Looking For An Electrical Contractor? Here’s How To Hire One

Table of Contents

1. Define the Project
2. Looking For An Electrical Contractor to Check Your Building’s Regulations
3. Turn to Your Trusted Circle
4. Do Your Research
5. Interview and Compare Electricians
6. Ask The Right Questions
7. Check That They’re Registered and Have Public Liability Insurance
8. Don’t Rush
9. Draw Up A Contract

Many people dread having to call upon construction services, electrical work, and other home renovation or repair services. This is mainly because finding a trusted professional can be a challenging task.

You not only have to ensure they are licensed, but you also need to gauge their customer service skills before you hire them. Unfortunately, so many frauds have caused corruption in the field that it has become difficult for clients to know how to avoid being scammed.

The risk of corruption aside, these jobs can take time and cost quite a bit of money, and there may be hidden fees written into your contract that were never discussed with you from the get-go.

To avoid all these inconveniences, we have created a guide for you to follow when looking for an electrical contractor. On that note, here’s how to hire the right one for you.

Define the Project

First, map out the type of work you want to be done, be it repairs or new installations. Defining the project will help you in your research.

You’ll be able to get a good estimate as to how long this type of job generally takes and how much it roughly costs. Moreover, it will help you understand what the process will look like.

Will there be parts of the house you can’t use during the project? Does this affect your home’s electricity or water? Will you need to shut anything off during this time? Understanding the precise scale of the job will also help you determine whether you may want to stay somewhere else for convenience.

It’s always a good idea to define the project yourself with some online research beforehand so that you’ll have the requisite knowledge when hiring an electrical professional.

Looking For An Electrical Contractor to Check Your Building’s Regulations

Depending on how much electrical work you plan to get done, and where you plan to do it, you will need to check your building’s regulations first. Make sure you are permitted to make the changes you want to make and find out whether you need to have a permit before hiring someone for the job.

Turn to Your Trusted Circle

Before conducting an online search for a potential hire, first, ask your close circle of friends and family if they have any good recommendations. They will honestly share any experiences they’ve had and can refer you to a reliable electrician or, at the very least, warn you about the ones not to hire.

Do Your Research

If you can’t get a referral, then you need to know what to keep in mind when doing your research. Even if you already have a list of prospects, you still want to check their backgrounds, read reviews, and make sure they’re locally based. Use the knowledge you gained from your loved ones and learn from their mistakes.

Interview and Compare Electricians

You aim to find the best possible candidate for reasonable fees. More often than not, the most trustworthy electricians aren’t too expensive.

Be more suspicious of those who charge an unusually large fee before they even get started. It can be tricky to narrow down your search if you don’t know what goes into electrical work, which is why you want to choose among the best local professionals here in New Jersey.

A great way to determine who the top-rated New Jersey electricians are is by looking at their history with local customers, experience as well as online reviews if they have any.

If they are doing a good job around town, the word will have spread. Another thing to do, once the interviews have taken place, is to compare quotes and decide which ones made you feel like your home is in safe hands. After all, you will need to be comfortable with whoever is on your property.

Ask The Right Questions

You should never simply take their word for it when they boast about their experience; always ask for references. It’s not just about registration. You also need to know how they deal with clients.

Clear communication is a must as you need to ensure the electrician has your vision in mind. Ask them about their plans to start the job and their projected timeline for completion. Have the electrician walk you through the process so you can determine whether their skills meet your requirements.

Don’t forget to inquire about what could go wrong and how they plan to prevent setbacks so you’ll know what to expect. This also helps you get a good idea of how much time it’ll take and whether there will be any inconveniences.

During the interview, delve into the nitty-gritty details to avoid encountering hidden fees and other concerns at the end of the project, or ending up with an unsatisfactory result.

Inquire into who else might be working in your home. Some jobs require more than one pair of hands, and you should be notified if these circumstances occur.

This way you can make sure you have registered professionals in your home, check their qualifications, and ensure the fees and time frame agreed upon in the contract remain as is.

Check That They’re Registered and Have Public Liability Insurance

Before making a decision, ensure that your chosen electrician is registered with a government-approved scheme. The simplest way to do this is to ask for their license. They should have a valid certificate before working on your home.

You can also check for electrical licensing on government websites. Here in New Jersey, you can visit the Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors.
Furthermore, ensure that they carry valid liability insurance to avoid shouldering the risks associated with this type of work.

Don’t Rush

The goal here is to hire the right electrical contractor who can do the job safely and to your satisfaction. You do not need to rush yourself when coming to a decision. Take your time to narrow down your options, and let them know you’ll get back to them.

Don’t hesitate to ask for second opinions if you’re unsure of whether their plan for your project is sufficient. If you don’t know much about the field, it’s even more crucial to get another perspective on their plan of action.

Draw Up A Contract

Perhaps the most important tip of all is to be very thorough when drawing up a contract.

As mentioned above, you don’t want any contingencies to pop up later on. So, make sure this contract involves everything you have discussed before the job. Leave nothing out, and have every detail ironed out from extra fees to the start date and expected end date. Be sure to go over what happens if the job goes overtime. Include all your information as well as theirs, from your full names to addresses, and contact information. Lastly, include everything needed for the scope of work to solidify your agreement.

While it may seem like a lot of work on your part, the truth is that going through this hiring process to find the best local electricians will make your life much easier. This way, you can relax once they begin working and just wait to enjoy the final result.

Otherwise, failing to implement the aforementioned screening process could lead to you paying huge sums of money to repair damages that could have been avoided.

Thank you for reading!