What Are 5 Questions That You Should Ask Before Hiring an Electrician

When considering employing an electrician contractor, it is important to do some basic checks before making a decision. This does not have to be a complex procedure and can be covered by just some simple questions. In this article we take a look at “What are 5 questions that you should ask before hiring an electrician?”

1. Are you Licensed?

Any electrician who works on your home must be appropriately licensed in the state in which you live. Work carried out by an electrician who is unlicensed may not comply with state or local building codes or inspection standards, depending on the nature and extent of the project.

Licensed residential electricians are required to have either a Journeyman license or a Master Electrician license. This is despite the fact that the specifications may differ significantly from one state to the next. The sole distinction between them is the number of years they have spent working. A valid Electrical Contractor license will be required for every organization that provides electrical contracting services.

2. Will This Job Need a Permit?

Fan installs or replacing old light fixtures are examples of projects that, in most cases, will not need a permit or inspection. The rewiring of a complete home, the installation of a backup generator, an Electrical box replacement, are different. They almost always need a permit and a visit from a state inspector.

If your project is complicated enough that it needs a permit, the electrical contractor that you employ should manage the process of getting the permission and having it inspected.

3. Do You Have References?

The provision of references is almost on par with the acquisition of a license. If a candidate’s previous customers are raving fans of their work, you should strongly consider hiring them for your company. References and feedback from previous customers are extremely crucial aspects to take into consideration!

If you are having second thoughts about selecting an electrical contractor, try talking to their references. Reading through any evaluations they have received in the past might help you feel more relaxed with your choice. These evaluations will inform you about the personality of the individual you are considering employing as well as the quality of the job that was completed.

4. Who exactly is going to be doing the work?

Apprentice, Journeyman, and the supreme level of Master Electrician are the three degrees of certification available for those working in the electrical industry.

 Apprentice Electrician

The first stage in the process of becoming an electrician is to participate in an apprenticeship program. In the majority of states, applicants are required to have a diploma from high school or an equivalent. Apprentices often go in several hundred hours of classroom time prior to joining a commercial electrician firm.

Journeyman Electrician

After the apprenticeship program has been successfully completed and all requirements satisfied. The apprentice is eligible to take the examination to step up to become a journeyman electrician. They then get a license from the local, state, or federal licensing organization.

Acquiring a certification not only gives you the ability to work on their own, but also gives them the credentials necessary to instruct new journeymen electricians.

Master Electricians

The highest degree of electrical qualification is Master Electrician, with criteria varied by state.

Most states need around 4,000 hours working as a Journeyman, followed by a licensure test to demonstrate detailed knowledge of the National Electrical Code. Finally, Master electricians work on the most complicated commercial and industrial projects. They have the knowledge to instruct Journeymen electricians to do so as well.

It is not unusual for homeowners to discuss a project with an electrician who has a high level of expertise. They then learn that the job is being carried out by an individual with a far lower level of expertise. Be sure to ask who will actually do the job.

5. If there are any associated repairs, whose responsibility, are they?

The great majority of the electrical components that are located all over your house are, for the most part, concealed between the walls and the ceiling. This means electrical wiring is notoriously difficult to see. It is possible that in order for your electrician to complete the work, he may need to create access holes in the drywall. This is something that should be considered. Make sure that you have a full understanding of the amount of work. Additionally, how much will need to be done by the electrician, as well as the procedure that will be used to fix it (or if it will be mended at all).

Because electricians are not often qualified to work on drywall, it is likely that you will need to make separate arrangements to have the drywall repaired. This is because electricians are generally not certified to operate on drywall. This is due to the fact that electricians often do not possess the necessary skills to operate on drywall. These particulars should be included into the employment contract as quickly as is humanly feasible in order to ensure that everything is understood.