Source: https://ycca.wildapricot.org/blog
Timestamp: 2019-04-19 09:05:12+00:00

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Arizona 811 is the entity that marks underground utility lines. If you plan to excavate either on private or public property, you must call Arizona 811 at least two full working days prior to digging — 10 working days for work being done in apartment communities or mobile home parks — excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays.
“Yes” is the main answer that I have given out most to this question: Are all homeowners required to notify Arizona 811 in advance of their excavation projects? Even shallow-depth projects have a possibility of coming into contact with telecommunication, electric or gas distribution lines.
You contact Arizona 811 by simply dialing 811.
The process is free and can even be completed online by utilizing the e-Stake system.
If you have a subcontractor doing the work for you on your property, make sure they have contacted Arizona 811 before they begin any excavation work.
Once Arizona 811 has been notified of your project, the facility owners/operators in your area will either mark their facilities or indicate a status of “no conflict.” When you contact Arizona 811, provide your e-mail address to receive positive responses — which will be no conflict, marked completely, no access, etc. — from all of the affected facility owners/operators.
All member underground facility operators that have underground facilities on the site of the planned excavation must respond within two full working days following the day of your notification.
Due to the number of underground facility operators marking the same type of facility using the same color code, many underground facility operators will initial their locate markings for clarity. The color codes are designated by the Arizona Corporation Commission and are restricted for the use in marking underground facilities.
Electric power distribution and transmission: Safety Red.
Once you have contacted Arizona 811, you will receive a copy of the ticket being distributed to the utility companies that may have conflict with your excavation. This ticket will let you know who has been notified, and the facility owner/operator will respond to your request.
Once all utilities have responded you are able to begin your excavation. You must conduct your excavation in a “careful and prudent manner.” The law defines “careful and prudent manner” as: Conducting an excavation in such a way that when the excavation is less than or equal to 24 inches from an underground facility that is marked with stakes or paint or in some customary manner, the facility is carefully exposed with hand tools, and the uncovered facility is supported and protected.
Arizona 811 is a nonprofit communication center that performs excavation notification services, which are designed to provide for public safety and underground facility damage prevention in accordance with statutory requirements. Arizona 811 sets the standard as the premier communication center in the damage prevention industry. Its success is demonstrated by quality of service, facilitating timely and accurate 360-degree communication and cost effectiveness in the facility location notification process.
It is important to know that if excavation is taking place at your home or on private property, it might be necessary to have some underground facilities located and marked by a private locating company. This has been an issue on two excavating projects recently. The property owner was not aware that he had to call for a private utility locate, and the contractor “assumed” that the owner knew what to do – a water line was cut because the line on private property was not marked. The second case was the same, and this involved an electrical line.
Utility companies and local governments mark only what they own and operate up to their point of sale, which is typically to the meter. Utility companies and other utility service providers will not mark private lines. If any excavation is being down past the meter and onto private property, a private locating company must be called to make the lines.
What are private lines? The most common examples of private lines include (but are not limited to) the service lines from the water meter and sewer main up to the house or building; a sprinkler system; a water line that services a pool; a gas line that extends to a bar-b-que. Fees for private locating companies are determined by the companies that provide these services.
There are homeowners and even some professional excavators who make risky assumptions about whether they need to have utility lines marked. Don’t risk it! It’s the law and it is crucial to preventing serious injuries and damage. Protect yourself and your family.
Remember to tune in to YCCA’s Hammer Time at 7 a.m. every Saturday and Sunday on KQNA 1130 AM/99.9 FM/95.5 FM or the web at kqna.com. Join my wingman Mike Enders of Benttree Custom homes and myself. We talk with and interview community industry partners, local businesses and so much more. It’s fun — don’t miss us! It is a great way to start your morning.
Contracting without a license can have a variety of negative consequences for the person or persons who engage in it.
As unlicensed contractors are a problem in almost all states, local governments have provisions in place to effectively counter and penalize individuals who provide services without the necessary business license.
From penalties and jail charges up to a court-ordered restitution, a variety of legal mechanisms have been put in place to counter the material and financial damages that unlicensed contractors cause. Here are some of the consequences that unlicensed contractors experience if caught and convicted.
Potential Criminal Penalties for Contracting without a License in Arizona: Arizona’s statutory penalties for performing unlicensed work are substantial, as are the collateral consequences. Arizona law requires contractors to be licensed through the Arizona Registrar of Contractors.
