Every job is a self portrait of the person who did it. Who do YOU want doing electrical work in YOUR home or business?

You might think that choosing a licensed electrician near you would be as simple as selecting the first one that pops up on Google. After all, if they’re licensed, they must be good. But not all electricians are created equal. Nor do all electricians hire good help. Many local electricians in South Jersey put speed and profit before quality and sometimes, this is a recipe for disaster.

When choosing an electrician to make a repair, install a new circuit breaker panel box, a ceiling fan, an entertainments system or lighting, it’s important to do a little bit of research. Shoddy work (and it’s more common than you may think), can lead to disaster. Hammering away for the cheapest price will never end up with the best or safest job.

Step 1: Check objective online reviews. Reviews on Google and sites like Yelp! and Homeadvisor are much more reliable than those posted on the electrician’s website. Anyone can add fake reviews to their own website. Although it’s also possible to get some fake reviews on Google , Yelp! , and Homeadvisor , there will also be real reviews. It’s fairly easy to read between the lines to separate the real ones from the fake.

Step 2: Check the status of their license. Imagine an electrical contractor who has lost their license or has failed to be responsible enough to renew it. These things happen. Here’s a link to the website where you can check on the status of any contractor’s license number in the state of New Jersey CLICK HERE . Make sure it’s valid and make sure it’s an Electrical Contractor’s license and not that of some other type of contractor.

Step 3: Get to know the owner. Visit the website of several electrical contractors and read them. A fancy paint job on their vehicles isn’t a qualifier for quality service. Take a look at their About Us page. Get to know the owners and their philosophy about service and a feel for their experience and their leadership of their team. To see a master electrician’s resume, CLICK HERE.

Step 4: Don’t be shy to request to verify their insurance coverage. Every electrician should have a copy handy of the declaration page to prove the validity and limits of their liability insurance coverage. don’t feel awkward about this. You will gain high respect for your due diligence.

Step 5: Don’t reply upon your friends on Facebook or some other social media sites. Why, because it’s human nature for people to recommend “the best deal” or their buddies in the business. It’s guaranteed you will find someone who says, “I can do that.” or, “I got a guy….” Friend, this is how homeowners and children end up as statistics . Don’t let this happen to you.

You may be interested to know, Joe Ferry, the owner and master electrician at Cobalt Electric is often called upon as an expert witness to testify in court on cases involving electrical contractors.

Taking shortcuts in electrical work can save money. Shortcuts in electrical work can also take lives and destroy property. Be smart. Do your due diligence. Stay safe and stay alive.

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