Don’t cut corners on electrical work. Hire a qualified electrician familiar with the type of work you want done.
Faulty wiring is a fire waiting to happen. That’s reason enough to hire an experienced electrician, but not the only one. Although wiring might seem like a black-and-white proposition, either the light goes on or it doesn’t, it’s actually a vast interdependent network.
Circuits that are otherwise safe but poorly designed can damage appliance motors and electronic gear because they deliver the wrong amperage. Lights on even partially overloaded circuits can flicker when an appliance is in use, or the breaker may trip or the fuse might blow, shutting down the circuit entirely. Hiring an experienced electrician can help you avoid these problems.
Electrician Qualifications
Finding a qualified electrician is easier than finding the right carpenter or plumber. You can assume a certain level of competence when an electrician shows you his state license, but there are two degrees of pro to consider.
- Master Electrician: Has passed a standardized test and has at least two years of experience under his belt. He knows the National Electrical Code and any modifications that your state has made to it. He is qualified to plan, design, install and maintain an electrical system for your project.
- Journeyman Electrician: Hasn’t qualified for a master’s license, but he too is licensed by the state. (Some states require journeymen electricians to work with a master electrician.) By law, he cannot design systems but can install wiring and equipment.
There’s another layer in the safety net. Most electrical work requires a permit issued by your local building department. Before the building inspector can sign off on the work, the inspector must take a look at it to see if it’s up to code.
Picking The Right Electrician
Electricians tend to specialize. Some concentrate on new construction, some just in commercial work, and some go only on service calls to fix dead outlets or faulty fixtures.
Those who specialize in remodeling have mastered techniques for wiring existing homes and additions, such as snaking wires through finished walls, assessing the capacity of existing circuits and evaluating whether to install an additional service panel (where the circuit breakers are) to handle increased power demands.
Most general contractors have a short list of dependable electricians, but if your contractor can’t recommend one, check with the local home-builders’ association or an electrical- supply house in the area for a recommendation. Be sure to tell them the type of work you are doing so they can properly match the pro to the job.
When interviewing an electrician, ask to see a copy of his state license as well as proof of insurance. Make sure both are current. An electrician working on a typical residential-remodeling job should carry a minimum of $500,000 in liability insurance and workers’ compensation coverage for himself and his crew. If everything seems up to snuff, check references and look over a previous job.
Judging Work Quality
Though it takes a trained eye to spot an electrician’s mistakes, you can eliminate some names from your list based on the neatness of their work. As a rule, a job that isn’t neat probably isn’t safe.
If you can get access to a site, find a place where a number of wires run together, usually near the service panel. Romex, the flat, white plastic-sheathed cable common to most residential wiring, should run to the service panel in a neat, orderly way. If cables are crossed and jumbled, or if they droop from joist to joist, the electrician is neither doing a methodical job nor exhibiting the care essential to wiring a home safely.
This is not nitpicking. Cables that merge at the service panel in an orderly way make it easier for the electrician to match the cable with the correct circuit breaker.
In the living area, the cover plates on switches and outlets should be plumb and square to the wall and lie flat against the face of the wall. If they don’t, the electrician did not take the time to set the utility box (the box behind the wall that holds the outlets or switches) squarely against the studs and the proper distance back from the wall. If the work looks sloppy, go instead with an electrician who pays closer attention to detail.
In my area, homeowners pay a minimum of $30 per hour for a master who works alone, and at least $55 per hour for a master and journeyman working as a team. These prices vary regionally.
Working With An Electrician
For large remodeling jobs, such as additions or whole-house renovations, electricians work from plans generated by the designer or architect. The plans show outlet and switch locations and label fixture types, such as fluorescent and incandescent. Often the electrical plans are drawn up long before you’ve had a chance to pick the light fixtures, so you will have to supply your electrician with this information.
To avoid any confusion, find out when the electrician will need the fixtures. Then shop around to find the products you want – but don’t buy anything. Simply make a list of your choices, including the manufacturer names, model numbers of products and where you saw the fixtures. Turn the list over to the electrician and let him make the purchases.
You probably won’t save any money because electricians, like most contractors, add a markup of 10 to 20 percent over what they pay. But since they buy products and materials at a professional’s discount, the final cost will be about the same as if you had made the purchases yourself.
The advantage is that the electrician assumes responsibility for warranty issues, breakage, defective products and missing parts. (This can save you from paying for a journeyman to run to the store for a missing set screw, for example.) Plus, while shopping, the electrician can evaluate the overall quality of your choices and wave you off low-quality or dangerous items.
As for budgeting fixture cost, you’ll be working from a lighting allowance when shopping. This is the not-to-exceed dollar amount that you budgeted during planning for all your lighting needs. As with any remodeling project, if you go over the allowance when shopping, your contractor will bill you for the extra you’ve spent (the overage). If you stay under the allowance, you get that money credited back to you.
It’s all your money to save or spend as you see fit, but when choosing fixtures, keep a running total of costs and try to stay within your budget. Be sure to account for the cost of specialty lightbulbs, which are increasingly expensive. That way you’ll avoid unpleasant surprises when it comes time to pay the final bill.
