in accordance with Sections 250-
83(c) and (d), shall be bonded together to form the grounding
electrode system. The bonding jumper shall be installed in accordance
with (remainder of section to read as listed in the 1993 National
Electrical Code)
(9) Article 300-4, Paragraph (d) of said Article is hereby amended as
follows:
(d) Cables and Raceways Parallel to Framing Members. In both
exposed and concealed locations, where acable- or raceway-type
wiring method is installed parallel to framing members, such as joists,
rafters, or studs, the cable or raceway is not less than 1 1/4" inches
(31.8 mm) from the nearest edge of the framing member where nails
or screws are likely to penetrate, Where this distance cannot be
maintained, the cable or raceway shall be protected from penetration
by nails or screws at each support location by steel plate, sleeve or
equivalent at least 1/16 inch (1.59mm) thick. This measurement
requirement is from the exposed edge only.
• (10) Article 310, Note 3 of Notes to Ampacity Tables of 0 to 2000 Volts
is hereby amended as follows:
3. 3-Wire Single -Phase Dwelling Services and Feeders.
For Dwelling units, conductors, as listed below, shall be
permitted to be utilized as 124/208-volt or 120/240 volt, 3-
wire, single-phase service-entrance conductors, service lateral
conductors and feeder conductors that supply the total load to
a dwelling unit and installed in raceway or cable with or
without an equipment grounding conductor. The grounded
conductor (remainder of section to read as listed in the
1993 National Electrical Code)
(11) Article 685-1. Scope. This article covers integrated electrical
systems, other than unit equipment, in which orderly shutdown is
necessary to ensure safe operation. An integrated electrical system as
used in this article is a unitized segment of an industrial wiring system
where all of the following conditions are met: (1) an orderly
shutdown is required to minimize personnel hazard and equipment
damage or loss of data; (2} the conditions of maintenance and
supervision assure that qualified persons will service the system; and
• ORDINANCE NO. 742-95 PAGE 5
• (3) effective safeguards, acceptable to the authority having
jurisdiction, are established and maintained.
C. License Required
All master electricians, journeyman electricians and maintenance electricians
shall pay the registration fee stated in this section each calendar year, in order
to be entitled to perform electrical work within the City. In addition, each
business operating under the provisions of this code for the purpose of
performing electrical installations in the City shall register as an electrical
contractor and pay the registration fee stated in this section each calendar
year. Any license issued on or after December 1 shall not expire until
December 31 of the following calendar year.
No person, firm or corporation shall perform electrical work within the City
as defined under the National Electrical Code, after the effective date of this
ordinance, without having first received the appropriate electrical license from
the City and paid the appropriate fee therefor.
(1) EXCEPTIONS:
(a) A person employed by the electrical service provider
• performing work on the public portion of the electrical system.
(b) A person employed in the appliance sales or service business
involved in the installation or repair of general purpose
household appliances provided that no alteration, modification
or extension is made to the electrical system.
(c) A home owner performing work on his or her own residence.
E. License Fees
Electrical Contractor $50.00
Master Electrician $25.00
Journeyman Electrician $10.00
Maintenance Electrician ................$10.00
• ORDINANCE NO. 742-95 PAGE 6
• F. License Requirements
(1) Master Electrician
A Master Electrician shall only register his license with one electric
company within the City.
To receive a Master Electrician License, an applicant must complete
the written examination administered by the City's officially designated
examining agency with a minimum grade of not less than seventy-five
(75%) percent and in addition must meet one of the following criteria:
(a) Possess at least one (1) year of experience as a Journeyman
Electrician in the construction industry; or
(b) Be a graduate of a recognized Bureau of Apprenticeship
Training, U. S. Department of Labor electrical trade school
with a four (4) year curriculum and have at least two (2) years
experience as an Electrician; or
(c) Be a graduate after majoring in electrical engineering from an
accredited college or university which has not less that a four
• (4) year curriculum and have at least one (1) year of practical
experience.
(2) Journeyman Electrician
To be qualified to take an examination for and obtain a Journey
Electrician License, an applicant must complete the written
examination administered by the City's officially designated examining
agency with a minimum grade of not less than seventy-five (75%)
percent and in addition must meet one of the following criteria:
(a) Possess at least four (4) years experience in the electrical
construction industry; or
(b) Be a graduate of a recognized Bureau of Apprenticeship
Training, U.S. Department of Labor electrical trade school
with a four (4) year curriculum.
• ORDINANCE NO. 742-95
PAGE 7
• (3) Maintenance Electrician
To be qualified to take an examination for and obtain a Maintenance
Electrician License, an applicant must meet one of the following
criteria:
(a) Have four (4) years experience in maintaining and repairing
electrical apparatus in the electrical maintenance industry; or
EXCEPTION: A training license may be issued by the
Building Official with proof of two (2) years of
experience.
(b) Possess a certificate from an approved two-year service
maintenance training school in lieu of the required two (2)
years of experience. Written documentary information as to
proof of experience and education shall be required.
EXCEPTION: With approval of the Board of
Appeals, a Maintenance Electrician Training License
may be issued to training school graduates for the
• additional two (2} years of experience required. This
training license will allow a person who is employed
by another Maintenance Electrician with a valid license
to do maintenance in the field of his training. The
licensed Maintenance Electrician shall be responsible
for the trainees' work.
G. Reciprocal Licenses
The Building Official is hereby authorized to initiate procedures to establish
reciprocal agreements with other cities or agencies whose procedures for
issuing certificates of examination have been determined to be comparable to
the minimum licensing requirements of the City.
