Short answer: There is no national first-year tool list, so get your program’s list before you buy. The IEC Dallas, Austin and Kansas City lists all include lineman’s pliers, screwdrivers and a knife, then differ on cutters, strippers, testers and timing. None asks for a multimeter or a cordless drill. Ask before buying testers, power tools or safety gear.
Tsai Electro is an independent learning site. Not affiliated with IBEW, NECA, IEC, ABC, any JATC, or any tool brand. Tool lists below are summarized from the programs’ own published lists. Always use your own program’s current list first.
What the published lists say
We compared first-year tool lists that programs publish. Three were usable for this article, two from Texas and one from Missouri. They are examples, not a national standard:
- IEC Dallas Chapter (merit shop): a “Basic Tool List for IEC Apprentices” with tools needed “upon acceptance of employment and prior to starting work,” plus a second group needed later as jobs require (IEC Dallas tool list). The same page adds: “Please check with your employer before purchasing them.” IEC Dallas also says “Applicant must furnish his/her own tools” (IEC Dallas qualifications).
- Austin Electrical Training Alliance (IBEW and NECA JATC): a fixed list that apprentices “shall provide themselves with” and no more. A first-year apprentice may also bring a small toolbox, and third- and fourth-year apprentices may keep a toolbox on the job and start building toward a journeyman’s list (Austin ETA tool list).
- Kansas City JATC (Kansas City, Missouri): a “Pre-Apprentice Tool List” of 17 items “you will be responsible for at the job site.” The page adds: “Pre-Apprentices with less than 2,000 hours of on-the-job training are only required to provide the tools listed above the line.” Its Inside Wireman Apprentice list adds diagonal cutters, long-nose pliers, a 10-inch adjustable wrench, a chalk line and a toolbox (Kansas City JATC tool lists).
How current are they? The IEC Dallas tool list PDF shows no date, and its qualifications PDF says “Revised 05/04/2020.” The Austin and Kansas City lists are live web pages that can change. Confirm the current list with your employer or program before you spend money.
Elsewhere, programs we checked say you buy your own hand tools without publishing a list on the pages we opened. Geneva Electrical JATC in New York says “Apprentices must furnish their own hand tools as appropriate for the trade” (NYS DOL notice). Our state guides for California, New York, and Texas cover how to get into a program first.
Before you spend money
- Get the current list. Ask your program coordinator or employer which tool list applies to your first assignment. If you have no list yet, ask: “Can you send me the current first-year tool list and confirm which items I need on my first day?”
- Confirm what you must supply. Check required sizes, tools you are not allowed to bring, and what the company provides, including testers and safety gear.
- Buy only the confirmed starting tools. Keep the later list and add items when your employer or program asks for them. If you have not been hired yet, use the lists below to plan a budget, not as a shopping order.
Not hired yet? The tools can wait until you have a list. If your program uses an aptitude test or an interview, that is the part to prepare for now. The Electrical Apprenticeship Aptitude & Interview Kit (U.S. Edition) has 6 timed aptitude simulations based on the published test format, 20 interview questions with a weak and a strong answer each, and an 8-question timed mock interview with a scoring sheet. US$39, one payment, full refund within 30 days if not downloaded, and the files are yours to keep.
Buy now, buy later, ask first: three program lists compared
These are examples from three apprenticeship programs, not a universal shopping list. “At hire” and “Later” follow the IEC Dallas list. “Required” and “Optional” follow the Austin list. “Listed” means the item is on the Kansas City pre-apprentice list. Confirm your own program’s requirements before buying. To make your own checklist, mark what you already own and buy only the missing items your program confirms.
