Most people wait until a breaker trips and the lights go dark before they start looking. That’s exactly when bad decisions happen. If you take thirty minutes to understand a few key questions before you call, you won’t get burned.
Licensing & Insurance Questions
Ask for their license number right away. Every state has a board you can look it up on in five minutes. If they hesitate or say they don’t have one, hang up. For insurance, ask for a certificate of liability and workers’ comp. If they aren’t insured and someone gets hurt on your property, you’re the one paying medical bills. A handyman with a van and a multimeter is not an electrician. Verify first, hire second.
Experience & References Questions
Ask what kind of work they do every day. Someone who only changes light fixtures might struggle with a panel upgrade. Ask for three recent jobs similar to yours. Call those references. Don’t just check the name—ask if the job came in on budget, if they cleaned up, if the work passed inspection. Also ask how long their average crew member has been with them. High turnover means you’re getting whoever showed up that morning. That matters.
Pricing & Timeline Questions
Get a fixed price in writing before any work starts. Hourly billing with no cap is a blank check. Ask what the price includes and what it doesn’t—permits, materials, cleanup. For timeline, ask how many days they actually need on site, not how many weeks until they can start. A good operator tells you when they’ll start and when they’ll finish. If they dodge both, move on.
Contract Questions
Read the whole contract before you sign. Look for scope of work—exactly what they’ll do and what materials they’ll use. Check the payment schedule. Never pay more than a third upfront. Make sure there’s a clause about permits and inspections. If the contract says “cost plus” or “time and materials,” ask them to change it to a fixed price or walk. A contract that protects them more than you is not a partnership.
Stop guessing—compare local electricians on RatingsNearMe before you let anyone touch your panel.