Best Tips for Hiring an Electrician

Your house is your castle, your sanctuary, and most likely your largest investment. You need to hire an electrician that will care for your house the way they would care for their own. Finding the right person to do work around your house can be daunting and intimidating. We have all heard the horror stories that can happen when the wrong person is hired for the job. This is especially important when hiring an electrician. The safety of your home and family could be compromised by hiring the wrong person for the job. With our tips on how to hire the right electrician you will feel confident and secure in your choice.

1. Ask friends for recommendations and suggestions

Ask friends who they have hired and been happy and satisfied with. This goes past asking for just names of recommended electricians. If friends have had electrical work done lately, ask them what they wished they had asked prior to hiring an electrician. Also ask them what, if any, problems they encountered and how they would safeguard against those same problems in the future. Learn from your friend’s experiences and you will have a smoother experience yourself.

2. Check to make sure the electrician is licensed

All electricians in Australia should be properly licensed. When you hire a properly licensed electrician you will have the peace of mind that they have been properly trained and have the experience you need to properly diagnose and solve any and all your electrical needs. You can easily check the status of a person’s license by inputting their name or license number is this easy to use license verification PDF download found here.

3. Make sure they are properly insured

Prior to allowing anyone to work on your home or property require them to provide proof of insurance. In most cases they should have a General Liability Policy with sufficient limits. Make sure when you review the proof of insurance it indicates the effective dates. Unfortunately, accidents and mistakes sometimes happen and knowing your electrician has insurance will help you worry a lot less.

4. Interview your electrician

You will want to make sure you have a good rapport with your electrician. You are going to want to work with someone you can easily and effectively communicate with. The quickest and easiest way to determine if you will work well together is by conducting a quick five-minute interview. Here are some questions you should consider asking:

• How long have you been a licensed electrician?
• What do you like about your job?
• How do you prefer to communicate?
• What challenges have you faced as an electrician?
• What project that you worked on are you most proud of?

A great electrician will be able to both listen to your concerns and problems and communicate effectively his ideas for solutions. Good communication between you and your electrician is crucial for a successful project. The interview is the best way to access their communication skills.

5. Ask the electrician for references

Any skilled and experienced electrician should be able to provide you with a list of references that you can contact. Ask for a list of five to ten references that they have performed work for in the last six months or year. Do not hire anyone that cannot provide you a list of references.

6. Actually contact the references

So many people get the list of references and then never bother to contact them. This is a simple step that should absolutely be followed up on. When contacting the references make sure to ask them about the type of work they had done, how they came to hire the electrician, and when they had work done. Ideally, you will want to verify that your prospect has done your type of work before, for someone they are not friends with or related to, and that it was done in the last year. You should be skeptical of any electrician that provides you too many references that are family members, friends, or when the work was completed in excess of a year prior. If they a good job, offer to be a reference for them; they will surely appreciate it!

7. Check social media reviews

While it always important to take some of these reviews with a grain of salt, social media review sites can provide a good indication of the quality of work and level of communication you may expect from a tradesperson. While we would never recommend hiring or not hiring someone solely on the basis of a few reviews on Facebook, it is a good place to gather information. If there is a review that concerns you, do not be afraid to ask about it. This will help build rapport, confidence, and trust with your choice.

8. Develop a plan with your electrician before hiring

For larger jobs, before you hand over that first payment you should sit down and develop a plan. The plan should include:

• A quote
• Permits (whether they are needed, how long they will take to secure, and how much they cost)
• A scope of work for expected repairs
• Expected costs
• Payments (amounts, timing, and method)
• Anticipated schedule (including start date).

During the consultation you should also discuss any potential unforeseen circumstances or possible additional costs. This can be a simple five-minute chat but those five minutes can save you a lot of time and money in the end. So many problems occur because the parties were not on the same page from day one.

Wrap Up

With these eight simple Tips for Hiring an Electrician you will be well on your way to finding a contractor that will do a great job. Investing a little bit of time initially will save you a lot money in the long run.

If you liked this article and found it help, please follow us on Facebook and Linkedin.

If you would like a quote from a licensed electrician please click here.