Whenever repair work is needed at home, homeowners often find themselves considering whether they should do the work themselves or hire a professional to do it for them. Some tasks are just too small that they don’t need the help of a professional at all. Often times, however, the tasks that need to be done are either too big or too hazardous to accomplish by yourself, which is especially true for electrical work. That is why you’ll need the help of a professional electrician.

I’m no stranger to this, too. I often thought of doing some electrical work around the house. However, I would also botch the job every time, so I ultimately needed the help of professional electricians near me to save me from myself. The tricky part wasn’t finding electricians near me to do the job – it was finding a good one.

Whether you live in Providence or other areas in the state, you might find yourself wondering where to find a good Rhode Island electrician to do the work for you. It can be especially difficult when all of them claim to be the best in the state. To help you with your search, we’ve come up with a list of things that you need to know before hiring a Rhode Island electrician.

1. Know the nature of your electrical problem.

Before you go off calling the first electrician that pops into your head, you need to first identify the nature of your problem. “But why? Shouldn’t the electrician be the one doing it for me?” you may ask. When I found myself needing the services of electricians near me, there were two things that I learned:

  • There are many types of electricians out there – Rhode Island electricians have their own specialty. Some tend to concentrate on new constructions while others go into general home repairs. Knowing the nature of your electrical problem can help you choose the best electrician to call.
  • Finding the problem can be very costly – Electricians perform a variety of diagnostic tests to clearly identify the problem. Some of these tests can be destructive, especially when they feel that faulty wirings are the problem. When you can pinpoint the source of the problem or the general area in which it originated, you eliminate these tests and they can go straight to repairs. This saves you time and money, as well as from a lot of headaches.

2. Do your homework and verify their claims.

Electricians, or basically every other business, love to make various claims about their business and their work – even if they are unfounded and are definitely untrue. This was often the case with those that claimed to be qualified electricians, even if they never had the credentials to prove it. What’s more, they even claimed to be the best in the area – something that I had difficulty believing. That is why it is important to verify the claims that they make on their websites or their ads by asking them for proof or by looking through online reviews on various sources. That way, you are able to check on their reputation and verify if their claims are true. For instance, one Rhode Island electrician loves claiming that they are always on time and backs it up by offering free service if they’re not. Look for those that are willing to back up their claims.

3. Ask for proof of registration or license to practice.

This goes without saying: never hire an unregistered electrician. This is not discrimination by saying those without licenses are always unskilled. This means that qualified electricians should have a license to practice the profession within the state for them to be subject to the laws of the state. For instance, Providence electricians should have acquired a license from the state of Rhode Island to prove that they are indeed subject to the laws and regulations of the profession within the state. This guarantees you that the work they do follows standards and are guaranteed by the credentials they possess. For instance, this Providence electrician has a UWIN Guarantee and abides by its Code of Ethics.

4. Make sure they perform site inspection before providing a quote.

Electricians that provide service quotations without even performing a site inspection prior to the job either don’t know what they are doing or are sketchy at best. Schedule an appointment and make sure that they arrive on time for the appointed time so they won’t end up wasting your time. This initial meeting not only ensures that they are able to get the best estimate with the regards to the job, but it also allows you to gauge their ability to handle the job as well as the standards of safety that they enforce.

5. Always ask for a quote, but don’t always go for the cheapest option.

Before you agree to hire an electrician, always ask for a quote. This will tell you the details of the job – the materials used, services rendered, prices, and payment details. Just make sure that you received a complete quote and not just a rough estimate. And always check all the details of the job outlined in the quote to find out if you hired the right electrician for the job. Remember that just because they’re the cheapest option doesn’t mean they’re the best. Just like when I hired a certain electrician near me who ended up redoing they did before.

If you’re looking for a reliable Providence electrician, Mister Sparky is certainly the right guy for you. Get a free quote from Mister Sparky today.

6. Consider other services they offer.

Depending on the electrician that you hired, you might also want to consider other services that they offer while they are there. For instance, you may want to have your home checked as a measure for preventive maintenance. Or perhaps you might want to have it checked if it is energy efficient. Spending a little bit more now can save you plenty of money in the future on repairs that could have been prevented now.

So, as you can see there are some important things to remember when  you are hiring an electrician in the Rhode Island area. Keep in mind the above 6 points when searching for the right team for your job, and you’ll be less likely to run into any trouble in getting your problem solved! And remember, if you need a trustworthy electrician that passes all of these checks, you can call the leading residential electrical service and repair team in Rhode Island, Mister Sparky.