Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Electrician

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Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Electrician

It is good to ask questions before hiring an electrician. Most electricians are honest and capable of doing excellent work, but there will be a few that are not. Not all electricians handle every electrical job – something you should keep in mind. Some are only involved in construction and remodeling work, and some electricians only are into doing minor jobs and repairs.

Electricians – Tools of the Trade

You must explain to the electrician beforehand what kind of work you need to do. Ask if they are capable of doing what you require.

Before hiring an electrician, you’ll also want to keep certain things in mind. For insurance purposes and when a permit is required, ensure the electrician you’re about to hire is properly licensed. Ask to see proof of their current license.

It is essential to know that an electrician is insured for the work they do on your home. You wouldn’t want to be sued if a worker is injured while working in your home. You may also want to consider asking for proof of workers’ compensation that the electrician should carry.

Most electrical contractors don’t mind giving you an estimate at your home. However, they can lose money driving to your home if it’s a minor job. Therefore, electricians may give you a minimum or a fixed price for the job you want to be done. On large jobs, you can ask for an hourly rate.

You should call around and get the best rates for the work you need. For larger jobs, have more than one contractor come out to your home for an estimate. That being said, don’t automatically go for the lowest price. Look into the company’s background and reputation and consider that. You know the saying – you get what you pay for. The same is true if you hire an electrician who seems way cheaper than the rest. It’s probably too good to be true, and you’ll have to hire an electrician who knows what he’s doing to fix the mistakes the cheaper electrician made.

Many think buying the electrical materials they need for the job will save money.

Don’t do it; here’s why:

The electrician knows precisely what he/she needs, and you do not.
Electricians buy wholesale and get discounts to which the general public isn’t entitled.
If the electrician buys the parts, he is responsible for replacing them if they break or something is missing.

Sometimes, the electrician will need to cut holes in your wall for their work. Ask who is responsible for fixing any damage incurred throughout the job. Will the electrician take care of the repairs? Before hiring an electrician, be safe and ask before the job has started whether they think the work they’ll be doing will incur any damage to your home.

With small jobs, the electrician may want to be paid as soon as the job is completed. On larger jobs, the electrician may ask for a down payment before he starts the job. Then, he will want the rest of the balance when the job is completed or in installments. If you don’t think you’ll be able to pay the electrician the total amount of the job upon completion – before hiring the electrician – make sure to mention this at the beginning and work out a payment plan that suits both parties. More on this website

If the electrician brings extra workers to help out on larger jobs, he’ll likely have to charge more. Therefore, if the job you need to be done is quite a big job, ask about extra staff before the job starts.

Before hiring an electrician, it’s good to sit down and think of every aspect of what you want to be done and anticipate any problems the electrician may encounter.

Some questions you may want to think about asking yourself might be:

Do you know of any faulty wiring in the house?
How old are the wiring/fixtures that the electrician will be working on?
Are any of the walls surrounding fixtures, plugs, electrical boxes, etc., rotting or damaged?
Has there been any water damage to the areas where the electrician will work?
Have you ever had circuit breakers go out?
Do any lights in your house flicker?

Considering the unexpected before it happens and discussing it with your electrician should reduce any surprises for you (extra costs) and the electrician (extra work). Hiring an electrician doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Follow the advice above and weed out the bad ones to find your dream electrician.

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