If a construction project goes bad, it can have a huge and detrimental effect on public and personal safety. Imagine an improperly built bridge, or a high-rise built on an unstable foundation. Even the construction of a home or the renovation of a kitchen, if not performed properly, can result in a significant costs and risks to health and safety.
It is unlawful for any person, firm, partnership, corporation association or other organization, or a combination of any of them, to engage in the business of, submit a bid or respond to a request for qualification or a request for proposals for construction services as, act or offer to act in the capacity of or purport to have the capacity of a contractor without having a contractor’s license in good standing in the name of the person, firm, partnership, corporation, association or other organization as provided in this chapter, unless the person, firm, partnership, corporation, association or other organization is exempt as provided in this chapter. Evidence of securing a permit from a governmental agency or the employment of a person on a construction project shall be accepted in any court as prima facie evidence of existence of a contract.
The plain language of the statute forbids someone without a contractor’s license from engaging in any portion of a construction job, beginning with the bidding process and continuing through the completion of the actual work. The licensing requirement is designed to protect the public against unscrupulous and unqualified persons purporting to have the capacity, knowledge and qualifications of a contractor and to regulate the conduct of those engaged in the business of contracting so as to discourage certain bad practices, which might be indulged in to the detriment of the public.
Exceptions to the Requirement: Although A.R.S. § 32-1151 appears to provide a blanket prohibition against doing any work without first obtaining a contractor’s license, another statute (A.R.S. § 32-1121) contains several exceptions.
The most commonly invoked exception is contained in § 32-1121(A)(14), which is generally known as the “Handyman Exemption.” Under that exemption, a person who does not hold a contractor’s license may bid for and accept work when the aggregate contract price, including labor and materials, amounts to less than $1,000. The words “aggregate contract price” are key, because they make clear that one cannot take advantage of the exception by breaking a job up into parts so that each part has a contract price of less than $1,000. People have tried, and those who have been caught have been convicted of contracting without a license.
Penalties: Contracting without a license in violation of A.R.S. § 32-1151 is a class 1 misdemeanor (A.R.S. § 32-1164). All class 1 misdemeanors carry a maximum term of six months in the county jail and a maximum fine of $2,500 plus an 83 percent surcharge. The minimum penalty for contracting without a license as a first offense is a fine of $1,000 plus an 83 percent surcharge. A.R.S. § 32-1164(B). In most cases, an unlicensed contractor will simply face a fine, but jail time is not out of the question if the perpetrator is a repeat offender or the facts are egregious.
Contracting without a license can give rise to more serious charges. For example, if an unlicensed contractor falsely claimed to be licensed in order to obtain a job, he might be charged with Fraudulent Schemes and Artifices, a class 2 felony. Or, assume that, in a kitchen remodel, an unlicensed contractor improperly installed gas lines that caused a fire and led to the death of the home’s occupant. In that situation the unlicensed contractor might face felony charges for negligent homicide or even manslaughter, both of which could result in a lengthy prison term.
In addition to any criminal penalties imposed by the court, an unlicensed contractor will also be required to pay restitution to the extent anyone suffered economic loss as a direct result of the offense. Restitution in contracting without a license cases is typically the contract price minus the economic benefit received by the victim as a result of the work performed.
However, restitution could be much more than that, particularly if the cost of damages caused by the unlicensed contractor’s work exceeds the contract price.
In addition to the criminal penalties and restitution described above, a conviction for contracting without a license will also come with collateral consequences. Collateral consequences stem from the conviction but are not imposed directly by the court. Perhaps the most significant collateral consequence associated with a conviction for contracting without a license arises as a result of A.R.S. § 32-1122(D), which prohibits the Registrar of Contractors (ROC) from issuing a contractor’s license to anyone who has been convicted of contracting without a license during the preceding 12 months.
This article is offered as general guidance only and is not to be relied upon as specific legal advice. For legal advice on a specific matter, please consult with an attorney. Please note that, while this article accurately describes applicable law on the subject, the law continues to develop with the passage of time. Accordingly, before relying upon this article, care should be taken to verify that the law described herein has not changed since the article’s publication.
A few important items to remember: It is important to remember that unlicensed contractors put their own clients at risk if someone is injured on the job. Contractors must demonstrate proof of insurance as part of obtaining a trade license in Arizona. The first thing a homeowner should do before hiring is ask for proof of a license and insurance. Liability insurance covers property damage and bodily injury caused by that contractor’s work. Homeowners should also make certain the contractor’s insurance policy includes workers’ compensation, which covers injuries the contractor’s employees may suffer while on the job.
