5 Things to Look for When Hiring an Electrician

Dealing with electrical problems or installing new electrical equipment is most often a job best left to professionals. However, choosing the right professional for the job can be a project in itself. You definitely don’t want to make the wrong choice but making the right choice can be a daunting task. Here are 5 things you should look for when hiring your next electrician.

Experience with your specific needs

Just like doctors, different electricians specialize in different things and you probably wouldn’t want a dermatologist performing your brain surgery. The same goes for electricians, you want to hire someone who specializes in what you need. Bad or inexperienced electricians will often not list the exact services they offer and they will position themselves as generalists. A good electrician often will list the exact services they offer and you’ll easily be able to tell if they can help you with your needs.

Reputation

There is no better way to determine if an electrician is good or not that to look at what real customers had to say about them. A great reputation in terms of online reviews or word of mouth is probably the single best indicator of whether an electrician is good. Testimonials on the electrician’s website are a good place to start. However, the independent, third-party review websites should be your bread and butter when it comes to determining an electrician’s reputation. Ideally, you want one with a big number of overwhelmingly positive reviews.

Proper licenses, insurance, and warranties

Unfortunately, there are quite a few individuals offering electrician services without proper licensing. They are usually cheaper but the quality of their work will usually be inferior to that of licensed electricians. Therefore, it’s best to avoid any “electricians” that don’t have proper licenses and think of the extra cost as an investment towards the safety of your home. A good electrician should also have at least liability insurance. Some even get additional kinds of insurance. Finally. You want to be able to get a warranty on your work. A warranty means that the electrician is willing to vouch for their parts and their work, and a good electrician should have no problems with doing so. Always ask your electricians about warranties and try to avoid those who offer none.

Get several bids and take travel costs into account

If you find several electricians that fit all of the above, it’s a good idea to get several quotes and go for the best one. However, you need to take travel costs into account. Different electricians will have different pricing methodologies and you should see if one electrician’s pricing suits you better than the rest.

Know who is doing the work

Work can always be subcontracted or outsourced. The last thing you want is to take the time and effort to look for a great electrician only to have them outsource the work to someone you never met or talked to. Ensure that you know for sure who will be performing the work. Even if the work is outsourced, it might not an issue if a representative of the original company you hired is present and supervising the work.

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