Advice for choosing the correct electrician for your electrical needs in the North Vancouver and North Shore areas.
When you require an electrician it is generally because something has suddenly gone wrong and needs to be fixed rapidly. When the lights go out, the power goes off, or your appliance fails, you need to be able to call in an electrician at short notice (pun intended).
But finding and choosing the correct electrician in North Vancouver to sort out your electrical issues can be a confusing and difficult job. So here are a few tips that you can use in order to ensure that you choose the correct sparky for your particular needs.
Power to the people
These days, we are all becoming increasingly reliant on electricity. From home heating and cooling, energy-efficient lighting, EV and device charging, to water heating, industrial control systems and appliance installation, if you need the services of an electrician yo need to be sure that they are qualified, competent and reliable.
Even though there are many electrical contractors available in the Vancouver area, picking out the best sparky for your needs takes a little bit of effort and attention to detail.
Ask the right questions
Before you select your electrical professional, ask a few questions about such things as:
- How long have they been in the industry? Your chosen electrician should have been in the industry for several years after completing their apprenticeship in order to gain work experience.
- Have they undertaken the work you require before? Your chosen sparky needs to be experienced and qualified to do specific jobs, so make sure that the work you want them to do is something that they have done before.
- Do they have access to suitable sub-contractors? It is common for electricians to subcontract parts of a job to other contractors if those subcontractors possess the relevant specialty knowledge or experience. So make sure that your sparky is clear about any out-sourcing or sub-contract work that your job may involve.
- Will they be conducting the work themselves or sending an apprentice? Some companies will send a lesser-qualified or experienced staff member to do some or all of the work. Running wires and installing switch box hardware, for example, can be efficiently done by an apprentice or a labourer.
This can be fine if you know in advance which parts of the job will be undertaken by apprentices and which will be done by experienced and certified electricians.
- Are all of their employees certified? Do they have a pool of certified technicians or is only “the boss” qualified? This is vital both for your peace of mind and to ensure that all sections of the job are carried out by qualified operators.
- Do they guarantee their work? All bona fide electricians should guarantee their work. They will offer full guarantees for their workmanship, warranties for any hardware that they install, and post-work insurance for any damage caused by equipment failure.
- Do they have additional service charges? Travel charges and mark-up on hardware can add up rapidly. Make sure that you have these clearly defined before the job starts.
Review their licenses and certifications
Before choosing an electrician, make sure that they are certified, licensed and bonded to perform electrical installation and maintenance work in British Columbia. Electricians need to be licensed by Technical Safety BC in order to legally work as an electrician in British Columbia.
Establish a budget and timeline
There’s nothing worse than those little additional costs that can magically appear on a final invoice. So make sure that your electrician’s quote includes all of the relevant costs. They may want to include an allowance for unexpected costs and this is perfectly OK…provided that those unexpected “costs” don’t spiral out of control.
Also, make sure that your sparky gives you a clear timeline for commencement, work schedules, and completion, so that you can plan for any power outages or disruptions to home or work environments.
Check out their online reviews and testimonials
Nothing gives customers a better feeling of security that they have chosen the correct sparky than testimonials. So if your electrician has great reviews, either online or by word-of-mouth, you can rest assured that you are in safe hands.
Communication is key
Being able to tell you in simple and un-technical terms what is involved with your particular job is the hallmark of a good sparky. So go with your gut feeling: if an electrician makes you feel relaxed about them taking on your job, you can be pretty certain that you’ve made the right choice.
PR Electrical are your go-to guys
Whatever your electrical needs may be, whether they are big or small, require a rapid response, or just to provide some advice about the best electrical options for your home or business, PR electrical in North Vancouver are your go-to guys. Contact them today and let them remove your shorts!