Hiring an Electrical Contractor.

Hiring an electrical contractor can be confusing for homeowners and business owners. Here are a few brief tips that will simplify the process.

  1. Make sure that the contractor that you are hiring is a licensed electrical contractor. In Ontario this means that they have been vetted by the Electrical Contractor Registration Agency of the Electrical Safety Authority (ECRA/ESA). If they are registered they will have a license number and certificate that they should be able to produce. If in question, ask for a copy of this certificate or confirm that they are licensed here: https://findacontractor.esasafe.com/

  2. Confirm that your contractor has at least $2M of insurance. This is required through the above noted licensing process. This also adds peace of mind for you that in the event that something does go wrong, you will be covered. Ask for a copy of the contractors insurance certificate. You can also ask to be named as additionally insured on the certificate. This is a simple process, the contractor can request this from their insurance company and have back to you in a day or two.

  3. Make sure that your Electrical Contractor gets the work inspected. They only agency responsible for electrical inspections in Ontario is the Electrical Safety Authority. There are various inspections required depending on the work you are getting done. You have the right to ask about these inspections and to obtain a certificate of inspection once the work is complete. If the Electrical Contractor tells you that you don’t need an inspection for work other than small repairs or replacements, they aren’t telling the truth. Avoid these contractors!

  4. Check our reviews on Google or other contractor rating websites. Make sure that the reviews are current and that you are satisfied with their rating.

  5. Ask to see a portfolio of the electrical contractors work. With resources like Instagram these days, the process is simple. Make sure that the contractor you are considering hiring is proficient in the type of work you want done. You wouldn’t necessarily want to hire an industrial electrician to do wire your new addition at your home as they may not be familiar with the codes specific to residential work and vice versa. There are electrical contractors out there who are very good at both!

  6. Finally, make sure that the Electrical Contractor is willing to collaborate with you to ensure they understand your vision and to make sure that you are totally satisfied with the final outcome. A good electrical contractor will listen to you and make suggestions on how to improve the plan to ensure that you maximize your space. A good electrical contractor will go above and beyond by doing the small things such as cleaning up after themselves, making sure that the devices are clean and levelled, labelling your panel so it’s easy to understand which breakers control what in your house, etc.

if you have any additional questions, or you are ready to go ahead with your next electrical project you can contact us at the following:

web: electrade.ca

email: jfraser@electrade.ca

phone: 519-648-ELEC (3532)

Here are some additional resources if you are interested:

https://www.esasafe.com/consumers/hiring-an-electrician/spotting-an-unlicensed-electrical-contractor

https://www.google.com/search?q=electrician%20breslau%20ontario

Finished Basements, expanding your living space while adding value to your home.

As the weather turns colder we turn to our inside spaces for projects to complete. While we all know the best way to add value to your home is in your kitchen and bathrooms… this is closely followed by finishing your basement.

You can take the cold concrete and pink insulation walls from a dungeon to the nicest space in your house with carefully selected lighting, power, surround sound and data wiring.

Here is how:

  1. Do your homework. Get ideas of how you want your finished basement project to turn out from places like Pinterest and Google. Share these ideas with your contractors.

  2. Vet out each and every contractor you are considering. Look at Google and other sites to see if they have good reviews. as for a project portfolio to make sure that you are confident in their ability to complete the work the way you want it done. Take the time when considering who you hire as an electrician. They are going to be installing what potentially can be the most dangerous system in your home. Read my next blog post titled Why Safety Matters where we discuss the 5 tips when hiring an electrical contractor.

  3. Schedule your project. When contacting contractors, do so well in advance of when you’re going to need them. Good contractors typically have a back log of work and will likely need from two weeks to six months before they are available for your project.

  4. Discuss your vision for the lighting, power and other wiring systems with your electrician. A good electrical contractor will collaborate with you to ensure that you end up with the results you are after. Often times a good electrical contractor will offer suggestions that will improve the functionality of the space.

Good luck with your basement project!