One of the leading causes of fires is due to electrical problems. Finding a reliable electrician that your family or business can trust is key to ensure their safety and maintain daily activities. Moreover, a highly qualified electrician will also ensure the job is well done with reasonable prices.
So how can you find a reputable electrical contractor? Here are 5 tips you should always take into consideration before hiring an electrician.
Tip #1: Evaluate the electrician’s license and insurance.
Even though laws vary by state in Australia, it’s illegal for an electrician to carry out more than $5,000 in labour without a license. Furthermore, if one of the conditions written in the contract says only for contracts not requiring insurance’, it means the contractor is unable to hold an eligible insurance when applying for his license. By all means, the law is created to ensure you are served by a legitimate company so make a good use of it. Cornford Electrics is one of the most trusted firms in Melbourne, they have a team full of qualified and licensed electricians.
Tip #2: Request for a reference from business owners and homeowners.
If you are planning a small project, Yelp is actually a good place to start to gather reviews. However, it’s always better if you go around and ask your friends, colleagues and neighbors. The more information the better your decision will be.
On the other hand, if you are working on a bigger project, ask the electrician for a reference from his previous work. Then, to verify, you should also ask whether you can talk to the referees. If he is more than happy to provide you the information on the spot, then he might be the one.
Tip #3: Verify the electrician’s expertise.
Regarding the references mentioned above, you should only ask for those that are directly related to the type of work you want to be done. There are different types of electricians who specialise in different aspects. For example, home renovation and commercial projects are 2 different things which require different skill sets. Oddly enough, once they have spent a long time on a specific field such as working in construction, they will find it difficult re-adapting to general household work. Hence, determine your specific needs will help you to fire a correct electrician that can deliver and meet your expectation.
Tip #4: Ask the electrician for his working style.
“Professional electricians will not tolerate substandard wiring or installations.” As much as his standard or work, his timing should be accurate as well. Being on time or arrive as soon as possible on an electrical emergency is a critical element you should look at. Besides, you want an electrician that can properly communicate the problems and solutions to both you and his team. This will include coordinating, following-up to assure you that the job is on schedule.
Tip #5: Be clear about the ‘estimation’.
Any project will need an estimation including both timeline and budget. However, you should make it as clear as possible from the beginning. For instance, the efficiency should be indicated by the project rather than by the hour. Let’s not talk about emergency cases, you should take time to closely review the estimate provided. The electrician should be be very transparent. As the project going on, if you have any question, be sure to ask properly so it can save you both time and money in the future.
Hopefully, with these 5 Tips, you will have a good idea of ‘How to find a reliable electrician’.
