According to the Electrical Foundation International, about 51,000 home electrical fires happen every year. They result in about 500 deaths and damage of about $1 billion.
This data presents residential electrical contractors as a necessity. They are the professionals who can help keep your home safe from electrical fires.
But with over 70,000 electrical contracting firms to choose from, how do you know which one is right for your needs? Here are five things to consider before you hire an electrician.
1. Experience
Residential electricians are responsible for a residential project’s success.
You can’t expect them to perform well if they don’t have the experience needed to fulfill their duties. For example, an electrical contractor with only one year of experience is less likely than one with five years of experience to make your home safer using residential electrical services such as installing wiring and lighting fixtures.
Hiring residential electrical contractors without enough experience will limit you from getting the most out of your money’s worth. They might not provide quality workmanship or may even create more problems because they’re still learning how things work in the industry.
2. Licensing and Insurance
All residential electrical contractors should be licensed and insured. This protects you in case something goes wrong.
Make sure to ask to see the contractor’s license and insurance policy. You want to ensure that they are licensed in your state and that their insurance is up-to-date.
If something does go wrong, you’ll want to know that you’re covered financially. A licensed electrician means they are following building codes and safety regulations.
It also shows that they take their work seriously enough to get licensed. And having insurance protects both you and the contractor if an accident happens on your property.
3. References
A good residential electrical contractor will provide references from happy customers. Ask the contractor for a list of references and call them.
Talk to people who have used the contractor’s services in the past. Find out if they were happy with the work done, if there were any problems, and how well the contractor communicated with them.
References are a great way to get an idea of what working with a residential electrician is like. They can also give you an idea of what kind of work this contractor does well and which areas they need improvement in.
If the contractor refuses to give you references or tries to dodge your questions, it’s best to move on.
4. Reputation
A residential electrical contractor’s reputation is everything. It’s important to find out what others think of the residential electrician before hiring them.
Look for reviews online or ask around your neighborhood if anyone has used their services before. Suppose they have a lot of negative reviews. In that case, it may be best to look elsewhere for residential electrical contractors who can provide quality work and great customer service at an affordable price point.
The last thing you want is to get stuck with subpar work because the residential electricians didn’t know what they were doing.
If there are no reviews available on Yelp, Google Reviews, or Angie’s List, that’s not a good sign. Try to find another contractor who has more positive reviews.
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Hire the Best Residential Electrical Contractors
It’s important to consider these things before hiring a residential electrical contractor. By doing so, you can be sure that you’re making the best decision for your home and your family.
If you’re looking for more information, be sure to check out the other articles posted on our website. We have various resources that can help you make the best choice for your home.
Hemant Kumar is a project manager at Tridindia with more than nine years of commendable experience in writing about LMS, translation, and IT. His unmatched talent and passion for digital marketing gave him the opportunity to work as a multi-tasking project manager at TridIndia’s sister company, Link Building Corp. Today, he contributes to the world by imparting knowledge on SEO, link building and internet marketing etc., that helps business owners grow their online business.
