interested in becoming an alarm installer

kramer1

hey all,
title of the thread says it all really. just wondering about the start up cost, training insurance etc.. and also how much work is out there?
any help is greatly appreciated

kub

kramer1 wrote: »

hey all,
title of the thread says it all really. just wondering about the start up cost, training insurance etc.. and also how much work is out there?
any help is greatly appreciated

Have you any experience in electronics / computers / all that jazz?
If you are serious about it get onto FAS at long last they have a 3 year apprenticeship scheme which I believe is excellent.

For God sake do not become another guy who just because he only knows HKC products thinks he knows it all.

Doom

Most are electricians, who have gone on with extra courses etc.

kramer1

Was kind of looking at it as an alternative to becoming an electrician, I'm a second year apprentice sparks and I'm Thinkin of packing it in.thought maybe I could do some alarm courses , get up to scratch a bit quicker and go at that.

Doom

kramer1 wrote: »

Was kind of looking at it as an alternative to becoming an electrician, I'm a second year apprentice sparks and I'm Thinkin of packing it in.thought maybe I could do some alarm courses , get up to scratch a bit quicker and go at that.

Stupid idea, finish the apprenticeship. Why not do a course along side it.

kub

Doom wrote: »

Stupid idea, finish the apprenticeship. Why not do a course along side it.

I agree get yourself a trade qualification first especially as you are into your second year.

kramer1

Probably should have been clearer. For reasons I don't want to get into I may not be able to finish my electrical apprenticeship. I would still like to work in or around this area and I figured alarms , either fire or intruder would be a good way to go.I would prefer to do this on my own rather than work for someone else so I am wondering what are the requirements that I need to legally install domestic alarms.
Once again any help on this issue is greatly appreciated

kub

kramer1 wrote: »

Probably should have been clearer. For reasons I don't want to get into I may not be able to finish my electrical apprenticeship. I would still like to work in or around this area and I figured alarms , either fire or intruder would be a good way to go.I would prefer to do this on my own rather than work for someone else so I am wondering what are the requirements that I need to legally install domestic alarms.
Once again any help on this issue is greatly appreciated

OK without being noisy, can you carry on your apprenticeship with another contractor, or is the problem more to do with health?

You would be off your head just to jump into this business, you need to know your stuff. It is a little more than fitting sensors to windows etc. Do you know any local alarm installation company that might be in a position to take you on and get yourself some experience.

kramer1

Not sure how the apprenticeship is going to work out and I'd like a back up plan, I've wired a few domestic alarms years a go and I quite enjoyed it , thought I'd look into it. I have a van tools etc and I also have a job lined up in property maintenance if I need it , but I'd rather do something I enjoy.was thinking of maybe taking the maintenance job and doing the alarm course at night until I get qualified. So what I really need to know is what are the regulatory and legal requirements to do this.

fred funk }{

Legally you need a PSA licence, otherwise you are breaking the law. To aquire a licence you need to meet several criteria including being a certified/registered installer and be certified by the likes of the NSAI or EQA.

It's pricy enough too. The PSA licence costs €1250 every two years. Certification starts off at about €1000 annually. Then you have public liability insurance, motor insurance, accountancy fees, van maintenance, tools, phones, diesel, tax bills.

It's a good job though as you're somewhere different most days and meeting different people but it's an extremely competitive business and jobs are lost over €10-€20 at times.

kramer1

Thanks for the help lads ill go do a bit more research then figure out what I'm at

stuartkee

there is a 1 year course run in killester collage they try to get the lads a one day a week job placement wit a local company I have taken a lad every year most are usless for a few months some get it some font but with your back ground you should walk it but as the lads said its a ruthless business and never mind losing a job for €10/€20 I have lost one for €5

kramer1

stuartkee wrote: »

there is a 1 year course run in killester collage they try to get the lads a one day a week job placement wit a local company I have taken a lad every year most are usless for a few months some get it some font but with your back ground you should walk it but as the lads said its a ruthless business and never mind losing a job for €10/€20 I have lost one for €5

Sounds well worth checking out, thanks

garytopp

Hi,
I started up my own business doing fire alarms, my yearly costs including insurance, van, fuel, maintenance, stationary & office equipment, accounts, comes in a shade under 13k per year just to cover your costs. I was lucky in that I had a huge amount of contacts starting off. So unless you have a lump sum or part time job to live off for the first 2 years it would take to establish a good client base I'd look into working for a company in that field first

altor

Also have a look at high tech training who do evening courses.