I am going to put some three way lights in and I would like to see some information about 3-way wiring.
Is there any school or training center, that you are aware of, to help an electrician/homeowner learn to install his own solar energy system. I am in Palmdale, CA a great place for solar power.
Great info! Thanks for sharing nice information with us.
My husband and I have decided to get some new electric work done in our home so we really appreciate this information on how to find the best one. I like the suggestion you give on finding one that is familiar with the type of work that you are needing. I imagine that that implies that they are experienced and have the necessary credentials to do so. Thanks for sharing this!
Good post . Thanks
It’s easy to justify letting your husband do all the electrical work in the home, it does save money after all. When it comes to something so dangerous though, safety is my number one concern. I would much rather trust the wiring and electrical work to someone with lots of experience, like a licensed electrician.
You want to make sure that the person you choose to do your electrical work will put your safety first. This can be a really dangerous problem, and if you wiring is messed up, you home could go up in flames. Meeting with electricians beforehand and look at reviews will help you decide who is best going to keep you safe, and get the job done right.
To piggyback on McCall Hazelton’s comment, that’s very true, safety is of the utmost importance (otherwise, as she stated, what’s the point if your home winds up catching fire?)
It’s also good to ask the electrician to provide a list of references and past/current clientele so they can vouch for their work. Also, it’s good to do a license look up for that electrician to make sure it’s still active and not expired, as all of their paperwork should have their license number on it.
I found a great resource recently when we were seeking bids from an electrician for a project: QualifiedElectricians.com allows you to submit a form citing exactly what electrical work you need done and connects you to a licensed electrician at no charge. We were really impressed!
Couple outlets need the electric box look at need new wire run on the outside for a camper.
I need an electrician to help with some wiring that I’ve had mice chew through in my basement. The mice themselves are gone now, I got a pest control service to get them out and insulate the place, but the wiring itself is a mess down there and I don’t dare touch it myself. Getting someone who has a state license will definitely be important, especially as the work is so extensive that unlicensed electrician likely won’t be able to handle all of the replacement and testing that needs to be done.
It’s very, very important to make sure you’re hiring a qualified electrician with the right credentials for the job. I recently hired an electrician for an electrical remodeling project in my home and I made sure to do my research beforehand! He clearly had my safety in mind!
It was helpful that you pointed out that when interviewing the electrician we need to ask for their state license and proof of insurance. I’ve been looking for an electrician to fix some wires on the wall and this article really helped to know what kind of electrician I need to look for and what I could expect from them. Thanks for the tips I’ll keep them in mind!
Although it might seem more or less easy, hiring an electrician from among diverse options available, in actuality, is a challenging endeavour. I have ended up with an amateur many times, who had done nothing but wasted my money. Well, this write-up is truly a lifesaver. The author has specified tips, following which we can always pick an experienced, efficient, and reliable electrician.
Very informative article, your tips are great. Thank you so much for sharing this article with us.
Thank you for sharing superb information regarding HOW TO HIRE AN ELECTRICIAN FOR YOUR HOME. Your post is so cool and it really helped me.
Glad to hear it, Lucas! Please share this link with your friends if you think it’d help them. 🙂
My husband and I are wanting to get a ceiling fan installed in our living room because it has been getting really hot during the night when we’re all in there, and we want to find ways to cool it down. We’ll make sure to keep this information in mind as we search for an electrician.
Thanks for mentioning that we need a copy of their license when interviewing an electrician. Did NOT think of that.
My husband and I are wanting to get LED lighting installed for our home in the next couple of weeks so that we can be more energy efficient.
We’ll def. keep this information in mind as we search for an electrician!!!
Last week I was talking to my boss about my job, and he offered me the option of working from home. I love this idea because my commute to work is about thirty minutes, but I’ll need to get some data cabling wired in my home. I will follow your advice to look for an electrician who has proof of insurance and a copy of their state license.
Working from home is quickly becoming a trend, Rosie. And it looks like this one is here to stay!
We’re glad this information helped.
Thanks for your tips on how to choose an electrical contractor!!! Since the house is ALMOST done with construction, I’m planning to get the wirings done immediately so that contractors can begin with the interiors. With that considered, I shall then follow your advice to seek a copy of his state license and proof that his insurance covers a $500,000 minimum of liability insurance.
We’re glad you found this article useful, Victoria! Thanks for being a frequent commenter. We appreciate hearing about your home’s construction and we’re glad to hear the project’s almost finished. 🙂
I need to have my living room wired, so I’m going to need to hire a residential electrician for the job. Thanks for these tips on what to look for!
Glad to hear you enjoyed this content! Please share it with friends — that’s how we’re able to create similar content.
One of the things that I don’t like about my bathroom is that it’s too bright for me when taking a shower when I just woke up. Perhaps a light fixture that can have different settings for brightness and dimness would be a good modification to have.
That’s a common problem, Alice. Lots of folks are visiting The Home Depot for better task and accent lighting in the bathroom.
Good luck choosing the best lighting for your home. 🙂