Hiring The Best Electrician for your project can be tricky and you’ll want to do your homework. You may not even know where to begin, so to get you started we’ve put together a few essential questions to make hiring the best electrician a cinch. You’ll want to make sure the contractor is licensed, insured, can pull permits if needed and is staffed for your job. Read on and you’ll see why.
Is The Contractor Licensed
A lot hinges on whether your potential contractor is licensed and it’s probably the first question you should ask. Why does a license matter? Well, for starters an unlicensed contractor can’t apply for permits or electrical inspections and probably won’t be insured. Is that a big deal? YES!!
Let’s move on to see why . . .
Is the Contractor Insured
We’re talking Liability Insurance and Worker’s Comp. What that means to you is the contractor is covered for both any unforeseen damage to your property or if , YOW! the contractor gets hurt. If they’re covered, great but if they aren’t, guess what, you, the homeowner can be on the hook and that can mean big bucks out of your wallet. In case of contractor injury the amounts can be huge. If you’re thinking that’s no big deal, my homeowners insurance will cover it. . . guess again. Homeowners Insurance will NOT cover claims involving unlicensed contractors .
Will the Electrician Be Applying For Permits and Inspections?
OK, it’s a nuisance, so why do I want it? Well, think about it this way, a contractor who stands behind their work has no fear of an independent 3rd party certifying that the work is done safely and according to code. With that said, a permit is well worth that peace of mind, knowing you got what you paid for, and it’s a job done correctly and safely.
A contractor who is reluctant to pull a permit raises red flags for us. It’s a pretty good indication that shortcuts may be taken and the completed job may not be inspection worthy.
Low Bids?
A really good question to ask. Are low bids a good thing and why wouldn’t you want to go with the lowest estimate. Isn’t that the point of getting an estimate . . . seeing who gives you the best price? Not so fast . . . raise that red flag again. Ask the electrician why he is so much lower. Here’s what can happen. If the contractor is pricing at the very low end or underbids your job they run the risk of not being able to purchase all the materials to complete the job or cut corners you may not see. If you get a sizable difference in pricing from multiple sources dig for more detail. A reputable and experienced contractor will welcome questions.
One Man Bands
This is another good one. For small jobs not an issue but for a bigger job, does your contractor have enough staff? If they don’t the time it takes to complete your work may be much longer than you anticipate. That won’t necessarily impact the quality of the work, but it could and you may need to be prepared to wait much longer than you thought.
Standing Behind Their Work
How long will the contractor warranty their work A good contractor will stand behind their workmanship for at least a year. A great contractor will stand behind their workmanship for the life of the materials.
So that’s it. Our take on what it takes to hire wisely!
You have questions? We have answers!
LEAVE US A COMMENT!!
GIVE US A CALL!!
Leave A Comment