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Power Up: A Homeowner’s Mini-Guide for Finding an Excellent Electrical Contractor

Workers In Family Business Standing Next To Van

There are many components to building a new home or revamping a preexisting house. All of these different areas intersect and are worked on by different professionals. Electrical contractors delegate one of the most important jobs by setting you up to the grid and keeping those lights on.

There’s so much that can make or break a great electrical contractor. There’s placement around the home and energy efficiency are just some of the main issues to worry about, but a good electrical job will be done so well these things will go unnoticed.

Electrical Contractor’s Role

There is a slight distinction between electrical contractor and electrician that should be noted. An electrician is an independent tradesperson who works on laying the wires and bringing electricity to a home or building, while a contractor is a company that employs a group of electricians. Contractors both connect electricity, and design and install wiring systems. They get called on for the bigger jobs too.

For complex jobs around the house, you’re going to want to hire a contractor. A professional can rewire and install anything without worrying about safety or damage.

Different Skills & Responsibilities

A job that everyone knows electricians do is wiring. If you need a system built into a new home or to replace a new one, they will be able to handle it. Contractors have specialties to look out for. This means look out for if they specialize in homes or commercial buildings.  An electrical contractor could be well versed in high voltage connecting company buildings to the power grid or low volt work installing wires in a home.

The electrical system for a home includes working with breaker boxes, connecting the wires through electrical piping through the walls and then attaching light switches and other electrical operating systems.

Electrical contractors aren’t just confined to traditional wiring. Internet and cable systems require the running of fiber optic wiring and conduit through facilities. The responsibility falls on them to set up wiring for telecommunications and Internet connections. Any devices connected to the Internet will have some kind of electrical component to them.

Finding a Reputable Contractor

First it’s smart to come up with a budget to determine what type of electrical contractor you can afford and who best fits your needs. There are multiple avenues to finding the best contractor, see at Electrical Connection, some of the best offers in the business.

When looking for contractors, make sure to always compare at least three or more different companies to find a suitable bid. This can help you find out the general price points and weight the options. The selection should be split up between a variety of smaller and larger businesses as they can offer different perspectives.

Consider what the supply costs are going to be by doing your own research. If you’re not careful a company can take advantage of this ignorance and get outlandish returns on cheap product. Find out the cost of materials by checking out a local supplier by calling or emailing them for a full cost.

By comparing this information to respective companies’ quotes, you can see who is offering the fairest deal and will most likely be the best to take your business to.  Whoever gets back to you in a timely matter will be a trustworthy source.

Tips on Getting the Best

 There are a few questions to be asked for any prospective contractor. Always make sure to find out what association a contractor is with, either the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) or Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC). Once that’s settled make sure to check if the contractor is licensed for the potentially dangerous work they’re going to do.

Check to see if a contractor is insured or bonded, protecting both you as the homeowner and the contractor. An electrical system is a fundamental part of any household and if one contractor doesn’t complete the work, you need to be insured. Also this goes back to safety issues as well.  Along with associations and insurance is permits.

All of these are simple measures to ask for and will most likely be presented to you It’s a precautionary measure to ensure quality control. If a contractor is on the right path then there are no problems with asking and verifying all of this information to get the best electrical experience possible.  Once all of this has been taken care of you’re free to get an estimate and commence the work.

Dylan Cole is an electrician who started out as an apprentice straight out of school. Recently discovering an enjoyment for writing articles he is sharing some of his tips with home owners.

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