Whether you’re building a new home, renovating an existing one, or find yourself having an power outage in the middle of the night, it’s crucial that you be able to find a reputable electrician to help you out. However, with so many people calling themselves home improvement experts, it can be difficult to know who you should choose. However, with a little thought and effort, the process can be easier than you may think. If you are in need of a good electrician, here are some tips you can use to find the best one in your town.
Current License
Since virtually all states require electricians to be licensed, this is perhaps the first thing you should check to make sure you’ve got a reputable electrician. In cases where an unlicensed electrician has tried to do work for which they were not qualified, the results can be overloaded circuits, poorly connected wires, improper grounding, and broken parts on an electrical panel. And along with the proper licensing, also make sure they have the proper bonding and insurance. If they don’t and you have problems that require you to file a claim with your insurance company, the company may not pay for the damages if your electrician was not properly licensed and insured. Additional information about this can be found here.
Who Does the Work?
What many homeowners don’t realize is that just because they hire an electrician doesn’t mean that person will be the one doing the work. In fact, many times the work will be done by helpers or apprentices, or perhaps even subcontractors. If you discover the electrician won’t be performing the work himself, make sure he will be closely supervising his helpers and apprentices. And if it turns out subcontractors are doing the work, make sure they have adequate insurance before you ever let them get started.
Check on Specializations
Depending upon the electrician’s training and expertise, it’s important to check on their specializations prior to hiring them for a job. Since some choose to specialize in residential jobs and others strictly on commercial jobs, make sure you know you are hiring one who will be able and willing to do what you need. For best results, ask some friends and family members for their recommendations, since they probably will have a suggestion or two.
Ask for References
No matter who you are looking to hire, be sure to ask for references from previous customers. If they are reputable, they will have no problem with this request, and will gladly tell you about jobs they recently completed. However, if they balk at your suggestion or simply refuse to do so, look elsewhere, since chances are they are either unqualified for your job, have lots of dissatisfied customers, or both.
Do They Have Permits?
For any relatively large electrical job, an electrician will need to obtain a permit. If they don’t have one, it’s a good bet there is a problem somewhere. In most cases where an electrician is denied a permit, it’s because they have had complaints lodged against them by customers, and may in fact have had their license revoked by the state. In any case, if there is no permit, find another electrician. More information about this can be found here.
Cheaper Isn’t Always Best
Because electrical jobs can be somewhat expensive, many customers are tempted to go with the electrician who offers to do their job at the cheapest price. While this may work out fine now and then, chances are cheaper will not necessarily mean better. Since you usually get what you pay for, it’s often best to check out several electricians and get estimates for your job before making your final selection. Otherwise, you may wind up paying not only the cheapest person for a job that’s not up to par, but also a more expensive electrician to correct the damage that was done.
By using these tips in your search for a reputable electrician, you will not only gain tremendous peace of mind, but also save yourself plenty of time and money in making sure your job is done right the first time.
