Hiring an electrician for your home can be quite the process.
Before committing to anyone, you want to know that the person you’re hiring has the skill and training to perform the job you’re paying them for.
In this blog, you’ll learn how-to evaluate potential electricians and make sure you’re hiring the right one for you.
Must-Have Electrician Training and Certifications
Any electrician you consider must be fully licensed, insured, and bonded. If they aren’t, there’s no guarantee they’ll complete the project safely and at the agreed-upon cost.
Licensing is the most important qualification to look for in an electrician. The process of becoming a licensed electrician means that by the time they’re qualified to work, they will:
- Have proper training.
- Know how to obtain permits.
- Know the local electrical codes.
- Approach their work with a safety-first mindset.
Without the proper training and certification, a person is not legally considered an electrician and cannot insure their work—leaving you liable for any damages to your property.
Read more: Get to Know Our Electrician, Steve Pallot
Other Qualities to Look for When Hiring a Home Electrician
Once you’ve made sure that all your candidates meet the minimum qualifications to perform the job, you can further narrow the field by asking the following questions:
Do They Specialize in What You Need?
One aspect to consider is which electrician has the most experience working on projects similar to yours.
When you’re in the market for an electrician, you’re looking for the one that’s best for you. Though electricians will be competent in all aspects of their work, many will specialize in a particular area of work and be more experienced working on projects like yours.
For example, here at Western Integrated Home, we specialize in EV charger installations across a range of homes—from single family residences to multi-unit condominiums.
An electrician with the right expertise will know exactly what’s required for the job. In fact, if they’ve worked on similar projects often enough, they may be able to suggest ways to complete the work that other electricians wouldn’t consider.
Do They Have a Strong Reputation?
Don’t be afraid to ask an electrician for a reference. If they have a history of providing top-notch service to their clients, they’ll happily share one.
Reference checking is especially important when committing to a large, long-term project.
It’ll give you peace of mind knowing that the electrician you hired has the skills to perform the work you need done.
How Do They Treat Clients’ Homes?
Hiring an electrician means inviting them into your home. If you’ve hired them to work on a large project, it means having them in your house for an extended period of time.
Before hiring an electrician, you’ll want to know that they’ll treat your home with respect. That means making sure they clean up after themselves, are friendly with others in the home, communicate regarding the work to be done, and pay attention to any particular requests that you may have.
A good electrician understands that although they’re there to do a job, part of that job is to ensure the client feels safe, respected, and comfortable in their own home.
Right now, COVID-19 has understandably made people hesitant to let others into their homes. Ask your potential electrician about the precautions they take to protect you and themselves from infection.
At Western Integrated Home, we ensure every client feels safe by:
- Wearing protective gear.
- Regularly sanitizing trucks and tools.
- Thorough hand-washing before the job.
- Remaining two meters from occupants at all times.
Do They Guarantee Their Work?
The best electricians are confident in their work. They’re proud of their results and make sure each and every one of their clients is satisfied. So they’ll most likely offer a guarantee to back up any work they do.
But not all electricians provide guarantees or warranties, so asking about these provides insight into the quality of an electrician’s work and customer service. Be sure to look for at least a one year warranty on all electrical work and a satisfaction guarantee.
Final Thoughts
Which electrician you decide to work with will ultimately have a huge impact on how comfortable you feel with them around, the quality of their work, and the final result of your project.
Take the time to carefully assess electricians by:
- Confirming that they’re certified.
- Checking their references.
- Asking about warranties and guarantees.
- Making sure they take steps to ensuring you and your home are treated with respect.
- Asking if they specialize in an area related to the work you want done.
Doing so will allow you to enter into an agreement with the knowledge that you hired the best person for the job.