Finding just the right electrician to service your home’s electrical system can be a daunting and often frustrating task. But there are a few simple things a homeowner can look for when making the decision.
When choosing an electrical contractor it is important to make your choice carefully.
There are a few things to look for when making the decision:
1) Make sure that the electrical contractor company and the electrician himself are both licensed. For example in the State of Texas an electrical contractor is required to be licensed. For the contractor to get the license, specific requirements must be met. One of the requirements is general liability insurance. This is very important. In the event of a mishap at your home, you would be protected by the contractor’s liability insurance.
2) Is an actual master electrician working at the company? There are a few master electricians that will sell their license to a company without one. This is illegal, but all too common. What do I mean by sell? Say a journeyman electrician wants to open his own company. Legally he can’t. You have to have a master electrician’s license to get a contractor’s license. So the journeyman calls up his buddy who has the master’s license and says, “Hey I’ll give you $500 if I can use you as my master.” The master says, “Sure thing, just bring me the form and I will sign off.” It’s that simple, bam-the inexperienced journeyman is now an electrical contractor! Beware of these companies.
3) If the prospective company passes the license criteria, then the next thing is to look for references. In this day and age you can learn a lot by “Googling” the company name. Take a look and see, are most of the comments positive? How about the company’s website, do they offer a list of references? If they do, by all means pick up the phone and call a few. You may be surprised to find out what you learn.
- Unlicensed Contractor Parked in a Driveway
4) Another criterion is to find a company that uses background screening before hiring employees. Do you really want a child molester or a convicted felon in your home? A reputable contractor will not hire a convicted felon-there is just too much liability involved. If the company is concerned enough to background screen its employees it is likely that they are drug tested as well. These are two very important factors in my book.
5) Last but not least when the contractor drives up to your home, he should be in a clearly marked, well maintained vehicle. If they drive up in a beat up pickup that hasn’t been washed in a year this is a direct reflection upon their character. The electrician that knocks on your door should be clean, well-groomed, and dressed in a company uniform. If they are not I would send them away and look for another contractor.
By following these simple steps, you can rest assured that you will find a trustworthy and dependable electrician with whom you can establish a relationship for years to come.
