A Checklist for Hiring an Electrician for your new home

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Hiring a good electrician is an important decision that can affect the value of your home or business. If you choose poorly, you may downgrade your investment. If you choose wisely, you will improve your investment. Not to mention that if you don’t hire someone who is qualified for the job and carries all the necessary licensure required by your state, you may be breaking laws, or at the very least, you could be putting yourself at risk for future electrical repairs and even electrical fires.

Let’s review the electrical checklist you should use when hiring an electrician.

1. What are the requirements of a qualified electrician?

Each state has its own requirements regarding licensing, so check your area’s rules before hiring an electrician. In most cases, electricians will need formal education, on-the-job training, and an apprenticeship before they can practice on their own. Most states also require electricians to continue education throughout their careers to stay up to date on building codes and safety protocols. While your contractor may have one he prefers you can always make suggestions for other local electricians.

Vocational school training

Find an electrician who has completed a program at a technical college or vocational school specializing in training electricians.

What are the Electrician Career Levels?

Apprentice

To get their first job experience, electricians who have a high school diploma can apply for an apprenticeship. An apprenticeship is the first step to becoming an electrician.

Journeyman Electrician

A journey-level electrical contractor can be certified to work in all specialties, including industrial and commercial. An electrician must have completed thousands of hours of training under the guidance and supervision of a journey-level electrician to obtain this certification. It varies from one state to the next, but generally, it is around 8,000 hours.

Master Electrician

Master electricians are at the highest level in electrical certification. They have a lot of experience. Master electricians can usually move up to the next level after accumulating 4,000 hours of work experience as a journey-level electrical contractor. This is equivalent to two years of full-time employment. Some states require master electricians to pass a test.

2. How do you decide which Electrician to hire? 

Just like we advise when interviewing for your general contractor you should follow similar steps when hiring your expert electrician.

• Get Recommendations from Family & Friends

The first step you should take when you find that you need an electrician is to ask friends and family for some recommendations. You want to choose someone who has actually done a job similar to your needs for someone you know. By checking the electrical contractor’s Facebook page or Google positive reviews you can see the level of customer satisfaction that they have been providing to past clients.

• Check That the Electrician is Certified

This requirement varies by state and location. You want someone who is certified in general journey level or specialty electrician. They have to have the right education and experience as well as pass exams to be a certified electrician. 

• License, Insurance & Registration 

Before you even bother interviewing someone, check to see if they have their electrician’s license, are insured, and are registered with the right authority required by electricians. If they’re not insured with enough liability insurance and something goes wrong, you may be left to pick up the tab. Also, don’t forget to check for worker’s compensation insurance!

• Ask for Written Detailed Estimates 

Always ask your electrician for a very detailed estimate in writing. Ensure that they not only put what is covered but what is not covered in their estimate so that there is no confusion about what you are being billed for.

• How is the electrical work billed?

Is billing done by the hourly, rate and if so how much? Is it done by the job, if so, how much? How much is charged if surprises come up, and will they warn you if surprises have come up? Understand all that you can about how you will be billed. Tha National average cost for a licensed electrician is $50 per hour.

• Ask for a Written Contract

Always get a written contract that spells out exactly what the electrician is going to do, for how much, and includes all the payment details, including ways to pay. If the contract spells everything out to the letter about what will and wont’ be done, and what is your responsibility compared to the electrician’s responsibility, there will be fewer problems and confusion.

• Pay With Credit Card

If you pay your electrician with a credit card and you find something missing in the quality of the work or that the work is not finished to your contract and to your satisfaction paying by credit can give you a little additional coverage. You can dispute the charge while making sure the work is completed.

When you seek to hire an electrician, whether for a small job or a large job, it is important to follow this checklist to avoid problems down the road. You want to keep the value of your biggest investment, and you can’t do that if you take shortcuts.

Find Local Electricians

3. Questions to Ask an Electrician 

If you are interviewing electricians to do a job for you, it’s important to know what to ask in advance. It’s okay to write down your questions and note what the electrician says so that you can compare their answers with the others you interview. If you ask everyone the same questions, then you’ll be able to better evaluate who is the best person to hire.

Download this Checklist for Hiring an Electrician so you can write down the answers.

How long have you been an electrician?