| Tool | IEC Dallas | Austin ETA (JATC) | Kansas City JATC (pre-apprentice) | Purchase decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lineman’s pliers (side cutters) | At hire: 9-inch “Linemen Pliers (Side cutters)” | Required: “side cutters pliers,” 7-inch or larger | Listed: 9-inch side cutting pliers | On all three lists; buy once your program confirms the size (9-inch fits all three) |
| Screwdrivers | At hire: 6-inch screwdriver and 4-inch Phillips | Required | Listed: 3/16 x 4-inch, 1/4 x 6-inch, #2 and #3 Phillips | On all three lists; buy the sizes your program names |
| Knife | At hire (pocket knife) | Required | Listed (pocket knife) | On all three lists; buy once confirmed |
| Tool pouch and belt | At hire | Not listed (a small toolbox is allowed in year one) | Listed | Check your list |
| Tape measure | At hire: 25 ft | Required: steel, at least 16 ft | Not listed (6-ft wooden folding rule instead) | Check your list |
| Wire stripper | At hire | Required | Not listed | Check your list |
| Diagonal cutters (dikes) | At hire: 8-inch | Optional (“Dyke pliers”) | Not listed (on the inside wireman list, 7- or 8-inch) | Check your list |
| Needle-nose (long-nose) pliers | At hire: 8-inch | Optional | Not listed (on the inside wireman list, 6-inch) | Check your list |
| Pencil | Not listed | Required | Listed | Check your list |
| Channel-lock pliers | Later (small and large) | Required (two pairs) | Listed: two pairs, #420 or equivalent | Timing depends on your program |
| Hammer | Later | Required | Listed | Timing depends on your program |
| Hacksaw | Later (12-inch) | Required (frame) | Listed (frame) | Timing depends on your program |
| Level | Later (9-inch magnetic) | Required (small) | Listed: 9-inch magnetic torpedo | Timing depends on your program |
| Flashlight | Later | Not listed | Listed | Check your list |
| Scratch awl | Later | Required | Not listed | Timing depends on your program |
| Voltage tester | Later (Vol-Con tester and case) | Required (“not over 1000 or Multi Volt Tester”) | Listed: 2-lead non-adjustable | Ask first |
| Padlock for lockout/tagout | Not listed | Not listed | Listed | Ask first |
| Power tools | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Ask first |
| Hard hat, safety glasses, boots | Not on the tool list | Not listed | Not listed | Ask first (see the safety gear rules below) |
A note on names: IEC Dallas uses “side cutters” for lineman’s pliers, and Austin lists “Dyke pliers” separately as optional, so we read Austin’s “side cutters pliers” as lineman’s pliers. Kansas City lists 9-inch “Side Cutting Pliers” on its pre-apprentice list and “Diagonal Slide Cutting Pliers” separately on its inside wireman list. If your program’s wording is unclear, ask which tool it means.
Common day-one tools (confirm before buying)
These eight items make up the IEC Dallas at-hire list. Lineman’s pliers, screwdrivers and a knife appear on all three lists. Together they cover the work first-year apprentices do most: pulling and cutting wire, stripping, terminating devices, and measuring.
- Lineman’s pliers: grip, twist and cut. IEC Dallas and Kansas City list 9-inch. Austin asks for 7-inch or larger.
- Diagonal cutters (dikes): clean cuts in tight boxes. IEC Dallas lists 8-inch. Austin makes them optional.
- Needle-nose pliers: loops on device screws and small parts.
- Screwdrivers: IEC Dallas lists a 6-inch screwdriver and a 4-inch Phillips. Kansas City lists four sizes.
- Tape measure: IEC Dallas lists 25 feet. Austin asks for steel, at least 16 feet. Kansas City lists a 6-foot folding rule instead.
- Wire stripper: marked for the wire sizes you use most.
- Knife: for cable jackets and packaging.
- Pouch and belt: IEC Dallas notes that a loaded waist tool belt weighs about 30 pounds, so fit and comfort matter (IEC Dallas job description).
Austin and Kansas City also list a pencil. If a shopping list elsewhere tells you to buy a multimeter or a cordless drill before day one, compare it with your program’s list first. None of the three lists we checked asks for those.
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A 9-inch lineman’s pliers for the day-one kit
Klein Tools D213-9NE 9-inch side-cutting pliers: a 9-inch size matches the “Linemen Pliers (Side cutters)” on the IEC Dallas at-hire list, Kansas City’s 9-inch side cutting pliers, and Austin’s 7-inch-or-larger rule. The lists name a size, not a brand. Check your own program’s list first; some programs set sizes or limit which tools you bring. Pliers are not insulated tools unless they are rated and marked for that use.
