3 Keys To Hiring An Electrical Contractor
Contrary to popular belief, not all electrical contractors are dishonest or greedy. However, there are bad people who happen to have chosen contractor work as their profession. The unfortunate truth is that when a few wicked people take advantage of homeowners, the issues become so catastrophic that it makes every homeowner too nervous to trust anyone working on their home. The main reason that people get fooled by shady workers is simply because of their lack of knowledge. When working with electrical contractors, here are a few simple things to keep in mind that will help you spot the true gems out of the dangerous fog.
Proper Licensing
Electrical licenses are extremely important and varied. A heating and air company could tell you it has an electrical license. However, it may be leaving out that it has a limited license, which only allows its workers to do low voltage work. Electrical contractors can plug in the air conditioner, but if you are doing a new home construction, they cannot legally connect the unit to your circuit breaker. Find out what kind of license you are dealing with to get a better idea of the company's level of expertise.
Mandatory Inspections There are a large number of home improvements that simply require a bit of wiring, but may also require an electrical contractor to get involved. Particularly when dealing with gas furnaces, stoves, or fireplaces, it is important to understand how the inspection process works. Both the primary company and the electrician are required to file separate permits for the work they are doing. Once the job is finished, both companies need to call the city inspection office to verify that the task is completed. In a subcontractor scenario, you need to stay on top of all companies involved to make sure that everyone has called in their inspection requests in a timely fashion, or you will be stuck with a useless furnace for weeks on end.
Written Customer Protection There are no do-overs when it comes to electricians. Once the wiring is done and you have spent your money, correcting shoddy work is an enormously costly endeavor. Like any other customer-focused business, you should be able to trust your electrical contractor to protect your investment. If a company truly stands behind its work, and is not trying to take advantage of you, then it should have no problem providing you with a one-year guarantee in writing. If the company does not offer this standard, but do not be afraid to ask for it. Be willing to negotiate the terms, but if any company is unwilling to put its faith in its work in writing, then there is a good chance that that company knows its work will be sub-par.
Resources: http://www.elecleco.com/ http://ezinearticles.com/?3-Keys-To-Hiring-AnElectrical-Contractor&id=8947343
Thank you for reading!