You want them to have enough experience. Usually, an electrician apprentice has at least four years of experience, so anything less than four years may not be enough experience for your job.

Are you certified and licensed?

You should collect their license number and see their certification. They should happily give you that information so that you can check up and ensure that they’re being honest.

What is the last project you worked on?

While you know that your project is residential, it’s important to find out what the last project they worked on is. Commercial electricians are very different from residential electricians. While both can do the job, you want someone experienced with your type of job.

What type of electrical systems are you familiar with?

This will let you know whether they can tell you something about your own job. They already know what you need since you’ve already talked to them, so they should try to explain to you how familiar they are with your needs.

Do you specialize in a specific type of work?

Again, you really want someone who specializes in your type of project. You don’t want to take someone who is having a slow time of it to do your small project and have something more lucrative come along and they put you on the back burner. 

Do you carry liability insurance?

Of course, the answer to this question should be yes. They should describe the limits of their policy and what it covers to you in as much detail as possible so that you can be reassured that if something goes wrong, you’re covered.

Do you insure your contractors or employees?

You ideally want to hire someone who also insures their contractors and employees for liability insurance because that is the only way to ensure complete coverage in case something goes south.

Are you bonded?

There are two types of bonding; bonding that a contractor can get where they keep a certain amount of money in an account to cover unexpected issues, and bonding of employees to guard against theft. You want both.

Do you charge hourly or by the project? How much?

Understanding how you will be charged is an important aspect of avoiding invoice shock. Invoice shock happens when you get an invoice three times what you expected and need to pay it immediately. You can avoid this by thoroughly discussing how billing will occur.

Can you provide 3 references with whom I can talk about your work?

Even if the electrician was recommended by family or a friend it’s important to get a couple more references that can vouch for the electrician. Getting references from people who had a job like yours completed is best. Do call them.

Do you usually perform your work in the time frame you quote?

By asking this question you can get a double guarantee that they will perform their duties in the time frame discussed. You can follow this up by asking the references if they finished the project on time.

Do you clean up after yourself?

This is important because some contractors are downright dirty. They will throw their cigarettes and lunch garbage right in your yard. By asking them this, they will answer in the affirmative and you’ll be able to hold them to that as the job is being completed. 

How do you take payment?

Some electricians will take credit cards, others only deal with checks. It’s important to ask this question if you plan to pay by credit card, which is highly recommended due to the additional protections you can get through your credit card company.

What is your schedule like? When can you start?

Asking this question can determine if you are going to hire them now. Perhaps they can’t get started for a month, but you want them to start now. Maybe they must start now but you aren’t ready yet.

By asking the right questions you’ll be sure to hire the right electrician for the job. Be sure to interview at least two or three candidates and get all estimates in writing before you finish with the interview. No point in wasting time if the estimates are too high or out of line for the job you want to be completed.

An Electrician’s To-Do List for a home remodel– What it should include

Whether you are building or remodeling a home you will likely need to hire an electrician at some point. It is usually required that any new wiring be completed by a licensed and certified electrician. You’ll be required to give your electrician a to-do list to ensure that they know what you want done.

Every to-do list will look different, but if you are remodeling a house here are some ideas for you to use for your to-do list.

Evaluate Current Wiring

If your current wiring was done many years ago it is likely not up to code for today’s requirements. Ask your electrician to evaluate your wiring and make suggestions on how to make it better. Safety regulations from just 20 years ago are very different from what they are today. This one act could save your entire family.

Check Old Outlets

If your outlets are as old as your wiring you probably need new ones. The plugs become stretched out over time and can be damaged leading to a fire hazard. Plus many old outlets aren’t GFCI outlets which are a lot safer. (ground fault circuit interrupter)

Remove or Add Phone Jacks

Do you still use a landline? Many people don’t, so if you don’t you can have the landline jacks removed, giving your wall a cleaner look or adding another outlet instead. If you do still use landlines perhaps a better version that works better is available today.

Install Different Types of Lighting

Perhaps you want a dimmer switch, or you want lights that turn on and off if someone enters the room to save on energy bills. Maybe you want over head lighting in your office or under a cabinet in the kitchen so you can see well.

Save Energy with Programmable Thermostats

Since you’re remodeling, why not upgrade your thermostat so that it’s programmable. If your thermostat automatically sets itself appropriately for daytime and nighttime you can save quite a large percentage on your utility bills.

