To those of us without much knowledge of electrical work, it may seem like any licensed electrician is as good as the next one. We’re used to hearing that a professional electrician needs to be licensed and insured, and we don’t hear much beyond that. In reality, it’s a lot more complicated than that.
Your electrician has a lot of responsibility in his hands and it’s very important that you choose a licensed electrician with expertise and advanced skill. Not only will a better electrician provide better, faster services on-time and on-budget, but higher quality electrical work means a lower likelihood of needing future repairs.
Let’s take a look at several key reasons why your choice of a licensed electrician is important.
Electrical work requires serious credentials
Unfortunately you can’t just assume that your prospective electrician has all the required and recommended certifications and insurance. In California, being a licensed electrician means having a C10 electrical contractor license from the Department of Consumer Affairs. You should also ask about whether an electrician has assistants with their own proper licensing. Insurance presents another set of questions: is your licensed electrician insured under the conditions of the work that you need done?
Beyond the specific credentials required, there’s still room for your electrician to be more or less qualified to do the work. While any professional electrician should be competent at basic aspects of the job, more complicated jobs can definitely require special expertise. Other skills can include the design and esthetics of the finished work; for the best results you want a licensed electrician whose qualifications go beyond the minimum.
Relying on your preferred electrician
What will you do when there’s an emergency or damage to your home and you need electrical repair? The integrity of your property, whether you can live in the house safely, and the long-term health of your home depend upon electrical wiring and proper functioning.
If you are building new or renovating a home, you should consider your electrician a partner in your major investment. But even if you’ve owned your home a long time and don’t plan on selling anytime soon, you still need a trusted, licensed electrician on your side. The infrastructure will inevitably have problems over the course of decades, and changes ranging from installing a new home entertainment room to fixing things up after a major storm can lead you to suddenly need an electrician you can trust.
Getting the job done right the first time
If you’re tempted to undertake an electrical repair yourself or if you’re thinking of going with an unproven electrician, consider the headaches and long-term costs you can avoid by hiring a respected and experienced licensed electrician.
For smaller jobs that might seem like DIY projects, consider the real costs of doing it yourself: hours lost researching the problem, time spent driving around and finding parts at hardware stores, and at least a weekend of your time gone from doing the actual repairs yourself. Your time is valuable, especially your free time, and you’ll thank yourself for letting an expert come in to do the job swiftly.
Finding a highly skilled, licensed electrician will also ensure that the job doesn’t get dragged out or finished imperfectly by an amateur or unknown electrician. A true professional will want to do the job well the first time, and know how to do it right from the start.
