The Big Five: What To Ask Your Electrician

It’s always difficult to pick the right electrician for a job. Your neighbor recommends one person, your brother recommends another, a website says this company over here is even better, and you just received a business card in your mailbox from someone entirely different. Who’s the right one for the job?

What makes this question even harder is that while there are many good electricians out there, a few unlicensed practitioners can still sneak in under the radar. Regardless of the electrician, you should know which questions to ask when you’re looking to hire for a job. Electricians should be able to answer your questions if they’re professionals. Narrowing that down further can be difficult, so we’ve prepared the top five questions you should ask when hiring an electrician.

1. Are you a licensed electrician?
This should always be your first question. Licensed electricians are trained to know the proper way to fix any job, and unlicensed workers aren’t. It’s that simple.

2. How much experience do you have?
It’s not entirely necessary for an electrician to have a decade of experience under their belt, but even a few years of experience will tell you they know what they’re doing.

3. Are you insured? 
All electricians should be carrying at least $500,000 in liability and workers’ compensation insurance.

4. What does your estimate include? 
It’s an all-too-familiar story. People hire unqualified electricians who then sneak less work for more pay. Make sure you know exactly what work you’re paying for, and you’ll avoid this headache.

5. How can I keep my energy bills down?
While they’re on the job, a qualified electrician will have useful knowledge about how to keep bills down, how to prevent future bills from popping up, as well as how to optimize your electrical use. It’s a good question to ask and could help pay for your next family vacation.

While these are our top five questions, you should certainly feel free to open up the dialogue with your electrician. You might also ask to see a work in progress, or if they can show you their permits.

At Beco Inc., our trained, professional electricians are always happy to help with any electrical need. We've served High Point, Greensboro, Winston-Salem and the surrounding areas of the Triad for decades, so you know you can count on us. Contact us anytime for a free estimate, or if you decide to use another contractor, we hope these five questions will come in handy.