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Lowering Standards Will Increase Risk, Raise Costs, And Put Both Contractors And The Public In A Dangerous Position
Dear Editor:
I am writing as a licensed electrical contractor serving Rockland County to express strong opposition to any proposal that would reduce licensing requirements or ease testing standards for electricians.
Electrical work is not a general trade—it is a life safety system. Every day, we are called to correct hazardous conditions created by unqualified individuals performing electrical work without the proper training, licensing, or understanding of code. These situations are not minor inconveniences—they are fire hazards, shock risks, and liability exposures for homeowners, businesses, and property managers.
Lowering the bar for entry into this field will only increase these risks.
Currently, licensed electricians already face significant challenges:
- We are routinely undercut by unlicensed or underqualified individuals performing electrical work illegally.
- These individuals often leave behind unsafe installations that must later be corrected at additional cost to the customer.
- This creates a false perception of pricing, where properly licensed, insured professionals appear “expensive” compared to those operating outside the law.
Reducing experience requirements or making licensing exams easier will:
- Flood an already saturated market with less-qualified individuals
- Further undermine licensed professionals who have invested years into training and compliance
- Drive down pricing in a way that incentivizes cutting corners
- Increase insurance claims, which will inevitably lead to higher insurance premiums for legitimate contractors
- Create greater risk exposure for municipalities, property owners, and insurer
In Rockland County specifically, we already operate in a highly competitive environment where multiple licensed electricians may serve the same small geographic area. Introducing additional, less-qualified competition does not solve a workforce shortage—it devalues the profession and compromises safety.
There is also a broader concern:
If standards are lowered, it sends the message that electrical work does not require the same level of expertise and accountability, which is simply not true. The National Electrical Code exists for a reason, and proper application requires training, experience, and judgment—not just the ability to look up answers in an open book.
Instead of lowering standards, I strongly urge the County to:
- Increase enforcement against unlicensed electrical work
- Educate the public on the importance of hiring licensed electricians
- Support apprenticeship and training pathways that maintain high standards while growing the workforce responsibly
This proposal, as it stands, will not help consumers or the industry. It will increase risk, raise costs in the long term, and put both contractors and the public in a dangerous position.
I respectfully ask that you reconsider and oppose any measure that weakens licensing requirements for electricians in Rockland County.
Katie Prato
Office Manager
Joseph Prato
Owner/Operator
JP3 Electric LLC