What the agreement says you bring — for every outside classification, local by local
Outside line construction agreements spell out the personal tools you have to show up with; everything else is on the contractor. We read the required-tools section of 47 agreements covering 78 locals and pulled out every list — not just the journeyman one. Pick your classification below, or jump straight to your local.
Other classifications
These show up in only a few agreements, so they live here rather than on their own page.
Cable Splicer
Most agreements that mention splicers say only that they furnish their own hand tools. One spells it out: the journeyman lineman list plus a hacksaw, shave hook, lead dresser, sheath knife, belling tool and calipers. (8 agreements)
URD Technician
Underground kits are short and practical — hammer, pliers, screwdriver, 12" adjustable wrench, rule and a knife; one agreement adds an Allen wrench and a utility knife. (5 agreements)
Fabricator
One agreement with substation and civil work lists a fabricator kit: tool bag, screwdriver set, hammer, channel locks, tape, speed square, 9" lineman's pliers, utility knife, 12" adjustable wrench and a chalk line. (1 agreement)
Your local
Every list this agreement carries, in its own words, with the storage and theft rules.
78 locals so far. If yours isn't listed, we don't have its agreement yet — send it to us and we'll add it.
What your contractor has to provide
Outside agreements put everything else on the employer, including:
- All other tools and equipment — including ropes and safety devices, of suitable type and size, in good working condition and enough of them to do the job safely.
- A safe, dry, locked place for your tools and clothing on the job — a truck box or storage box with a lock, on most agreements.
- Reimbursement for stolen tools kept in that locked storage — usually only for the tools on the required list, with a police report and signs of forced entry. Caps range from $350 to $3,000 per claim where there is one; most agreements set none. Many require a tool inventory signed on your start date, so fill one out. A few cover fire or vandalism too. The exact rule is in the local picker above.
- Rubber goods and protective gear — at least one agreement states outright that no one may be required to furnish their own rubber gloves, and some have the employer provide protective clothing for painting, welding, splicing or oil work.
Lists vary from local to local, so check your own agreement before you buy. If your local isn't here, or its list has changed, send it to us. Looking for the gear linemen like carrying — bucket organizers, impact tools, knives? That's the Lineman Tool Guide.