ᐅ Finding a Skilled Trades Contractor for Owner-Performed Work

We are currently in the planning phase for our single-family home in the south of Hamburg.

We are designing a somewhat more complex electrical installation for our house:

* KNX bus system
* DALI bus system for the lighting
* Control of the underfloor heating
* Control of the shading
* ...

The planning for the locations of switches, sockets, motion detectors, etc., as well as the routing of cables and the design of the distribution cabinet, is already quite advanced.

To save costs and out of personal interest, we want to carry out a large portion of the electrical installation ourselves. Due to my degree in electrical engineering, I feel confident handling many aspects on my own.

Since we are building with an architect, we are generally quite flexible, but I am still wondering how to best find a contractor who is open to partial DIY work?

Maybe someone here even has a recommendation for a company in our area?

How do you imagine this working? The master craftsman sends one of his two journeymen home and lets you do the work without knowing if you’re doing it correctly? Or does he stay in the office and handle invoicing until his journeyman and you finish?

In any case, there are only disadvantages—because he allows a stranger to interfere with his work. And by law, he still has to provide a warranty for it. Either you do everything yourself, for example with a friend from your sports club, or you leave it to the professional.

Otherwise, the only advice is to make some calls (phone book) and ask around. Maybe I’m completely wrong, and trade businesses are actually waiting for more complex orders 😉.

Buchholzer area?

Call and explain your request. You might get lucky at the moment. Your project could be handled when the apprentice is at vocational school or attending external training sessions. Then two helping hands are missing.
At the moment, I would never say never. Here, a stove fitter even offered this. Master craftsmanship and stove by him, the rest by the customer.

This setup is not attractive for electricians. Prepare your request as clearly as possible: What exactly do you want to do, how does it differ from the electrician’s work, and what impact does it have on warranty claims... It’s quite simple if you agree to accept the electrician’s work from a defined point onward and handle the rest yourself. It becomes complicated if the electrician has to rely on your preliminary work.

That is basically not a problem. You just need to make some calls and, if necessary, use relevant online platforms. You do the preliminary work, the professional comes to inspect, and then officially approves the system, including the electrical safety check. Although there is no warranty, this is the correct procedure for insurance purposes, for example. Full insurance coverage is ensured if something happens.

By the way, this is a common practice. Especially when installing underfloor heating, it is usual for the homeowners to handle this part while the contractor formally accepts the work.

marco72 schrieb:

To save costs and out of personal interest, we plan to carry out a larger portion of the electrical installation ourselves. Due to my studies in electrical engineering, I feel confident to handle many tasks on my own.

What exactly are you planning to do yourself?