• ORDINANCE NO. 742-95 PAGE 8
. H. Electrical Licensing Examinations
(I) A person wishing to obtain a Master or Journeyman electrical license
shall file a written application with the City's officially designated
examining agency. Such application shall be completed and filed in
accordance with the procedures prescribed by the examining agency.
(2) Examination fees, dates, times and places of the examinations,
procedures for administering the examinations, grading of the
examinations, examination security and examination results, repeat
examinations and appeal of examination scores shall be the sole
responsibility of the agency administering the examination.
(3) The Building Official shall determine the City's officially designated
examining agency. The Building Official may also approve
examinations conducted by an agency other than the city's officially
designated examining agency. It shall be the building official's
responsibility to review the qualifications and testing standards of any
examining agency approved by the building official. The Building
Official shall not approve an examining agency which does not
maintain examination standard at least equal to those required by this
code.
•
I. Areas of Authorized Work
Only the following licensees shall be permitted to do the electrical work
specified below.
(1) MASTER ELECTRICIAN - A Master Electrician may contract for
and engage in the business of installing, repairing or replacing
electrical wiring or equipment of any nature on or in buildings or
structures, including signs. The Master Electrician may employ and
supervise Journeyman Electricians, helpers and apprentice electricians.
(2) JOURNEYMAN ELECTRICIAN - A Journeyman Electrician shall
be permitted to perform any type of electrical work under the
supervision of a Master Electrician but in no case shall a Journeyman
Electrician contract for or engage in the business of electrical work of
any nature, except under the supervision of a Master Electrician. A
Journeyman Electrician shall be permitted to lay out work for and to
supervise helper ar apprentice electricians.
• ORDINANCE NO. 742-95
PAGE 9
• (3) MAINTENANCE ELECTRICIAN - A Maintenance Electrician shall
be permitted keep in safe repair any and all electrical installations,
apparatus, equipment and appliances within a building or in or on the
premises where the Maintenance Electrician is regularly employed on
a permanent basis, for which an electrical permit is not required under
the terms and provisions of this section.
(4) A helper or apprentice electrician may perform electrical work only
when the work is laid out and supervised by a Master or Journeyman
Electrician.
(5) The supervising Master or Journeyman Electrician shall be on the job
site at all times while electrical work is being performed. The ratio of
helper or apprentice electricians shall not exceed three (3) helpers or
apprentices to one (1) supervising Master or Journeyman Electrician.
J. Revocation of Licenses and Permits
(1) If, after a permit is issued to a licensee under the provision hereof,
• said licensee abandons the job, becomes incapacitated or his services
are terminated prior to final inspection and approval by the Building
Official, the permit holder or the person engaging the services of the
licensee shall immediately notify the Building Official, Upon such
notification, the Building Official shall immediately have an inspection
made of the work completed to that time, and he may revoke the
outstanding permit and require that a new permit be obtained before
the work is allowed to resume.
(2) A license or permit may be suspended, repealed or revoked by the
Building Official by reason of the occurrence of one or more of the
following:
(a) Fraud or misrepresentation in obtaining a license or permit; or
(b) Conviction of a licensee of defrauding a person for whom he
has rendered or contracted to render service; or
(c) Failure to obtain a permit for electrical work requiring a
permit.
• ORDINANCE NO. 742-95 PAGE 10
3. Upon suspension or revocation of a license, the license shall be null
and void and no work thereafter may be performed thereunder.
4. The licensee has the right to appeal a license suspension or revocation
decision made by the Building Official to the Board of Appeals. Upon
appeal to the Board of Appeals, said Board may affirm, reverse, or
modify such suspension or revocation.
K. Board of Appeals
The members of the Richland Hills City Council are hereby appointed as the
Board of Appeals as provided by the Uniform Administrative Code Provisions
for the National Electrical Code, 1993 Edition, and any changes in
membership of said City Council shall likewise be reflected in the membership
of said Board of Appeals.
II.
Penalty Clause. Any person, firm or corporation who shall violate any of the provisions of
• the National Electrical Code adopted by this section, or who shall do or attempt to do electrical work
without first securing the permit prescribed herein for such work, or who shall in any other manner
violate the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof
shall be fined in an amount not to exceed $2,000.00, and each day or fraction of a day that an offense
hereunder is committed or permitted to exist shall constitute a separate offense and shall be
punishable as such hereunder.
III.
Severability Clause. That it is hereby declared to be the intention of the City Council that
the sections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses and phrases of this ordinance are severable, and if any
phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph or section of this ordinance shall be declared invalid or
unconstitutional by the valid judgement or decree of any court of competent jurisdiction, such
invalidity or unconstitutionality shall not affect any of the remaining phrases, clauses, sentences,
paragraphs and sections of this ordinance, since the same would have been enacted the City Council
without the incorporation in this ordinance of any such invalid or unconstitutional phrase, clause,
sentence, paragraph or section.
• ORDINANCE NO. 742-95 PAGE 11
IV.
Saving Clause. That Chapter 3 of the Code of Ordinances, City of Richland Hills, Texas,
as amended, shall remain in full farce and effect, save and except as amended by this ordinance.
V.
Effective Date. This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and
publication as provided by the Richland Hilts City Charter and the laws of the State of Texas
PRESENTED, GIVEN FIRST READING AND APPROVED at the regular meeting of the
Richland I-i'ills City Council on the 14thday of .February , 1995, by a vote of 5 ayes,
o nays, and o abstentions.
APPROVED:
• ~
.Kelley, Mayor
ATTEST:
~
Tern Willis; ity Secretary
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY:
Paul F. ienes ' ,City Attorney
ORDINANCE NO. - PAGE I2