I do not know why unless it is a cost thing. However, electrical permits do not cost as much as a building permit and they protect you as the owner of the project should anything go wrong.
Some scopes of work do not require a permit. Your local code enforcement office can always answer those questions for you. We have found them to always be very helpful with any questions we have had about remolding. If a permit is required for the work he is doing and he is unwilling to “pull” a permit, I would hire another electrician.
Because a permit costs time and money and is not always required.
There really is no such thing as “light electrical”, at least in the State of Ohio. Any Electrical work must be done by a State Licensed Electrician. Not everything needs a permit, but everything does need to be performed by a Licensed Electrician, that is also registered in the municipality the property is located in. If the property will be altered, (rather than just repaired), a permit is required. Always good to check with the Building Department, since they are the boss of the properties, and the contractors. They are there to protect the property owner, and the city.
Perhaps they’re not familiar with the different fee structures within the City they are working in, or think a Homeowner is turned aways by the additional cost for permits.
As a general rule, we always add the option for permits and usually let the homeowner know they can elect to pull their own permits and handle all inspections if they would like.
So it depends on the jurisdiction having authority, some work in some areas do not require to have a permit. Best thing to do if someone tells you that they don’t need/want a permit is to call the authority in your area and double check if it would be required.
His reasons may vary but if you need a permit and he is trying to convince you not to have one don’t hire him. You can call your local building department to find out if you need a permit.
not all work in any field requires a permit if it is an existing part of the original and permanent home most projects do not require a permit unless adding a major new feature such as new door location or major structural change
In MA, I do not know of any electrical work that does not need a permit. However, depending upon the town, an electrician may understand that the electrical inspector really would not like to spend his time to look at a new receptacle.
Generally our electricians and plumbers do not want to pull permits only because it slows them down from making money. To do a service call, they get paid well. To pull a permit, meet the inspector and get a sign off takes a lot of time especially as inspections are not set for a particular time so they will need to wait around.
If you want a permit, try offering the electrician their hourly rate to apply for a permit and to wait for the inspector. They will almost always do it, but most homeowners don’t want to pay $300+ for this.
PS As a builder, we require subs to pull permits!