Temp-A-Cure, an out-of-state contractor, was fined more than $60,000 for electrical violations at 22 homes across Washington State.
Temp-A-Cure Inc. of Oregon City, Ore., received a $63,600 fine for working without an electrical license, having no electrical permits for the work, and employing unlicensed electricians as installers. L&I also fined three Temp-A-Cure employees a total of $5,000 for working without an electrical license.
In its investigation, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) noted this is the third time the firm has violated Washington law.
“This is an example of an out-of-state company unlicensed for electrical work hiring unqualified people for non-permitted projects,” said Steve Thornton, L&I chief electrical inspector. “The result takes work from honest businesses and contractors licensed in Washington, and creates a danger to public safety.”
Neither the company nor the employees appealed the violations by the December deadline. Temp-A-Cure and two employees now have until next month to pay the fines or face having their fines go to a private collection agency, which could significantly increase their costs, Thornton noted. The third employee has paid the fine.
The homes are located in Vancouver, Camas, Washougal, Walla Walla, Pasco, and Kennewick. The work involved replacing furnace and air conditioning units.
Temp-A-Cure had previous run-ins with L&I in 2017 and earlier this year. Those violations were also for performing electrical work without a valid electrical license.
Hire smart. L&I can help
Thornton said another company contacted L&I to complain about bidding for a job that Temp-A-Cure won in Walla Walla. Thornton cautioned people to hire smart when looking for contractors to work on a home, including getting three written bids, and verifying the contractor’s electrical license.
To find out whether a contractor is licensed, has an up-to-date workers’ compensation account, or has any safety violations pending, go to L&I’s ‘verify’ web page. Find more tips on checking bids on L&I’s Protect My Home web page.
L&I uses a special group of inspectors, called the Electrical Compliance, Outreach, Regulation, and Education (ECORE) team, for its investigations. In fiscal year 2019, ECORE issued 3,766 violations against unlicensed contractors and uncertified electricians, working without permits, and failing to properly supervise trainees. ECORE collected more than $1.8 million in penalties.