Whether you are looking for an electrician to fix one broken outlet or wire your entire home, it is important to find the right one. If you have no idea where to start, then here are some tips to help narrow your search.
Credentials
It isn’t important that a master electrician, which is the highest level of certification for an electrician, personally works on your job. However, it is important that whatever company you hire has one on staff. An apprentice or journeyman should be reporting to a master electrician and, if your job requires permits, you will need a master electrician to sign off on those.
Past Experience
It’s pretty obvious that time equals experience and that someone who has been an electrician for 20 years will have more experience than someone who has been doing it for 5 years. However, the type of past experience you should look for is the type of projects they have worked on. If you are looking to have your new home wired but the electrician works only on commercial projects, they may not be the best fit for you. Be sure to ask if they do commercial or residential projects, new construction or remodels and so on.
Cleanliness
Let’s face it, construction work of any kind is messy. There is usually no way around that. However, you want to be sure that the electrician will be respectful of your home. Do they wear booties? Do they vacuum the area once they are done drilling? If the job will last more than one day, do they pack everything up or leave their tools scattered overnight? Usually, you won’t know how clean they are until they are already in your home so don’t be afraid to ask ahead of time about their cleanup policy. If they don’t have one or seem hesitant to discuss it with you, they may not be the right fit. Also, if you have any allergies or other health problems that require a special attention to cleanliness, be sure to bring that up before hiring them.
Time frame
A lot of electricians are booked well in advance. If your project is time sensitive be sure to see if your time frame fits with theirs. And if you are looking for an electrician to come the same day you call, make sure they do emergency service calls and realize the price may be higher.
An eye for design
Light switches, outlets and wire may not seem like they leave a lot of room for creativity. And if you are looking for someone to do an emergency service call or a panel upgrade, you may not need much. However, if you are remodeling or building, it is necessary for the electrician to be able to see the bigger picture and not only how to wire a house to code. Ideally, you want someone who knows the code but can also give you suggestions for placement of light fixtures, switches and outlets.
Safety
When you are working with electricity, safety is paramount. You can always ask the company you are considering for proof of insurance before you hire them. And if you want to know who will be coming to your home, they should at least be able to provide a name and description of the technician who will be doing the job.
Personality
Whether the electrician will be working on your project one day or one year, it is best if you find someone you will work well with. Any construction project can be stressful so it is best to find an electrician you like as well as one who is qualified. Make sure they are accessible, friendly and someone with a sense of humor is always a plus!
Price
It is always a good idea to get a quote ahead of time but remember that cheaper isn’t always better. Expensive isn’t necessarily better either but the old adage that you get what you pay for definitely applies! You never want to cut corners on something as important as the electricity in your home.
If you have any questions or comments, contact Sasha at sasha@inthelitellc.com. As always, we hope we’ve made your day brighter!
The second point which goes into the importance of past experience when hiring an electrician is a point that I consider the most important for any profession. As someone who wants to hire the services of an electrician in the future in order to inspect the wiring of my home and make sure everything is all clear, I would want to hire someone with more experience over someone who is new to the business. I will continue to do research on the subject in order to find an electrical specialist whose services will benefit me the most.
I like that you mentioned to look out for the cleanliness of your electrician. I recently got new carpets, so I wouldn’t want dirty shoes and other debris being tracked all over them. It’s a good idea to ask an electrician in advance if they use booties and how they typically clean up after themselves.
You made an interesting point when you talked about how it is important to hire an electrician that has a personality that you can work well with. I recently purchased a new receiver for my sound system and I need to rewire the whole system. It would probably be a good idea for me to hire an electrician for this.
I really loved reading your thoughts; obviously you know things to look for when hiring an electrician what you are talking about! Your site is so easy to use too, I’ve bookmark it in my folder.