Looking for an electrician? We’ve got you covered! Our guide has a comprehensive list of what to ask before hiring, as well as where to look for a qualified professional.
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What to Look for When Hiring an Electrician
When you’re hiring an electrician, there are a few key things to make sure you ask:
Are they licensed, bonded, and insured?
The last thing you want is a problem to occur with your project, and you to be held liable. You absolutely must hire an electrician that is licensed, bonded, and insured.
An electrician’s license is an important part of making sure they know the fundamentals required to complete a wide variety of jobs.
How much experience do they have?
Do you really want your electrical project to be the first one a brand new electrician tackles? Probably not!
Hire an electrician with a background completing successful projects like yours. This is where word of mouth can really come in handy (more on that later). If you can get a referral from a neighbor who had similar work performed, there is no stronger vote of confidence.
What does their estimate include?
Avoid surprises by getting on the same page as your electrician right off of the bat. If your project involves tearing down a wall, who is paying for the materials to put it back together? These are the sort of details that can result in an uncomfortable conversation after the fact if they haven’t been discussed.
If their estimate doesn’t explicitly include something, assume you’ll be responsible for covering the cost of it.
Want to learn more? Check out our in depth guide on 10 Questions to Ask an Electrician Before Hiring.
Our Top 3 Resources
When it comes to finding an electrician, these are our favorite places to look…
#1: Angie’s List
Angie’s List has developed an incredible reputation for sourcing high-quality electricians (and contractors of all kinds). Their review system highly incentivizes professionals to deliver reliable quotes that are competitive with the market.
With over 10 million genuine customer reviews, you can’t go wrong using Angie’s List to find the electrician for your project.
#2: Yelp
While most people think of Yelp as a resource for finding new restaurants or neighborhood spots, it’s actually a great place to look for an electrician.
Search your city’s Yelp page for the word “electrician” and your bound to find plenty of results for professionals in the area. Browse their reviews to find feedback from customers who have projects similar to yours. We recommend changing the sorting method from the default of “Yelp Sort” to “Most Recent” so you can see the latest customer reviews for each particular contractor.
#3: Nextdoor
The most effective type of recommendation is word of mouth. If an electrician has done solid work for one of your neighbors, there is a great chance they’ll do the same for you.
Our favorite “word of mouth” resource is the neighborhood social network Nextdoor. Most communities have vibrant Nextdoor message boards where you can get recommendations on contractors of all types.
Ask around in your area to get recommendations on who to hire, and just as importantly: who to avoid.
Final Thoughts
Whenever possible, combine these methods to get multiple opinions (especially for bigger jobs). Best of luck with your search!