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September 1, 2019Questions To Ask when Hiring An Electrician
Hiring an electrician should not be taken for granted. You need to make sure that you have hired the best and most experienced electrical technician there is. Electricity is one of the most dangerous utilities and thus safety of the homeowner should be prioritized. It is important to note that electricity is the leading cause of house fire. More than professionalism is required while working on it. A bogus electrical technician could bring more harm and thus you must make sure that you have only hired the best. These are 9 main questions to ask when hiring an electrician.
• Are you licensed?
This should be the first question to ask an electrician when they appear for the job. Having a license is an indication that the electrical technician has been certified to operate by responsible local authorities. It is a certification proving that they have been tested and found capable of handling electrical tasks. It is advisable to avoid hiring unlicensed electrician since they might be unqualified to handle most of the task professionally. Choose the right electrical technician for the job since there are different licenses for a variety of tasks.
• Do you have insurance?
Being insured is a crucial requirement for any contractor and this includes the electricians. You must ask the electrician if they are insured before they can start with the task. The cover should protect the workers and also protect you as the consumer. If the electrical technician is insured, they will be responsible for any monetary responsibility if an accident occurs and someone gets hurt during the operation. If goods get damaged or theft occurs while the contractor or the electrician is in operation, the insurer will replace them without any expenses.
• What kind of work do you do most or their specialties?
You need to ask the electrician what kind of work they have been doing. What are they specialized in? This question will help in determining the suitability of the electrical technician in handling the task at hand. The electrical field is vast and each electrical technician must have an area that they are best in delivering. If you have a problem with the installation problem, then you need to go for an electrician that has vast experience in installation. If it is electrical equipment that has a problem, then you need to hire an electrician that has been repairing or fixing related equipment.
• Ask for references
To ascertain that the electrician is indeed legit in their work, you need to ask for references. They must have had worked for another client with a similar problem. The reference will also show how they executed the task and if the client was happy with the job. A reference is meant to build trust and confidence in the electrician that they have handled a similar project before and that they know what they are doing. It would also be wise to go through the customer reviews on the if website of they have one.
• Who will be executing the task?
Most of the electrical contractors prefer hiring workers electricians to perform work. The quality of the journey may be inadequate to handle the task at hand and thus, you need to know who is working for you. You need to know who will be working on the task before signing the contract. If the contractor is not the one to execute the task, then you need to confirm that the journey is equally trained to deliver quality work. Ask to see references to ascertain their qualification and wealth of experience that they have.
• Is a permit needed?
For any electrical installation or major repair work, you may be required to have a permit. It will be important to ask the electrician if there is any permit that is needed to execute the job. Note that not many licensed electrician will let you know if they need to pull a permit with the authorities. A permit will be an extra cost to the contractor and thus, it will be your duty to ask them if one is needed. This way you can have the work done knowing that you will not have a problem with the local authorities.
• May I see a work in progress?
It will be wise to have a sample of the electrician work before hiring them. Asking to see a work in progress will help you learn a lot about the electrician especially on how they handle projects. You will know if they are orderly, neat in their work, are they methodical in how they operate and much more. These factors will help in determining if they are the kind of guys that you need to work for you. Once you have been satisfied that the electrical technician can handle the project, you can start considering their suitability.
• What guarantee and warranties will you honor?
Once the electrician has worked on the project, they should offer you a guarantee and warranty of the job done. This is all about assuming the responsibility of the work done for a particular period by the electrical technician. The guarantee and warranty should include devices and other equipment that they buy and install for you. Warranties and guarantees will cushion from possible losses that may occur if the installed devices and equipment are faulty. You should also enquire to know the period that the project will be covered under their warranty.
• What is the service fee?
After you have been satisfied by the answers provided for the 8 questions, the last one should be about services fees. You need to select the most affordable electrical technician without compromising on the quality of job to be delivered. The service charge is tricky to many since most would go for the lowest charging electrician who most of the time offers poor services. Go for the best charging electrical technician whose quality of work is guaranteed based on the previous project handles.
These are the main questions that you should ask any electrician before hiring them. They form a basis of crucial information collection that will determine the suitability of the electrical technician in handling the project. Each question must be exhausted without leaving any details behind. Electricity can cause serious damage to property and life if it is not handled professionally. Always ensure that you have hired the best electrician who guarantees nothing but quality.