For most homeowners, one of the hardest parts in any home renovation project is not the work itself but finding a reliable and competent contractor that can do the job right. Knocking down walls, installing a kitchen cabinet, or retiling your bathroom is not that difficult compared with the struggle of finding the right contractor that does quality work and performs at the highest level from start to finish.
You heard stories about bad contractors who tore your kitchen apart and never finished the project that may cost three to four times what the contractor initially estimated. Those kinds of stories are the ones you need to avoid if you want to experience a smooth reconstruction of your house.
To have an idea on basic electrical wiring, visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_wiring.
Everyone knows renovation is very stressful, not that cheap and might involve troublesome surprises like rotted subfloors that are uncovered when the tiles are removed or dangerous electrical wiring or leaking pipes behind the walls. Finding and hiring the right electrical contractor can make a big difference between a lousy renovation project and a successful one. But even for an experienced professional renovator, hiring the right contractor can be very tough.
If you are starting a big and expensive project, you will need a contractor who will look and hire a subcontractor for specialized work like electrical and plumbing. A lot of homeowners with experience in renovation sometimes work as a general contractor when it comes to their home project. Homeowners usually are the ones who hire people that specialize in certain jobs.
While this may save them a lot of money, it may be a waste of time and will mean they need to find multiple contractor searches instead of one, since you will have to find a person that specializes for each smaller job. So let’s cut to the chase and check out some tips that can help you Find Trusted Electricians who can get the job done right.
Know what you need before asking for an estimate
You need to check your electrical plans and get some ideas before asking for an estimate. Don’t start your project by shopping for electrical contractors. You will get a more accurate and reliable assessment if you know what you want to be done and the materials that you need to make it happen.
Ask for references
Friends, co-workers, family members or your neighbors who have done similar projects are the best sources of information if you are planning your own electrical renovation. If you know anybody in the building trade, especially in the electrical part of the renovation, you can also ask them for any advice. You can also ask help from your local hardware stores if they can refer to any good and affordable electrician.
Interview two to three electrical contractors
You need to ask more questions and get a bit of a good bid from different contractors. When you compare proposals, you need to make sure that every bid includes the same task and materials so you can compare them like apples to apples.
Get two to three bids even if you already have a contractor in mind because there are things you can still learn from each interview. Do not be afraid to ask questions and negotiate. While you might do some negotiation and haggling during the meeting, you need to be prepared to negotiate after you get the bids and before you sign the dotted line.
Get the necessary permits
Almost all electrical renovation and repair project needs a permit. A lot of fly-by-nights, shady companies as well as licensed professional electrical contractors will suggest that you can do any repair and renovation without permits to save a lot of money.
Not only it violates your city or state laws and subjects you to any fines that they impose if you are caught, but it will also mean that the work they have done will not be inspected by the proper authorities to make sure it is up to their standard. Be careful of any contractors who ask you to get all the necessary permits that are the contractor’s job. Jobs that don’t have licenses can also cause a lot of problems when it is time to sell your property.
To know more about different permits you need when you are doing a house renovation, click here.
And lastly, do not make the final payment until you know the job is 100% complete.
Contractors are notorious doing a half-finished job and then moving on before they finish the final details. Do not make the final payment until you are sure of all the detail and completely satisfied with their work and have all the lien receipts and releases.