We run into this issue on a regular basis as well. Sometimes we have a sparky do it. Sometimes we tell the customer they must have the work performed. And, sometimes, weill I'm sure you know the other option.

The way it works around here is if you don't pull a permit for the job then it's illegal regardless of who does it and what that persons qualifications are. The sucky part about going and getting a permit is they don't base it on the electrical costs of the job but rather the entire project. This really sucks if your doing something like hanging a runco 3 chip DLP and have to go get a permit for the single electrical outlet you need in the ceiling.