We recently moved to Yavapai County from Maine and are not sure what to expect for winter preparation here in the “desert.” In Maine, we had serious winter preparation tasks to perform to safeguard our home and yard. What advice can you give us? We love reading your column.
Like it or not, winter is coming, even to the “desert.” Our cold snaps here aren’t really comparable to Maine, but nonetheless, we do have winter preparation to do.
We have had cold snaps that burst pipes left to right, from plumbing lines to irrigation lines to fire sprinkler lines, and boy, oh boy did my phone ring off the hook. So to all of our readers, there is no need to wait until the last minute to prepare your home for winter.
It’s not too early to get your home ready, and you should all take action now while the weather is still nice.
The last thing you want to do is fix any problems after the temperature has dropped below the freezing point.
With all of the burst piping a few years back, the financial benefits of winterizing your home are worth it now.
With the rain we have had lately, now is a good time to drain the water from your outdoor faucets and disconnect and drain the garden hoses. DO NOT LEAVE your garden hoses connected to the outdoor faucets. If you do not have anti-syphon hose bibs, you can check your local hardware stores for insulated covers for your outdoor faucets.
For those with an in-ground sprinkler system, we highly recommend a professional to drain the pipes. This will eliminate any costly repairs from a pipe bursting should it freeze while full of water.
Any pipes can be easily insulated with inexpensive foam covers found at local hardware stores. As an added precaution, you should make sure you know how to turn off the main water source to your home. Water damage is costly, so the faster you can get the water turned off, the better.
For the homes with a fireplace, now is the time to have an inspection. DO NOT WAIT until you light the fireplace for the first time. Have the chimney inspected and cleaned by a professional before the weather gets cold. In addition, have a professional give your heating system a thorough check.
Be sure to caulk any gaps. If any pipes or ducts travel through an exterior wall, it is a good idea to use caulking and weather stripping around all entry points. These steps will help block potential entry points for cold air.
Reversing ceiling fans is another simple way to save energy. When running in reverse mode, the fan produces an updraft and will push the warm air down into the room. This is especially helpful in rooms with high ceilings.
Now is the time to check your roof and gutters. Look for damaged, lose or missing shingles that may leak during a winter storm or from melting snow. Check and repair breaks in the flashing seals around vent stacks and chimneys while you are on the roof. Be sure to give the gutters a thorough cleaning to allow snow melt to drain properly.
Did you know that more structural fires occur during freezing weather than in the heat of summer? This is surge is largely owed to malfunctioning heating equipment. Check your smoke alarms with 10-year batteries and the same goes for carbon monoxide detectors. If you do not have these devices, you should have.
About one-third of annual carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning cases occur between December and February. CO can be created from any fuel-burning appliance, such as furnaces, natural gas ranges, fireplaces, gas logs and even generators when used during a power outage. One of the main concerns in winter is symptoms of CO poisoning often mimic the flu, a mistake that can prove deadly.
The “Farmers Almanac” indicates “Stinging Cold and Above Average Precipitation” for the Southwest! So be prepared.
Coffee grounds as an exfoliant. The rough texture of the coffee grounds can be used on your skin as a scrub. Coffee scrubs are all the rage. Just mix ½ cup coffee grounds and ½ cup sugar (any kind) with ¼ cup coconut oil in a small jar with lid. Work into wet skin, and rinse.
Soil aeration and nitrogen boost for houseplants. Adding coffee grounds to your houseplants helps the pH balance (toward acidity) as well as increasing nitrogen and aerating the soil.
Neutralize refrigerator odors. Placing coffee grounds in the refrigerator acts as a natural deodorizer. The only thing you need to watch for is mold if you use damp grounds. Replace immediately with fresher grounds if it turns into a science experiment.
Makes sweeping or vacuuming up ashes around the fireplace or wood stove easily. Sprinkling damp coffee grounds around the fireplace or wood stove will assist in reducing dust and ashes in your hearth, making them easier to sweep or vacuum up.
Scour pots and pans. The gentle abrasive of coffee grounds can help in the kitchen to remove stubborn caked-on food from your pots and pans.
Snail, slug, and cat repellent. In the garden, just mound up a barrier of coffee grounds around the plants which slugs and cats are attracted to. It will help keep them at bay.
Steroids for your carrot crop. Carrots love coffee grounds. They will grow larger and sweeter and the plants will have a greater yield. Just trowel the grounds in around the immature shoots.

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