Finding the right Electrician to help around your home can be a time-consuming task. There are some factors to take into consideration such as: Do they fit into your budget and can they complete the work in your time frame. Whilst these might be important questions, it is imperative to delve deeper, after all an electrical fault at home is one of the leading causes of house fires, so you must insure you are hiring a professional and an expert in the field.
Here are some important questions to ask your Electrician
1. Are you Licenced?
You must have an Electrical licence before carrying out any electrical work in NSW regardless of the type of work. By law the licence number should be displayed on all advertising material, including signage and stationery.
If you have any concerns regarding their licence it is important that you investigate this further. The way to find more information and how to look up a licence can be found here. https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/check-builder-or-tradesperson-licence
2. Are you insured?
This must be one of the most important points to ask, when trying to find your contractor. Insurance is essential for all electrical contractors and businesses. Whilst it covers the usual basics like tools and equipment, it must cover damage to property or injury to another person whilst they are completing a job. It is recommenced to have at least $500,000 worth of public liability coverage.
3. Can you provide references?
References or reviews are particularly important for finding out background information or how the contractor dealt with previous clients and completed jobs. So, don’t be afraid to ask for a reference or search the internet for reviews.
4. Who will be carrying out the work?
The person that comes along to provide the initial meeting and quote might not be the individual who will be carrying out the work if you choose to give the contract to them. It is important you ask, about who will be carrying out the work, do they have apprentices, will this affect the cost, so you can get an understanding of who will be working on your home.
5. What does the estimate include?
When you get your quotation, it is important that you can easily read and understand the inclusions and what service is being provided. Does the estimate include all materials, labour, GST, any cosmetic repairs following the electrical work? Be sure you ask any questions prior to signing or agreeing to their terms.
6. What special training/qualifications do you have?
Does your project require expertise in a particular field of electrical work. This may mean your job may require data cabling, home automation systems or solar to name a few examples. It’s important that you hire the right contractor for the job. They might be able to refer you to someone who they think is reliable if they are not able to carry out the work themselves.
7. What will you guarantee/warranty and for how long?
If a car dealer offers 7 years warranty with a new car, you would instantly think that they stand by their products and are not expecting it to breakdown in that time frame. The same can be said with an Electrician and the products they are installing. Also, its good to remember that any fixture they supply which has been purchased through a reputable wholesaler, will come with a manufacturer’s guarantee. Its also good to have their warranty procedure in writing, to refer to at a later time.
8. Availability
A reliable electrician will be honest with their schedule. Booking in that initial meeting will give you an indication of what you can expect their overall service to be like. So, if you are wanting to get your project completed within a certain time frame, you need to find out if they can meet your deadline. Finding a local electrician, can really come in handy if you ever require urgent assistance.
When you make your choice, you should be confident in the knowledge that you have completed your research, you are happy with your choice and that a licensed, insured Electrician will be carrying out your work. At Powered Electrical & Data we are here to help. We a family owned and operated business servicing Newcastle and the Hunter region. To meet with one of our highly qualified Electricians please contact us today.