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 very good work, but there will be a few that are not. Not all electricians handle every kind of 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
important that you explain to the electrician beforehand what kind of work you will need to be done. And ask if they are capable of doing what you require.
You’ll also want to keep certain things in mind before hiring an electrician. 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 important 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 be carrying.
Most electrical contractors don’t mind giving you an estimate at your home. However, if it’s just a small job, they can lose money just by driving out to your home. Therefore, electricians may give you a minimum price or a fixed price for the job you want to be done. On large jobs, you can ask for an hourly rate for the job.
You should call around and get the best rates for the work you need – and, 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 take that into consideration. You know the saying – you get what you pay for. Well, the same is true if you decide to hire an electrician who seems way cheaper than the rest. It’s probably too good to be true and you’ll end up having to hire an electrician who knows what he’s doing in order to fix the mistakes the cheaper electrician made.
Many people think that if they buy the electrical materials they need for the job, they will save money.
Don’t do it, here’s why:
The electrician knows exactly he/she needs and you do not. Electricians buy wholesale and get discounts that the general public isn’t entitled to. If the electrician buys the parts then he is responsible for replacing those parts if they break or if something is missing.
Sometimes, the electrician will need to cut holes in your wall for the work they are doing. Ask who is responsible to fix any damage that is incurred throughout the job. Will the repairs be taken care of by the electrician? 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. And then he will either 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 full 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.
If, on larger jobs, the electrician has to bring extra workers to help out, he’ll likely have to charge more for this. Therefore, if the job you need to be done is quite a big job, make sure to ask about extra staff before the job starts.
Before you hire an electrician, it’s good to sit down and think of every aspect of what you want to be done and try to anticipate any problems the electrician may run into.
Some questions you may want to think about asking yourself might be:
Do you know of any faulty wiring in the house?
How old is 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 any of the areas where the electrician will be working?
Have you ever had circuit breakers go out?
Do any lights in your house flicker?
Thinking about the unexpected before it happens and discussing it with your electrician should reduce any surprises for both you (extra costs) and the electrician (extra work). Hiring an electrician doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Follow the advice above and you’ll weed out the bad ones to find your dream electrician.
This Blog was posted for you By San Antonio’s Electrician Good Electric
