You don’t need to be an electrician to know something’s amiss in your home. Maybe sparks are flying, your old washing machine created a power surge or suddenly the lights just won’t turn on or your switchboard just keeps flipping off.
If that’s the case, you’re probably going to need an electrician. Whether it’s lighting, wiring or even electrical safety checks, you don’t want to make a mistake when choosing an electrician. Almost everything electrical has the potential to cause serious damage or injury, so finding the right electrician is important. Safety is your number one priority (ours too).
So without further ado here are our tips on what you need to know when hiring an electrician!
Ask your electrician the right questions
When it comes to your home, and the safety of your family and friends, sometimes you can never ask too many questions; but maybe you should focus on the right kind of questions. Whilst it’s easy to focus on cost, there are other questions that are as important – if not more important.
- Do you have all the necessary qualifications to be doing this work?
- Have you got public liability insurance?
- Do you have experience and expertise in this particular area?
- Does the quote cover all the work, including materials?
- Are there any guarantees for your work?
- Will you clean up when you’re done?
And finally
- What needs to be done and how much will it cost?
Ask your electrician for references
You’ve gone to the Yellow Pages, searched the web, looked at your local flyers – and they’re all looking much the same. You might even look at your electrician’s website or social media pages!
But if you’re keen to find out what the tradie you’re considering is really like to have in your home or office – you’ll need to read their testimonials. Or better still, if your job is of considerable size (or budget) ask to speak with one or a couple of their satisfied customers. Firms that aren’t forthcoming, should be struck off your list.
You might also ask friends and family. It’s likely that someone you know has had electrical work done some time in the last year, so what their experience was like. If it’s a horror story and you’re looking for an electrician in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane – we’d love to talk to you.
Ask your electrician for more detail about your quote
When you get your quote, make sure you understand everything that’s written down – you don’t want to miss anything here. If there’s something you don’t understand, make sure you ask.
Communicate
You want to be on the same page as your electrician when it comes down to the work that needs to be done. Make sure you tell them the full extent of your problem and what you think needs to be done (if you have an idea of what it might be). Follow that up by listening to the solution and getting on board with all the repairs that are necessary.