HOW TO CHOOSE AN ELECTRICIAN

- Is it presentable and well-maintained?
- Easy to find what you’re looking for?
- Friendly, helpful, and not cluttered with hard-sell advertising?
- How many good testimonials?
- Experience with your type of work, including tenant relations
- Years in business. Most companies which have stayed in business a long time have managed to keep their customers satisfied. They’ve also gathered a lot of useful experience and competence.
- Contractor’s License number. California electricians must have a “C10” (Electrical Contractor) license.
- Liability Insurance and Workers Comp Insurance. It’s desirable that the company carry at least $1 million in liability insurance to protect your building should their work create property damage. Workers Comp provides for medical care for the electricians should they be injured on your job. Again, this protects your building from liability.
- Guarantees. Some companies offer a lifetime guarantee on their work. This wouldn’t generally include the electrical parts that they install – that’s covered by the manufacturer’s guarantee. However, the electrician should give you at least a several-year guarantee on labor. A guarantee up to the life of your building is best.
- Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating. Ask for the exact company name that you should look up in the BBB and in which city. Sometimes, the BBB will use a slightly different name, possibly the formal legal name of the company.
- Pricing
- How jobs are billed and the electrician’s billing cycle
- Website address if you don’t already have it
- Names and contact info for five clients, preferably apartment or other property managers
- Do you like the electrician?
- Do you feel comfortable and not under pressure?
- Does the electrician inspire your trust?
- Do the electrician and company employees seem to know what they’re doing?
- Do they seem to operate legally and behave ethically? Are they acting the way that you would want them to act towards you?
- Do they return phone calls promptly?
- Are they timely when meeting you for appointments?
- Do they listen to your questions and concerns and answer them in a way that is forthcoming and that you can understand?
- Does the electrician dress neatly and have a vehicle and tools that look well-maintained?
- If you haven’t already, check customer reviews. The first section of this article gives details.
- Enter the Contractor’s License Number into the California Contractor’s License Board website. Here’s the page: California Contractor’s License Board. See if there are any “black marks.”
- Check the company’s rating at the Better Business Bureau. Ratings run from A+ to F based on customer complaints made to the Bureau. As a note, an “A” reflects the same level of customer satisfaction as an “A+.” The “A+” is earned by an “A” contractor becoming a paying member of the Better Business Bureau, which supports the Bureau in its work.
- How did your job go?
- Was your job done right the first time?
- If a return visit was needed, was the electrician easy to work with and prompt?
- Was company pricing competitive?
- Was the electrician within budget and schedule?
- Would you be happy to continue to use this electrical company?