The process of finding an electrician to complete a job for you can sometimes be a hassle. Often when you need an electrician, you need them quickly for an emergency, so it can be tempting to simply go with the first number you find in the Yellow Pages.
But spending a little time searching for the right electrician for the job can be worth the effort. With a little “shopping around”, and getting an electrician quote from a number of sparkies, you will have a better chance of finding the one providing the best value for money.
The process of collecting quotes allows a home or business owner to see exactly how much a job will cost, as well as the terms of the job in case anything goes wrong.
Here are some quick tips to help you to collect quotes and select the best person for the job.
Get Recommendations and Read Reviews
Before looking in the phone book or searching on Google, the best place to start your search for electrician quotes is with people you know.
Ask your friends, work colleagues and neighbours if they have had any electrical work completed recently. People are more than willing to share their experiences, especially if they have had a very good, or very bad experience. These recommendations can help you to very quickly come up with a short list of electricians who you can call, and, more importantly, who you should avoid!
Once you have a short list of potential electricians to call, the next step is to do a quick online search to see if there are any online reviews for each provider. By simply typing the name of the electrician into Google you will have access to a host of different review sites and local discussion forums where other customers have provided their feedback.
Reading these reviews can help to confirm the advice and feedback you have received through word of mouth, or help you to avoid a dodgy operator.
Check They are Licensed
The next and possibly most important step of the process is ensuring that the electrician is appropriately qualified and licensed.
Working with electricity is extremely dangerous and work completed by someone without the proper knowledge and training can leave you and your family exposed to highly dangerous situations that may result in injury or even death.
Electricians who are appropriately licensed will be more than happy to provide you with details of their licenses, and walk you through the types of jobs they are permitted to perform.
Most states have websites available to consumers to confirm the licensing levels of electricians and they type of work they are allowed to perform. In New South Wales, the NSW Government’s One Gov portal has a search where you can find the licenses for all electricians in Sydney. Simply visit: http://www.onegov.nsw.gov.au//new/categories/contractors-tradespeople and enter the name of the tradie you are researching.
Make Sure They Come Have a Look
Providing a quote over the phone may seem convenient for both the electrician and home owner, but in reality it can be a red flag.
Actually visiting your home and looking at the work required allows the electrician to properly assess the amount of work required, and how much the job will cost. Having a quote done simply over the phone may result in the electrician underestimating the scope of the job and overcharging you at the end of the day.
Get all the Costs
When collecting quotes it’s very easy to just focus on the total cost of the job. But it is important to make sure that any quotes you received are itemised and list the costs of all the parts used and the labour costs.
Having an itemised quote makes the comparison of different quotes easier as you will be able to see where the differences in costs are. If the final cost of the job is more than the initial quote you will also have more recourse as the electrician will need to pinpoint where the costs differed.
What are the conditions of the quote?
Sometimes not everything goes to plan when work is completed. When collecting quotes it is also important to know if the electrician guarantees his work, and whether he is willing to fix any problems with the job.
It’s also important to understand that quotes are not valid for an indefinite period of time. When collecting your quotes make sure to ask how long the quote is valid so you know how long you have to decide.
If you live in Sydney’s North Shore and Northern Beaches and are looking for an electrician quote, our friendly Everest Electrical team welcomes your call on 0410 229 139.