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The Basics for Home and Business Owners...
What you should know about appliance installation and repair
What are the specific requirements—including licensing and permits—for installing or repairing common household
appliances? Here are the most common questions—and their answers—homeowners have about appliance installation and repair requirements.

-
What is a household appliance?
A household appliance is equipment installed in a dwelling unit that
is built to standardized sizes or types and is installed or connected
as a unit to perform one or more functions, such as cooking and other
equipment installed in a kitchen, clothes drying, clothes washing,
portable room air conditioning units and portable heaters.
Examples of typical cord-and-plug household appliances:
- Refrigerator
- Dishwasher
- Range
- Disposal
- Washer
- Dryer
- Water Heater
- Freezer
- Trash Compactor
- Wall Oven
- Cook Top
-
Do
you need to hire an electrical contractor to repair your household appliance?
If your household appliance is cord-and-plug connected, then:
- Neither
an electrical contractor's license or an electrician is needed to install,
repair or replace the appliance.
If your household
appliance is hard-wired, then:
- An electrical contractor utilizing properly
certified electricians must be used to install, repair or replace the
appliance.
Does a permit need to be purchased for work performed
on your household appliance?
If your household appliance is cord-and-plug connected, then:
- An electrical
permit is not required to install, repair or replace the appliance.
If your household appliance is hard-wired, then:
- An electrical permit is required for the initial connection to
the electrical system.
- An electrical permit is not required for a replacement so long
as the replacement is like in kind (same function
and electrical requirements).
- An electrical permit is required for any field modifications
to the appliance.
How do you know if your electrical contractor or electrician is licensed?
If your electrical contractor and/or electrician
sent to your home is licensed by the Department, then they will
show up in our database. The Labor and Industries public web site
allows anyone to search our database by the electrical contractor's
name or electrician's name. The search engine will allow you to
narrow your search to certain areas of the state. Look
up a contractor or electrician.
What
is the "like-in-kind" replacement of an appliance or appliance component?
"Like-in-kind" means having similar characteristics such as voltage requirements,
current draw, circuit overcurrent and short circuit characteristics and
function within the system, and being in the same location. "Like-in-kind"
also includes any equipment component authorized by the manufacturer as
a suitable component replacement part.
What
is the difference between "cord-and-plug" and "hard-wired"?
- Cord-and-plug-connected appliances have a cord with a molded plug
that was either factory or field installed on the appliance. The
appliance is then ready to be plugged in to a receptacle in the location
where it is permanently installed.
- A hard-wired appliance is one where the building wiring method
attaches to the appliance in a more permanent fashion. This will
involve splicing of wires inside the appliance.