Electrical Checklist

Electrical emergencies can happen at any time. When an issue arises, you need to make sure you’ve worked with or are working with an electrician with a solid reputation and lots of experience to avoid any headaches down the road. In order to ensure this, you’ll need to work with an emergency electrician who can solve problems during as well as after working hours. Here are some things you need to know before hiring an electrician to come and work on a job for you.

License

The person you hire for electrical emergencies must be licensed by state and governing bodies to allow him or her to work as an electrician. In most states, having a license is a legally requirement for a professional electrical service provider. Moreover, the professional service provider should have his own license instead of the license of the person working under his guidance or the company they are working under. A licensed electrical service provider can confidently provide you safe and high quality services in a friendly environment.

Insurance

The electrician you hire should be insured, as working on electric circuits can be dangerous and anything can happen at any time even after taking precautions. If your service provider does not have a running policy of Liability Insurance to show you, then hiring him can be risky. He can cause financial as well as personal loss to you, your family, or your business, in case of any accident while working on the property.

Bond

In case you are hiring an electrical contractor for your project then it is necessary to ask about his bond. A bond is a kind of insurance cover that assures that the contractor is responsible to satisfy you by performing all the professional duties as per the standards of the industry as he is bonded for it. He will be responsible for the poor work done by him as well as his contracted staff whether it is overload of circuit, poor wiring, broken elements or problem in grounding.

References

When hiring an electrician, he should be able to give you references of his previous clients so that you can contact them to know the quality of services provided by him. Alternatively, you can check review sites to see if they have a good rating. Reputation becomes critical in cases of major projects like doing electrical installations during renovations or constructing a new house. A quality electrician will happily provide you with a list of references so that you can be sure about their work.

Experience

Experience is one of the most important things to look for with an electrician. At Kirkes, we’ve been in business for 70 years, proudly providing the highest level of service to the Turlock, Modesto and surrounding areas here in the central valley. Together, our staff have hundreds of hours of experience, and have seen pretty much any type of electrical install or design requirements you can imagine. That unique experience gives us the ability to adapt to any job as it comes up. The electrician you hire should never have less than three years experience at the least.

Expertise

Many electricians have more experience and knowledge of a particular type of electrical work. Sometimes it’s a good idea to use their specialized training and expertise if you require services in that particular field. Ask your provider if they specialize in certain types of electrical work, and if so, what their specialty is.

Cost & Rates

While hiring an electrician it is important to know about the cost of various types of services. Surprisingly though, cost is not the most important factor when it comes to rates – it’s always the cost based on what you are actually getting. If you find a cheap electrician, but your house burns down, I think it’s fair to say you didn’t get a good deal. Most professional service providers charge for their services at an hourly basis whereas some charge at fixed rate according to the types of service required by you. Both options can be suitable for you, depending upon the type of services you require. It is always good practice to ask for detailed quotation while hiring the electrician. At Kirkes, we will always give you a detailed quote that lists everything you’ll need to know prior to going into the job. The quote should include detailed information about the cost of materials, labor charges and other incidental charges before work begins on your property. Sometimes a fixed rate can be the best option for smaller jobs, but it always varies. Talk with a specialist to get more information based on your specific job and as always, contact us for an absolutely free quote based on your specific needs.

Awards & Achievements

You should also ask the electrician if he or she has been the recipient of any awards or achievements in the field. Being acknowledged and or recognized by others in the area or in the industry can lend trust to customers, especially in markets that are saturated. Usually, there is a very good reason why the company has been chosen to be acknowledged for their work.

Warranty

Always ask about the warranty of the work done by your electrician or his staff. It will undoubtedly provide you peace of mind, in case of any problem during the period of warranty. At Kirkes, we offer full warranties on all of our products and services, though the warranties are different for each product. Contact us for information about our warranties on specific products. Most reputable electrical service providers will offer lifetime warranty on labor on some jobs, as materials can deteriorate with time.

Emergency Service

It is very crucial to know whether the electrician hired by you can provide you services as and when required by you, and it can be difficult to have to wait an entire day or more just to get a response – especially in case of an emergency. At Kirkes, we will report to you on time, every time, often times before the time we’ve quoted, and as our client testimonials show, we always go above and beyond to reach and assist our customers.

In Summary:

At the very least, always make sure the electrical company you work with is fully licensed, bonded and insured. Electrical contractor insurance protects against financial losses caused by property damage, injury, or other common risks related to electrical work. A bond is a type of insurance policy for contractors that guarantees the contractor will fulfill all of the professional duties required of him in a satisfactory manner. It insures that the job will be completed to the standards of the industry. Poor wiring, circuit overload, grounding problems and broken elements on an electrical panel are just a few of the problems that can arise from bad workmanship. Make sure your electrical company is fully licensed, and that their license is current, to avoid problems.