Your home’s electrical grid is one of the most important aspects of your house. It powers the lights, appliances, and all electronics in your home. That being said, it is extremely important that you hire an electrician who knows what they are doing to ensure everything works properly and that you are safe from any electrical incidents.
Today we’re going to talk about how hiring an electrician works so that you can have a better experience with them on both ends of this relationship! We will go over some checklists before hiring one as well as tips and tricks once you do choose someone based on our suggestions below! Overall these should all help set up a much easier process when working with an electrical company for any work whether big or small. So, without further ado, here are the
Tips on How to Hire an Electrician
Qualifications
There are many things to keep in mind when hiring an electrician near you. To begin, make sure they have the necessary certifications and qualifications for you to work with them. Make a list of these items so that you don’t forget anything:
Certification
An electrical contractor should be certified by either OSHA or NADCA (National Association of Electrical Contractors). This ensures that your home is safe from any mishaps during installation!
Insurance & Bonding
A good electrician will always carry insurance and bonding on their employees as well as themselves! If something happens, such as someone getting injured while working at your house or damage being done to the property, this protects both parties involved financially.
Training
Did your electrician receive training? If not, you’ll want to consider looking for someone else. Training is essential when it comes to electrical work; its safety and accuracy depend on it!
Experience
The electrician that you should hire should have at least two years of experience under their belt. This will ensure that they are knowledgeable about what to do when it comes to running wires, installing outlets and switches, etc.
References
Don’t be afraid of asking the contractor for references from previous customers or names of some people they have worked with in the past so that you can contact them about their experience working with this particular company. It never hurts to get a second opinion!
Licenses & Permits
All contractors should carry current licenses and permits at all times. Make sure that your electrician has these items before allowing him/her into your home. You don’t want anyone entering without proper credentials. It simply would be a bad idea!
Familiarize Yourself With Their Insurance
If something goes wrong and they damage your property, would their insurance be enough to cover the expense? Check with them beforehand by asking what exactly is covered in their policy. You wouldn’t want to hire someone who carries only bare minimum coverage just because it’s cheaper than buying a better plan for themselves.
Multiple Estimates
There’s no such thing as free money so if you get any estimates from contractors that are significantly lower than everyone else, there might be an issue somewhere or not fully understanding of all the work involved. Make sure they understand everything before signing anything and remember: always compare apples-to-apples when getting multiple quotes on similar jobs/services!
Electrician Career Levels
Different electricians have varying levels of experience and training. The title, “electrician” is a generic term that can refer to different types of electrical workers who install wiring systems in buildings and construction sites. That being said, the different types of electricians are divided into three main career levels.
Apprentice Electrician
These electricians are at the lowest level and can only do basic tasks such as installing outlets, replacing switches, and adding light fixtures. They cannot complete wiring for a bathroom or kitchen, install large appliances or rewire circuits.
Journeyman Electrician
These electricians have the ability to both install certain types of equipment and perform more complex work like upgrading service panels. Their skills are often needed when something goes wrong with an electrical system that makes it unsafe to use until they make repairs.
Master Electrician
This is the highest level of expertise but even these electricians need licenses in most states before performing any type of electrical work on their own unless covered by specific exceptions (for example: doing your own home). It’s worth noting that these professionals go through years of training and are usually employed by large companies.
Hire Electrician Near Me
There are many types of electricians and the more general “electrician” is not a specific qualification or job titles like a master electrician or HVAC contractor. A person could be an electrical engineer, lineman, construction electrician, residential/commercial electrician, etc… Each has its own level of training and experience working with different equipment. These professionals can work on small projects such as adding additional outlets to new rooms in your house but wouldn’t know how to wire up whole building systems for example (elevators or power generation).
There isn’t one universal licensing exam that covers all areas so it’s very important for homeowners needing repairs done quickly to find out what type of professional they are actually employing. It is common for some professionals to have multiple licenses so it’s always best to ask which are the most relevant.
To find a reputable contractor for residential electrical work, homeowners can try searching online or through referral services such as Angie’s List, Google+ Local (for local businesses), etc… There is also an official government website that helps you search for contractors in your area based on license type and specialty.
Important Questions to Ask When Hiring an Electrician
When hiring electricians, there are certain questions that homeowners should be sure to ask. This will ensure that the person hired is able to complete all work in a timely fashion, and match your specific requirements.
Some questions that should be asked include:
- Do you have a license?
- What kind of licensing do you have?
- Do you have insurance?
- What types of services do you offer?
- Do you belong to any professional organizations or trade groups?
- How long have you been doing electrical work?
- What kinds of training have you received?
- Who will be doing electrical work on my home- just yourself or other employees as well??
- Is there an upfront cost?
- What is the cost estimate?
- Will there be any additional fees later that I should know about?
Typical Services Offered By Electricians
The services offered by electricians range from the most simple to the most complex. Some of these services are:
- Wirings
- Existing home wiring inspections
- Garage door opener installation and repair
- Electrical outlets
- Indoor/Outdoor light fixtures
- Circuit breakers
- Electrical Panels
- Appliances
- Security systems
These are just a few examples of what they do on a daily basis! It really can be broken down into bits so that you have an idea about whether this is something you want to be done by an electrician. When it comes time for them to give you their estimate make sure you discuss all possible things that could happen along with how much everything will cost.
Hire a Pro for Electrical Work – Conclusion
Hiring an electrician is not simple, but if you know what to watch out for it can be a very smooth process. Knowing things like their credentials, insurance, etc. is just the beginning when it comes to hiring an electrician. If you are not sure of what they do or how much things cost then that can be a problem in itself! Make sure that your contract includes everything so there are no surprises later on down the road and make sure their work actually needs to be done by someone with this type of certification.