Install Exterior Outlets

Do you like to use electrical equipment for yard work such as electric hedge trimmers, electric chainsaw because they are more powerful than the battery operated kind? Then ask your electrician to install convenient exterior outlets for you.

Other Items

Go through your home with pad and pen to ensure that you don’t leave anything off for your electrician. Go in each room and observe what needs to be changed or added. Do you want a an overhead lighting fixture, what about a ceiling fan? Write it all down so you can remember when you create your electricians to-do list.

Your list is going to look different from this list because it depends on whether you are doing a remodel, a new build, or something else entirely. Regardless, it’s a good idea to write everything down so that you and your electrician don’t forget anything. You’ll save both time and money with an electrician to do list.

Electrical Upgrades That Can Save You Money

One home improvement task that all homeowners should seriously consider doing is an overall check and electrical upgrades. Electrical upgrades are a home renovation task that many people overlook.

Rather than waiting until something breaks, burns, or otherwise fails, go ahead and start making these upgrades before they become a problem. These electrical upgrades can save you energy, which saves you money.

Overall Re-wiring

If your home was built 40 or more years ago, you might seriously want to consider having your home rewired. It can be a bit of a pain, but it will honestly be worth it. Not only will your home be safer, but your appliances and everything else will be able to work more efficiently.

Along with the re-wiring, the electrician that comes out might recommend upgrading your electrical service panel as well. This way it will be better able to handle the high output of today’s electronics and appliances.

Re-wiring can be an expensive and time-consuming project, but to improve the safety and efficiency of your home, it is worth it. It will also help to increase the value of your home.

If you are not ready for a complete system upgrade, or your house is not quite old enough to worry about it yet, there are other, smaller projects that can save you money.

Upgrade Lighting

Depending on the age of your house, your lighting fixtures are likely old enough that they need to be upgraded to a newer and more energy efficient versions. Not only the fixtures, but the bulbs need to be upgraded as well.

The typical incandescent bulbs are in the past now. Opt for energy-efficient and long-lasting LED bulbs. They not only save energy and have a longer life, but they don’t burn as hot, which makes them safer than the hot burning incandescent bulbs. Don’t forget you can also add light bulbs that can be controlled by an app on your smartphone or alexa so you don’t have to get up to turn it off! We seriously are living the Jetson life!

Changing up the light fixtures and bulbs will not only help save you money and keep your home safer, but these minor changes will give your home a brand new look without much work involved.

Thermostats

If you haven’t upgraded already, it is time to upgrade to a programmable thermostat. Programmable thermostats can be programmed to keep a comfortable temperature set to your specifications. You can set your thermostat to automatically use less energy during the day when no one is home, and keep a perfect temperature during the rest of the day.

Exhaust Fans

If you don’t have them already, or if they are old enough to need replacing, install exhaust fans in bathrooms and the kitchen. Exhaust fans help keep excess moisture out of the air and help to preserve the life of your walls, appliances, etc. Newer versions have automatic humidity sensors that turn themselves on and off so you don’t have to worry about forgetting to turn them on or off after use.

These and many more electrical upgrade projects can help save you energy, which puts money in your pocket. Some upgrades may even qualify you for federal tax deductions. Speak to a qualified electrician to find out what upgrades can be made in your home.

What to know before your Lighting Walkthrough for New Home Construction

Wiring a new home requires very technical skills. Today it includes so much more than it used to, with all the cable wiring, alarm wiring, and networking that goes on in homes and businesses. Be sure to explain everything you want to your electrical wiring contractor or your electrician to be sure you haven’t left anything out that needs to be wired. Let’s look at the following checklist of where you might need wiring.

• Computer Networking
• Smart Televisions
• Cable
• Lighting
• Alarm Systems
• Water Heaters
• Heating & Cooling Systems
• Laundry
• Kitchen

Go through each room of your house and ask yourself what type of writing is needed so that you don’t forget anything. It is much cheaper to move electrical boxes and wiring when the walls are open. Once the walls are covered with drywall, the electrician’s cost to make changes goes up significantly. 

Hopefully following this advice will give you the peace of mind that you have hired the right person that will provide the quality of work you can expect from professional electricians.