Whenever homeowners choose a professional to do work in their home, it requires a great deal of trust. A residential electrician needs to perform quality work for the sake of safety, the functionality of your daily life, and the good looks of your home. It’s a relationship that should not be taken too lightly. Here are some key considerations for homeowners seeking a professional, reliable electrician.
Experience, Licensing, and References
Don’t assume that anyone with a phonebook listing or local ad for electrical service will be equally prepared and fully licensed as a residential electrician. You should confirm that each person you contact is fully licensed and insured, while also asking about their level of experience. It’s worth getting and following up on at least one reference if possible.
When confirming the licensing and experience of your residential electrician, you should also inquire about their staff. Will various assistants and other employees be performing the actual work? If so, are all them bonded and qualified to do the particular residential work you need?
Does This Residential Electrician Regularly Do This Type of Work?
When you hire a professional to do work inside your home, you should be able to relax knowing that an expert is there to take care of things. That peace of mind can be shattered if it turns out that your electrician rarely does the sort of work you need and needs to consult references and coworkers frequently throughout the process.
Ask how often they do the work, whether they are strictly a residential electrician or if they generally do commercial work, and make sure that you are comfortable with their experience and areas of expertise.
Quotes and Budgeting: Are You on the Same Page?
A reliable residential electrician should provide more than just a simple quote consisting of a dollar amount or range. What supplies and parts are included in the quote, and what items do they foresee being added to the bill? For some jobs, a good electrician might even be able to guarantee that a final invoice will fall within a certain percentage point from the quote.
Most importantly, you need to have an official guideline for how incidental costs and other charges will be handled. Communication and transparency should be no problem for a residential electrician who knows the work well and operates business in a professional manner.
What’s Your End Goal: Speed, Quality, Esthetics
Whether you have a simple repair or a larger project like a home addition, hiring a residential electrician means choosing someone whose work will effect the looks and functionality of your property. For larger jobs, it may be worth your time to ask about visiting an electrician’s current worksite to see for yourself the quality of their work. In general, you at least need an understanding with each other about what sort of quality you expect and how you might need to direct them on issues that effect your home’s esthetics, such as mounting electrical fixtures on walls.
What Level of Communication Do You Expect?
Working with a residential electrician requires your approval on a gut level as well as a healthy working relationship with good communication. If asking questions and getting answers seems to be difficult during the hiring process, you may not get better communication while the work is going on. Think about whether you just want someone to come in and do the work quickly, or if you will want to be able to be present and in communication during the work. Your residential electrician should be amenable to your expectations.
