Completing home repairs and renovations is a task that is often best left to experienced electrical contractors. After all, they have the expertise needed to do the job correctly and efficiently. How do you find a qualified electrical contractor in the Surrey, Langley, or White Rock area?

Find Referrals

You might want to begin your search by looking at professionals working in your area, since they are familiar with local electrical codes, ensuring that the work meets existing standards. This strategy should also make it easier to get a referral from someone that you know, including family members, neighbors, and coworkers.

If you can’t get a referral from someone you know, check out the electrical contractor’s website if he has one. You might be able to find comments from previous customers there. Another option that you have is to stop into a local home building supply store and ask at the help desk. If there is one, look at the bulletin board and see if you can find any information posted there.

Meet with Several Electrical Contractors in Person

Sometimes, it is a lot easier to form an opinion when you meet someone in person rather than simply exchanging email or phone calls. Narrow your choices down to four or five individuals and meet with them to discuss your project. Ask each one to describe how they would go about completing the work and ask for an estimate of the total cost to do the project. Take a few days to go over what you’ve been told by each contractor. Don’t let appearances sway you too much, because the contractor’s skills are the most important facet of this scenario.

What Kind of Questions Should You Ask When Choosing an Electrical Contractor?

Whenever you are in need of a professional, it’s a good idea to ask as many questions as you can in order to get an idea of just how qualified each candidate is. Here is a list of questions that give you an idea of how experienced the contractor is:

• How long have you been an electrical contractor?
• Are you licensed, and what are you licensed to do?
• Do you have any specialties?
• Have you completed any similar jobs to the one that I need?

The following questions provide an idea of how the contractor conducts business:

• Do you have your own crew or do you subcontract the job?
• Is there a written contract?
• Do I need to take out the permits or will you?
• Are you responsible for cleaning up and removal of debris?
• What can I expect as far as the work schedule?

These questions give you an idea of what to expect if a problem occurs:

• Do you provide a warranty, and what are its terms?
• Are you insured? Do you have liability and worker’s compensation insurance?
• What happens if you encounter a structural problem?

Assess the Pros and Cons for Each Electrical Contractor

If you still need help making your decision, create a short list of candidates. Underneath each name, make a list of all of the positive points. Beneath that list, make one containing all of the negative points. This should help you to make up your mind. This may seem like a ton of work, but you will be happy you did your research instead of rushing this and having to pay for it later on.