When you hire someone to do work for you, it is always a good idea to interview them to make sure they are the right person for the job, and hiring an electrician is no exception. There are certain things you will want to know before hiring an electrician. Here are six questions to help assist in hiring the most qualified electrician for your project.
1. Are you a licensed electrician?
There are two main licenses for electricians: Master Electrician and Journeyman Electrician. The Master Electrician is usually someone who has licensing to design and install electrical systems. A Journeyman is typically used for installation. When hiring an electrician it is important to know what kind of license they have and if that licensing will work with the project you want done.
2. Are you insured?
Electrical work can be dangerous and sometimes things can go wrong. Make sure the electrician has public liability insurance that will cover any potential property damage or loss.
3. What type of electrical work do you do most often?
Electricians have specialties in their field, just like anyone else. They may be more efficient in certain areas. If you are renovating a house, be sure to hire an electrician who has experience with that type of electrical work.
4. How much experience do you have with this type of project?
If your project is something that requires specific knowledge and expertise, you will want to know how much experience they have with that particular project. Some projects are more specialized than others and you want to hire somebody who is qualified to do the job.
5. Who will be doing the work?
Master and Journeyman Electricians have different rates, knowing this will help you understand the overall cost of the project. They may also have an apprentice that does some of the work and that may change the cost of the project as well. Make sure to discuss who is doing the work so that you know what to expect.
If you think your project will need a more experienced/qualified electrician, you will want to hire a Master Electrician.
6. Can you provide references?
When you hire an electrician, make sure to hire someone that will provide references, and then look into those references. Electrical work is hard to judge the quality of if you don’t know what you are looking for. With references, you can confirm that they do quality work before you decide to hire them.
Asking these few questions will help both parties understand the expectations the other has for the project being completed. If you have an electrical project contact Modern PHE at (208) 745-7021
