You need some work done on your home, there is some wiring that needs to be moved and changed and it’s just not your thing. First off, we are glad you have decided to leave it to a professional and in saying that we would like to help you choose the contractor you will have in your home with these simple steps. Here is a comprehensive guide on how to hire an electrician.
Google Reviews
Google reviews are a good space to start, they will give you a good general idea of the companies you are looking into. They should be authentic, there should be at least a double-digit amount of reviews, and be at least slightly descriptive about the company. Now take the google reviews as a grain of salt because lots of businesses will have fake reviews to bolster their image. Look through the reviews and get a good idea of what people are saying, less than 5 stars is still good. If there are some bad reviews, read into what the complaint is and see how the company dealt with it or if they responded to it at all.
Company Website
Now there may be some old dogs out there that are amazing at doing electrical work and have a terrible website. But these days a good online presence is a sure sign of the quality of the company you are looking into. Websites are our businesses’ presence online after all, so how does their business look? Do they look organized and up to date? Is their messaging clear? An electricians website should give you a clear idea of what services they offer, who is part of the company, and in some cases even a portfolio of their past work.
Ask your contractor
A ton of business is gained from referrals, and in most cases a referral turns out to work out great. Contractors work with sub-trades (electricians, plumbers, finishing carpenters, painters, etc.) all the time. They usually develop a strong relationship with their sub-trades over many jobs, so you can usually trust that when you get a referral from your general contractor you will be getting pointed in the right direction.
Get multiple quotes
Now if you are at the point where you have met an electrician, or even talked with them on the phone about your project briefly, you should be starting to develop an understanding of the kind of company you are about to work with. Now they may knock it out of the park right away and have you feeling confident that they are going to be good to work with. However, if you are feeling unsure about their pricing or knowledge it’s best to get another quote. Getting in touch with another electrical company and having them out will only set you back a couple days, but after meeting them you will have a clearer idea of who you are hiring. The other company may have a totally different opinion about your project, or a much clearer presentation style, whatever it is, meet a few contractors before you sign the bottom of the quote.
Check local sources
Most communities have lots of local resources that will list or review local businesses. In our area we have sites like KelownaNow who list local businesses as well as do yearly awards to the highest rated businesses for different categories. This is an awesome resource as it is based on actual people in the community voting for their favorite businesses. Now keep in mind that most of these lists are just a paid advertisement for businesses, so they may not be based on actual feedback from the community.
Another great resource is local buy/sell websites. Here we have Castanet.net and you can find tons of local contractors. But we highly recommend using the other tips in this article to follow-up on a business you find on there as it is one of the more common places for not so serious contractors to advertise.
Check trade resources
In electrical we have a few central trade resources that are a great place for looking for contractors. Websites like Fortis’ Trade Ally Network and Technical Safety have lists of electricians in your area. For these sites, companies must submit information about themselves and have proof of electrical licensing. So, when you find an electrical contractor on these sites you can be more sure that they are going to be professional and a good fit for your project.
More information
What can an electrician do? Check our article, click here.
Looking to get in touch with us? We would be happy to help you. Check out our company website here.
Summary
It can be a daunting task choosing an electrician, after all it’s not something you do every day. Hopefully this article has helped you make a confident decision on who to hire. If you would like some more information here is a link to the Technical Safety BC directory of licensed electricians in British Columbia.
You want to make sure you have hired the best electrical company for your home. Check out our article what is the difference between a good electrical company and a bad electrical company for more information.
