If you are a homeowner and need some electric work done in your new house or even a home that you have lived in for quite some time, you may be confused and unsure as to whether to turn to an electrician or an electrical contractor. Many homeowners believe that the two professions are one and the same and as such they must perform the same job. However, electrical contractors have responsibilities that differ quite a bit from those of an electrician and many of their services are the ones you want to go with if you have a job that needs to be done inside the home. Below are some of the tasks that an electrical contracting firm or singular person can perform inside of your home to make sure your house’s electricity is installed and working properly.
General Job Description Of An Electrical Contractor:
An electrical contractor is trained on how to properly install and maintain all of the electrical systems inside the house. This includes the installation and maintenance of things like the wiring inside the home, the breaker box, all the switches in each room, light fixtures, etc. Electrical contractors like those at American Electric Jacksonville. can work in all settings including industrial, commercial, and residential, and are not tied to one space either indoor or outdoor as electricians are. This means that there are actually several different types of electrical contractors who are skilled in different areas and can do specific jobs in and around your residential property depending on their specific skill set.
Line Contractors:
Line electrical contractors are also known as outside contractors and they specialize in electrical maintenance, repairs, and installations that are down on the outside of your home. If you need big-ticket items like high-voltage transmitters or outside lines to be installed or repaired so that power is evenly distributed into your home, then a line electrical contractor is the person who is going to do that for you.
Indoor Electrical Contractors:
Indoor electrical contractors are going to be responsible for any installations and repairs that need to be done inside of your home. They will do anything in your home that needs to be done like installing switches, outlets, wiring, breaker boxes, and installing light fixtures on the inside of your home.
Integrated Building System Electrical Contractors:
This type of electrical contractor is also known as a voice, data, or video contractor. They specialize in working with installations that are very low-voltage and work to make sure they are efficient, work like they are supposed too, and save energy and money for homeowners. The low-voltage installations that they work on include things like power controls, backup power sources, wifi networks, lighting options that save energy, security systems like house alarms, and fiber optics.
Training To Become An Electrical Contractor And How It Keeps Your Home Safe
Electrical contractors have to go through rigorous training that takes at least four years under a master electrical contractor. This apprenticeship teaches future contractors how to do everything they need to do to install and repair electrical components inside and outside of your home. Electrical contractors like those at American Electric Inc. take years to learn how to install and repair these components safely and up to all the standard electric codes for homes.
Why You Should Look Into Hiring A Licensed Electrical Contractor
It can be extremely tempting to hire someone to do electrical work in your home who is not licensed or certified because they say that they can do the job you need done at a cheaper rate and save you money in the long run. However, hiring someone that is not licensed and insured could actually end up hurting you and costing you more money in the long run due to a botched job or further issues caused by someone who did not know what they were doing. Below are some guidelines to follow when looking for a licensed electrical contractor and why you should hire an electrical contractor that is licensed and certified.
They Are Put Through Rigorous Training And Have To Meet High Standards
Licensed electrical contractors have to go through a long process in order to prove to their respective state that they are able to do electrical contracting services indoors and outdoors safely, professionally, and efficiently. Each electrical contractor must go through a licensing process and when they pass they are given a specific license number that is valid in their state. If you find someone that you are interested in hiring, you can as for their license number or look up their name and make sure that they are indeed a licensed electrical contractor who can benefit you.
They Stay Up To Date With Electrical Codes
A licensed electrical contractor has to stay up to date with all of the electrical codes on a national, state, and local level and be able to recall those codes for memory at any time. When you use a licensed electrical contractor, they can get permits for any work that needs to be done and have inspections scheduled ina moment’s notice meaning that your project can get underway much more quickly. The permits they obtain means that you are guaranteed that your project is installed the right way and all installations and repairs are done up to code. Since they can get permits, it also means that they can turn in the permit or turn in a claim and it is likely that your insurance will cover a large part, if not all, of your project. This means that using a licensed electrical contractor can save you money in the long run!
Licensed Electrical Contractors Are Insured, Bonded, And Have Their Own Workers Compensation
If you hire someone who does not have a license to do electrical work in your home you can open yourself up to a whole mess of financial issues. For instance, an unlicensed person who is working in your home and gets hurt while on your property can actually sue you and make you pay for the damage. Very few unlicensed contractors have liability insurance meaning if there are any damages or injuries that occur during the project, you are the one who will be responsible for paying the bill. A licensed electrical contractor will come with their own liability insurance, workers compensation plan, and will be bonded. Licensed professionals know what they are doing and as such have very few accidents or injuries, but if there were to be any, their proper paperwork would protect both parties and keep you from having to pay for any damages or injuries that could occur.
Electrical Contractors Can Give You A Warranty On The Project
When you hire a reputable electrical contractor like those at American Electric, you get someone who is going to guarantee your satisfaction for a job well done. They hold themselves accountable to you and work to make sure you are happy with the job they have done and will fix any issues that arise as a result of their work. Reputable electrical contractors will also hold themselves to the high standards of state and local authorities to make sure they do right by you, the customer. A licensed contractor will stand behind the work they do and will work hard to make sure the installations or repairs done on your home are done the right way the first time.