Buy later: wait until the job asks
The IEC Dallas list puts these items in a later group, “based on job requirement”: channel-lock pliers in a small and a large size, a hammer, a 12-inch hacksaw, a 9-inch magnetic level, a scratch awl, a utility bag, a 4-inch screwdriver, a 6-inch trim screwdriver, an 8-inch adjustable wrench (listed as a Crescent), a drywall saw (listed as “Sheetrock Saw”), a flashlight, tin snips, an armored-cable cutter (listed as “Roto Splitter”) and a rat tail file. The list also says to check with your employer before buying.
Austin and Kansas City treat several of these, such as channel locks, a hammer and a hacksaw frame, as part of the starting list. That difference is why your own program’s list decides. If your list says day one, buy it for day one.
Related guide: Conduit Bending for Apprentices.
Ask first: testers, power tools and safety gear
- Voltage testers and meters: IEC Dallas lists a Vol-Con voltage tester for later. Austin requires one tester “not over 1000 or Multi Volt Tester,” and Kansas City lists a “2-Lead Non-Adjustable Voltage Tester.” Ask your employer which test equipment it requires and who supplies it. The IEC Dallas job description also says “Apprentices are prohibited from working on energized circuits or equipment.” Use a tester only the way your employer trains you to.
- Power tools: none of the three lists includes drills, impact drivers or saws. Ask what the company supplies before you buy.
- Safety gear: “not listed” on a tool list does not mean not required. The IEC Dallas job description says to wear “hard hat, safety glasses at all times.” Under OSHA’s construction rule, PPE required on the job “shall be provided by the employer at no cost to employees.” There are exceptions. Employers do not have to pay for non-specialty safety-toe boots or prescription safety glasses that you may wear off the job site, or for normal work boots and everyday clothing (OSHA 29 CFR 1926.95). Ask your employer which PPE it provides and whether you must buy your own work boots.
- Limits on what you bring: Austin says apprentices provide the listed tools “only,” plus a small toolbox in year one. Bringing extra tools can break program rules.
Related guide: NFPA 70E, De-energization and Lockout/Tagout for Apprentices.
What it costs
Program figures vary. The Geneva Electrical JATC in New York estimates hand tools at “approximately $300 by the end of the program” (NYS DOL notice, June 26, 2026). That figure covers the whole program, not day one. San Diego’s JATC charges no tuition, but “Apprentices are responsible for purchasing required books and hand tools” (ETI San Diego), so plan books as a separate cost from tools. None of the three tool lists publishes a day-one total. To budget, price each item on your own starting list in the size it names, and keep boots separate from the PPE your employer must provide.
FAQ
Do apprentices have to buy their own tools?
Usually hand tools, yes. IEC Dallas says the applicant must furnish their own tools, and San Diego’s JATC says apprentices buy required books and hand tools. Power tools depend on the employer, and OSHA requires employers to provide most required PPE at no cost, so ask.
How much should I spend on first-year tools?
There is no published national figure. The cost depends on your program’s list, the tools you already own, and what your employer supplies. One New York JATC estimates hand tools at about $300 by the end of the program. The three tool lists we checked publish no day-one total.
Should I buy a voltage tester before my first day?
Ask first. Austin and Kansas City put a voltage tester on their starting lists, while IEC Dallas lists one for later. IEC Dallas also says apprentices are prohibited from working on energized circuits or equipment, so learn your company’s procedure before using any tester.
Can I bring extra tools to the job?
Check your program’s rules. Austin’s JATC lists the tools apprentices provide “only,” with a small toolbox allowed in the first year and a toolbox on the job from the third year.
Sources checked October 2026
- IEC Dallas tool list: https://
www.iecdallasedu cation.com/ application/ pdf/ Tools_List.pdf - IEC Dallas qualifications: https://
www.iecdallasedu cation.com/ application/ pdf/ Qualifications.p df - Austin ETA tool list: https://
austineta.org/ tool-list/ - Kansas City JATC tool lists: https://
www.kcjatc124.or g/ apprenticeship-t ool-lists - IEC Dallas job description: https://
iecdallaseducati on.com/ application/ pdf/ JobDescription-I ECDallas.pdf - NYS DOL notice: https://
dol.ny.gov/ ap/ geneva-electrica l-jatc-local-840 -1 - ETI San Diego: https://
etiedu.org/ applicants/ inside-wireman/ application-requ irements-and-pro cess - OSHA 29 CFR 1926.95: https://
www.osha.gov/ laws-regs/ regulations/ standardnumber/ 1926/ 1926.95
