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Electrician Shopping - 6 Steps to Choosing the Right Electrician

 When you are considering an electrician, look for someone with whom it is possible to form a long-term relationship. It's going to save you a lot of time and money when you can find someone whom you trust to get the job right the first time and give you the proper price. Step 1 1) Find Recommended Companies You can get recommendations for electricians from others who live nearby. You may also search on-line for electrician Los Angeles or electrician Burbank, etc. If you add the term reviews to your search, you can look over company reviews. Another approach would be to search websites that feature reviews. Reviews appear on many websites including Google Places, Yelp.com, AngiesList.com, and CitySearch.com. AngiesList.com is a great source of recommendations for contractors but takes a small annual membership fee. On AngiesList, you can see how customers rated their contractors, including electricians, and details of how their jobs went. When looking at customer reviews, have a look at the big picture. Will there be one bad review among the many good ones? Is it just a grumpy customer? Is there an organization reply that clears things up or says that it has corrected its employee? After you have three roughly recommended electricians, have a look at their websites. Step two 2) Check the Electrical Company Website � Could it be presentable and well-maintained? � Easy to find what you're looking for? � Friendly, helpful, rather than cluttered with hard-sell advertising? � Just how many good testimonials? If the website checks out, it's time to interview the electrician. Step 3) Interview When you talk with the electrician, pay attention to how comfortable you are, including your trust level. I've listed questions that you can ask. If you have already gotten glowing recommendations or it is a small repair job like fixing a broken light switch, you probably wouldn't want to ask them all. But if you aren't talking with a recommended electrician and you're intending a remodel, ask away. � Experience with your type of work � Years in business. Most companies that have stayed in business a long time have were able to keep their customers satisfied. They've also gathered lots of useful experience and competence. � Contractor's License Number � Liability Insurance and Workers Comp Insurance. It's desirable that the company carry at least $1 million in liability insurance to safeguard your home should their work create property damage. Workers Comp provides for health care for the electricians should they be injured on your job. Again, this protects you from liability. � Guarantees. Some companies offer a lifetime guarantee on the work. This wouldn't generally are the electrical parts they install - that's covered by the manufacturer's guarantee. However, the electrician should offer you at the very least a several-year guarantee on labor. A warranty up to the life of your home is most beneficial. � Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating. Require the exact company name that you should look and where city. Sometimes, the BBB use a slightly different name, possibly the formal legal name of the business. � Pricing � Website address if you don't already have it � Names and contact info for five clients Take notes on all this, particularly the License Number. If you decide to go ahead, you may wish to check some of what the electrician has said. If you decide not to go ahead, you don't need to proceed any further with this particular electrician. But save the notes to enable you to remind yourself later of which companies you've already ruled out. Step 4 4) Look and Listen While you're gathering these details, listen to what's said but also focus on the way the electrician acts and makes you feel. If you meet the electrician, keep your eyes open, too. � Do you like the electrician? � Do you feel comfortable and not under great pressure? � Does the electrician inspire your trust? � Do the electrician and company employees appear to know very well what they're doing? � Do they appear to operate legally and behave ethically? Are https://hi-techplumbingandair.com/ acting just how that you would want them to do something towards you? � Do they return calls promptly? � Are they timely when meeting you for appointments? � Do they pay attention to your questions and concerns and answer them in a manner that is forthcoming and that you can understand? � Does the electrician dress neatly and also have a vehicle and tools that look well-maintained? Electricians who are bidding jobs are on the best behavior. In the event that you already observe that an electrician treats you or others with techniques that concern you, better to find another with whom you feel more comfortable. Step 5) Check It Out � In the event that you haven't already, check customer reviews. The first section of this article gives details. � Enter the Contractor's License Number in to the Contractor's License Board website for your state. See if there are any black marks. � Check the company's rating at the Better Business Bureau at http://www.bbb.org/. Ratings run from A+ to F based on customer complaints made to the Bureau. As a note, an A reflects exactly the same level of client satisfaction as an A+. The A+ is earned by an A contractor becoming a paying member of the higher Business Bureau, which supports the Bureau in its work. Step 6) Call References Don't hesitate to call references. Customers are often happy to give a good recommendation to help a deserving electrical contractor. You can return the favor later should a homeowner call you. Ask: � How did your job go? � Was your job done right the first time? � If a return visit was needed, was the electrician an easy task to use and prompt? � Was company pricing competitive? � Was the electrician within budget and schedule? � Would you be happy to continue to utilize this electrical company? Speak with at the very least three references. Listen carefully for enthusiasm or insufficient enthusiasm about the electrician. Clients, past or present, may not feel comfortable saying anything negative. Should they express little enthusiasm or say something negative, take this under consideration when making your decision. A Final Tip: Don't Automatically Choose the Low Bid A bid could be too low. How can that be? An electrician may intentionally omit items which the job requires, only to come back later saying that additional work must be done. On the other hand, some electricians may unintentionally bid low through inexperience. Either way, the electrician may require more money to complete the work or may leave you with an incomplete project. Price is important, but judge the complete picture an electrician is showing you -- character, expertise, the simple working with him or her, and overall value. A big part of an electrician's value is that he/she gets the work done right and safely without taking an excessive amount of your time and effort and inconveniencing you. An extremely competent electrician can save you money by suggesting better ways to execute a job or to save on electricity. When you enjoy a good relationship with your electrician, it can save you both time and money.

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