Hiring an electrician can be one of the most important, yet nerve-wracking parts of owning a home. Why? Your electricity is responsible for everything from your hot water to your lights, to your refrigeration. It’s a pretty big deal. 

So, the electrician you hire for your home should be experienced and dependable. But to be sure you’re hiring the right person for the job, there are a few things you should consider. 

Hiring an electrician should be a deliberate and careful process that involves asking all the right questions. If you’re looking to hire an electrician for your home soon, here are 8 questions you should ask before you hire them!

Are You Licensed in This State?

One of the most vital factors to consider when hiring an electrician is if they’re licensed. Work conducted by an unlicensed electrician is not only dangerous for you and those living in your home, but it is also illegal. Licensed electricians are required to take state examinations in order to be officially considered electricians.

All states usually have their own requirements as well, so regardless of what they might say, make sure their certification is up to date in the state they’ll be performing the work in. 

Do You Have Insurance? 

Insurance is a necessity for electricians. Because the work they conduct can be dangerous, it’s essential that their team is licensed and insured, so that should anything happen, you are not responsible.

This is also important should the electrician or a member of their team cause any damages to your home. You want to ensure that your house is protected if anything goes wrong.

Can You Provide Customer References?

The most telling sign of good customer service and even better service are customer references. Any worthwhile electrician will have plenty of customer references, reviews, or testimonials they can refer you to. Pay especially close attention to jobs similar to yours. 

If you notice that all reviews or customer references are for small repairs and not full installs, that may be a red flag. Communicate concerns with your prospective electrician to make sure they have enough experience to perform the project you need to be done.

Will I Be Informed Before Any Additional Work Is Done or Charges Are Added?

Of course, you always want to ask what your electrician’s rates and added fees are, but you should also make a note of whether or not they inform you before performing work you haven’t asked for. Sometimes inexperienced or unlicensed electricians won’t ask before performing extra work that you weren’t aware of. 

Say they notice a bum outlet or the wiring they quoted as being intact is actually unfixable and needs to be replaced. Will they perform the work without telling you or will they warm you that your bill is increasing? 

Keep a flow of open communication between yourself and your electrician so they know you want to be informed of any additional work or charges not specified in the beginning stages of the process. 

How Long Should This Job Take You?

An experienced electrician will have no problem giving you a timing estimate for your job. Though unexpected circumstances can and sometimes do arise, they should be able to approximate how long this job should take.

If not? They may not have enough experience to do the job. It also helps keep electricians accountable for the work they’re completing. While you may need these repairs or installations, you want to limit construction time if possible. Because as we all know, time=money!

Do I Need a Permit? If So, Who Will Be Responsible for Getting It?

If your project requires a permit, most of the time residential electricians will handle that for you. However, always ask ahead of time so you’re not caught off guard. One way to definitely hold up the progress of a project is by not having permits in time for the work to be completed. 

If obtaining permits would be difficult for you to do on your own, you’ll want to find a full-service electrician that also handles all the paperwork for you. 

Who Is Completing the Job?

When you’re having any sort of work done in your home, you want to make sure that you know specifically who should be working on the project. While you may trust the work of the owner, do you trust their employees? 

The electrician and their team will have access to your home, it’s imperative that you are aware of who exactly has access and how they are screened. While we would all like to think the best of people, a reputable electrician will have no problem telling you if his employees have background checks and the proper training to complete your job effectively.

Is Your Work Under Warranty?

In any home improvement or construction project, you’ll want to be sure that the work they perform is under warranty or guarantee for a certain amount of time after it’s been completed. If your issue returns only a couple of months later despite the work you had done, it may be an installation issue. 

Ensuring that the electrician you hire has an available warranty on their work will give you peace of mind about hiring them and their work. It also demonstrates the confidence they have in their own technicians and skills. 

Hiring an Electrician

Your electrician performs tedious work in and around your home. Asking questions like these before hiring an electrician can ensure that you’re picking the best and most qualified person or company for the job.

For more home and real estate tips check out our other articles like these!