Simple Checklist For Choosing The Right Electrical Contractor

12 February, 2018 Hi-Lite Electric Inc.

Finding the right electrical contractor to do some work at your home or business is key to ensuring the safety and optimal function of your electrical systems. A simple Google search would produce countless options to choose from, but not all electricians and electrical contractors are equal.

It is important that you do your due diligence to make sure that the contractor you hire is the best choice for delivering the results that you’re looking for and will put you and your property at risk.

Whether you need the contractor to install, repair, or remodel an electrical appliance or system, these tips will help you find the right electrician for you.

Check If The Contractor Is Licensed, Insured, And Bonded

These three elements are arguably the most important factors to consider when choosing an electrician. They help to protect you and your rights as a customer of the electrical contractor you choose as follows:

• A licensed contractor has gone through and successfully completed the training required to work as an electrician, and has the experience to be considered a professional in that field. Licensing also means that the contractor has committed to paying a bond covering their work.
• A bond is the amount paid by a contractor so they can receive licensing in a specific professional field. Bonding protects you as a client in the event that the contractor fails to complete the assigned job properly. In other words, you can access the bond to cover costs for damage.
• Insurance is intended to protect the contractor while working on your property. So in the event of an accident on your property, both you and your contractor will be compensated for damages.

If asked, most contractors should willingly provide you with the proper license, bond, and insurance documentation. If they refuse, you should reconsider about trusting them with your project. If you’re not convinced that the documents are genuine, you can check with your local licensing board for information on the contractor’s license and whether or not they’re bonded.

Check their experience and ask for references

There are many ways to find electrical contractors in your area, from searching online via search engines to using referrals from family and friends. The moment you have a list of several potential contractors, you should research further to ensure that they’re qualified to handle the work at hand.

A great place to start is by checking their online reviews or going directly to the contractor’s website and/or social media page. The website should contain all important information, such as their scope of work, qualifications and certifications, areas of operation, training and credentials, and references/testimonials from their past projects.

If possible, see if you can get in touch with some of the contractor’s past clients so you can get a more specific and personal review of the contractor’s performance on projects that are similar to yours.

Visiting their social media page is a great way to find out whether there are any customer complaints, and how they handle any problems with their customers. It is also a good way to evaluate the quality of their after sales service.

Simple Checklist for finding the right electrical contractor

The objective of this checklist is to ensure that you have done everything possible on your side to find the right electrician or electrical contractor for the job.

If the electrical contractor you’ve selected answers yes to all questions, congratulations. It seems you’ve found a reliable and competent contractor who will handle your project well.

If you don’t know some of the answers to these questions, you should try to learn more about the company that will be handling your electrical project. Not knowing can lead to detrimental consequences.

If some or all of the answers were a ‘no’, then you should consider whether it’s worth taking a risk on a contractor who may not have the necessary resources and measures in place to protect you and provide the level of service you require.

Final note

Irrespective of the size of your budget, you deserve to work with an electrical contractor who is well equipped and qualified in every way. Finding the right company might be a daunting task, but it is worth the time and effort to find a safe, reliable, knowledgeable, efficient, and friendly team.