Questions to Ask When Hiring an Electrician

Questions to Ask When Hiring an Electrician & Why They’re Important

It’s easy to just hire a tradesperson or electrician around Newcastle without checking any of their credentials or making sure that they are even operating legally. We often think that for small jobs “what could go wrong?” or that if they were referred by a friend then they must have done some checking so I don’t have to.

It’s very easy to just ask a few simple questions that can be verified quite simply online in a matter of minutes. A lot of people feel awkward about asking for credentials but the truth is a skilled reputable electrician will be happy to put your mind at rest and show off their credentials, after all, it’s what they do and these pieces of information are important and represent their company. Here are some simple but important questions to ask that are easily overlooked, especially in an emergency.

Are you licensed to perform electrical work?

This might seem like the most obvious question to ask since it's a legal requirement in Australia, but it’s surprising how many people don’t. An electrician must be licensed legally, but some are operating on expired licenses or invalid ones. More unscrupulous ones are operating on someone else’s as they have had their license revoked for bad business practices etc.

The most common issue is that there are qualifications for electricians and not all electricians can undertake all types of electrical jobs. It’s a simple question and one that’s easy to verify so do ask.

What insurance do you have?

This isn’t a legal requirement (believe it or not) although any electrician would be crazy to operate without it. Insurance can vary and so large jobs or ones that involve businesses with knock-on effects of accidents or mistakes should have public liability insurance.

things can go wrong and accidents do happen, even with the best electricians and most will correct any mistakes at their own cost without the need for insurance.

When compensation is required for the inconvenience, health reasons or loss of business then this is where insurance becomes vital. The insurance protects both you, and the electrician in case of unexpected things happening.

Can you give me some references?

References are a common way to get an electrician, a referral from a friend carries a lot of trust so we all use referrals a great deal for almost anything. Sometimes though, for bigger or more specific electrical work it’s an idea to get a reference from someone who had something similar done. Small domestic electric jobs tend to be quite simple, but wiring up a factory isn’t the same thing.

References aren’t really the same as reviews as often the review won’t say what it was for or be old. Ask for a reference, your local electrician will be happy to give you feedback from someone who has had major electrical work done recently.

Who is carrying out the work?

This might seem strange to ask, but it’s not always the person you think will be doing your job. Whoever answered the phone or did your quote might not be carrying out the work which is where a lot of unscrupulous licensed electricians will give the jobs to unqualified or not yet fully qualified staff. Assistants are perfectly legal, in fact, they are crucial, being an apprentice is part of the job so being in training isn’t bad, but they must be supervised legally under Australian law by a fully qualified electrician so it’s worth asking.

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Horsell Electrical are the best Electricians servicing Maitland, Newcastle and surrounds. We are reputable, reliable & affordable with free quotes for all large or small commercial & domestic electrical work

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