What should you look for when hiring a residential electrician? If you don’t know that much about electrical work or have little experience with electrical systems altogether, you might not know what you’re getting when you hire an electrician. Finding a professional electrician to perform repairs or complete an in-home remodel is not as easy as doing an online search. If you call a company over the phone, one conversation may not provide you with all the information you need to know if you have the right electrician for the job.
Keeping in mind that safety comes first, remember not to try and fix anything on your own if you don’t have electrical experience. Tinkering with the wrong wires or a faulty system can be dangerous. Remember to stay positive when you need an issue fixed and that all hope is not lost. Whether you are trying to complete a home remodel or make repairs, you want the work done as correctly and as safely as possible. And also, whatever the job may be, you want the work to have longevity so you never have to worry about it again. Here are some things we strongly suggest you look for when hiring a residential electrician.
KNOW YOUR PROJECT
Do yourself a favor and conduct a little research online about what it is you need to be done. Try to familiarize yourself with information that is already out there about your repair or your project. If you learn a little before trying to find an electrician, the whole process will be more comfortable and you will know the right questions to ask. Sometimes a repair that may seem like a big deal ends up being a simple fix and relatively cheap when performed by a professional. If you do the research about your repair or work, you are already a few steps ahead in finding the right electrician.
BACKGROUND
When looking for the right electrician, start with their background. Is this a licensed electrician and if so are they a master or inexperienced? You can always obtain information with the electrician’s full name, verify their credentials with the Department of Labor or use the number on their license. Another option is always asking for a copy of their liability insurance. Electricians performing work in Los Angeles County and Orange County will be on record if they are legit, but you have to do a little research to protect yourself. Any professional electrician that has knowledgeable experience will not hesitate to give you their credentials because they have nothing to hide. If you find yourself jumping through a lot of hoops to obtain information on a certain electrician and keep coming up short you may want to rethink hiring that contractor entirely.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Researching your project or repair needs will help you choose the right candidate for the job. When you have a handle on the type of work that needs to be completed in your home you can look for an electrician that has the most relevant experience with similar projects. Some projects or repairs have complex details that require either an immense amount of experience or multiple consultations. Some electricians may not be able to handle a certain job if they discover the issue is beyond their expertise. Some professional electricians operate just on new construction jobs whereas some only handle basic service calls that could be as small as fixing a dead outlet. Electricians who specialize in rewiring usually have a handle on techniques that are needed to assess not only the capacity of your existing circuits but whether or not a new panel is needed or rewires will be needed. Certain residential electricians will have handled similar electrical issues.
In Los Angeles County and Orange County you will want a professional electrician that is familiar not only with a similar property layout as your own, but understands the elements that could affect your electrical system in this region, such as weather or heat or even the type of material that your home is constructed from. The best investigation you can do is to double-check the references and review their prior work history. Remember, it is probably not a good idea to have your friend or buddy that casually dabbles in electrical wiring to try and fix your issue. You need a professional when it comes to dealing with electrical issues.
QUOTE
A professional electrician will always provide you with a quote. They will assess the work up front and let you know all the details of what needs to be done. You want to make sure that both you and the electrician don’t have any surprises when they start the job. An experienced electrician will want to look over the project before they start and will have the knowledge to give you the proper estimate, but make sure you get it in writing or a formal typed-up quote. When the electrician comes to assess the work you can always request to see their license and proof of liability insurance. Make sure you ask all the questions on your mind or what you need to know from the research you have already done. A good electrician will always listen to your concerns and address your needs upfront as long as you make sure to communicate with them.
RESEARCH THE COMPANY
One of the most important things you need to ensure when hiring a residential electrician is that they guarantee their work. You don’t want a tinkerer who claims to be a professional and then when you pay them they fall off the face of the earth. The best way to make sure you get a bonafide guarantee is to conduct a thorough background check on the company that contracts the electrician. Once you investigate how that company hires electricians you will easily be able to tell if you can count on this hire. If a company continually trains their electricians with ongoing programs that enable contractors to learn about new advances in technology and keep up with current building codes and state laws, this is a sure sign that the company is reputable.
Furthermore if you look at the company’s history and they have been around for years, chances are they are not going anywhere any time soon. When having electrical work repaired or dealing with electrical issues in Los Angeles County and Orange County, remember to find a company that has been based in this area for a long time. The electricians will have more experience dealing with typical home layouts such as your own or architecture as well as knowing the weather element pattern. This is all part of the details that go into ensuring your electrical system functions at high capacity and has the durability to withstand anything unforeseen. Chances are if the electrician you hire is contracted or working for a company that has been in business for years with a long history in your area or city, they are not going anywhere.
DON’T FORGET THE PERMITS
Lastly, once you do find a knowledgeable and professional electrician, make sure you don’t forget about the permits. Most of the time the electrician will know the legal code, but just in case you want to make sure you know what the city might have to say about the kind of work being completed in your home. There are many building codes for different cities across Los Angeles County and Orange County. Remember, failure to obtain a permit could cost you big money if you are in violation of any municipal. Do your research and ask the right questions. You will be better prepared for the unexpected and will make things easier on your residential electrician as well.
ACCURATE ELECTRICAL
Accurate has been in business in Los Angeles County and Orange County for years. Not only do we have licensed professional electricians who are knowledgeable about all major electrical systems old and new, but we do extensive ongoing training so our contractors are ahead of the game and know all the newest developed technology. Our electricians are more than happy to answer all of your questions and we’ll always let you know what your options are when it comes to repairs or remodeling. Safety for you and us is our number one priority. If you do have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment for our team to provide you a quote on future electrical work give us a call.
