Even the best handyman shouldn’t experiment when it comes to electrical wiring. In order to keep your home’s electrical system safe and functioning, it’s important to hire the right residential electrician.
You won’t need to understand the art of electric circuits in order to find the right pro. Just remember these 5 things to consider when choosing a residential electrician.
Table of Contents
1. Who’s Providing the Service?
Sometimes residential electricians subcontract their work to other professionals. This often means that the person who comes to your house to perform the service won’t be the same person to provide follow up work.
If it’s important to you to build a rapport with a residential electrician, find out in advance who will be sent to perform the work. Ask whether the electrician will be available after the service call to answer questions.
It’s a good rule of thumb, in general, to know who’s doing the work in your home even if it isn’t subcontracted. If there are any issues, you’ll be able to follow up with the company to get specific help with your problem.
2. Certifications
Always hire a certified electrician to do work in your home. This is the best way to ensure you get guaranteed results from an experienced professional.
Certified electricians have a minimum of 3 years’ experience in the field and can offer warranties on their work. These warranties and quality assurances help protect the customer from negligence that can lead to dangerous living situations.
3. Insurance
The next thing you want to look out for when choosing a certified electrician is whether or not they have insurance. Many electricians offer this information on their website for customers like East Coast Sparkies.
If you don’t see any information listed, ask for copies of the electrician’s insurance policies to confirm they’re covered. Avoid working with any professionals with expired documentation.
The lapse in paperwork can be a sign of professional negligence.
4. Communication Skills
Few homeowners are well versed in electrical lingo. This makes it extremely important to hire a residential electrician with good communication skills.
You’ll want the opportunity to follow up on their work based on a full understanding of the deliverables. Ask the electrician to explain, in simple terms, what work they’ll perform on your home.
It’s not necessary to get every single detail, but you do want enough information so you know what changes, repairs, or upgrades are made. When you sell your home or ever have to work with another electrician, you can speak confidently about the electrical maintenance in your home.
5. Referrals
Does your electrician have good online reviews? If not, ask about references.
Contact past clients to get more information on the electrician’s work ethic and the quality of services performed. It’s tough to learn nuances from company estimates.
Past clients will share whether the technician had a great attitude, rushed through the work or wasn’t responsive to follow up questions.
Hiring Your Next Residential Electrician
A residential electrician makes your home a safer and better functioning environment. It’s not enough for an electrician to be certified and insured.
Make sure they have what it takes to explain to you how they set their pricing, warranties, and policies. Ask who will perform the work in your home so there are no surprises down the road.
Knowing the technician by name helps you begin building rapport with your electrical pro in case you need service again in the future. For more information and household tips, visit our blog for updates.
