Find A Good Local Electrician

Finding a good local electrician should not be that difficult, but with constant stories of travelling trades conmen you hear in the media these days it certainly has most of us on guard more, especially with electrical work. After all, shonky electrical work will only lead to one thing: danger. House fires are commonly caused by faulty electrical wiring, which is the kind of work you can expect from someone shonky or inexperienced.

To find a good local electrician, you have to know what to look for. Here are some tips to get you started.

A properly licensed and insured electrician is always best

Each state and territory in Australia has varying laws on electrical safety standards, but they are all strict in the sense that doing any kind of electrical installations and repairs without a licence is illegal, plain and simple. Consider a licence as your own protection, an assurance that the electrician you’re hiring is qualified to accomplish any electrical job safely and properly. Preferably, hire a Master Electrician, which means he/she has at least three years of experience in the field.

Insurance, on the other hand, protects you from any liability should the electrician get electrocuted by accident or suffer any such mishaps while working on your project. Any damages that may result from your electrician’s work should also be covered by that insurance.

Ask for references

It’s always good to hire electricians, or any tradesmen for that matter, who come highly recommended by people you know. If you got no such recommendations from friends and family, make sure that you ask the person you’re thinking about hiring to give you names and contact details of previous clients. A good electrician won’t have problems handing you references, because that means they have confidence in the work that he/she has done in the past. You can also trust these references to tell you the truth about the work an electrician has done for them.

Ask if he/she is a trade member

There are a number of electrical associations in Australia that regulate standards among its members. Some of these association include:

• National Electrical Contractors Association
• Workcover Queensland (Queensland)
• National Electrical and Communications Association
• Energy Supply Association of Australia

Check out the electrician’s advertising strategy

Many people get the impression that companies with bigger ads mean they’re better than the rest of the field. If anything, a bigger ad means a bigger overhead will be passed on to you. So when trying to find a good local electrician, do not make your hiring decisions based on ads alone.

Ask for an estimate

When getting quotes, remember that price should not be your primary consideration when making an assessment. The more expensive quote does not automatically mean it is the best, and neither is the cheapest one. When asking for a job estimate, make it clear that you want a breakdown to make the comparison. In the field of electrical works one should not expect too much of a price gap between quotes, but it is always worth checking and understanding any reasons why.

Conduct a reliability check

All the licences, qualifications and experience in the world don’t mean a thing when the electrician is unreliable or unprofessional. You can make an assessment of a tradesmen’s level of reliability yourself  before they have even started the job- did they return calls promptly? show up on time to quote? provide a quote back quickly?  All these things will give you an insight into what to expect if you engage that particular electrician. You can also ask the provided references about their individual attitudes.

All of the above should help you find a good local electrician. However, we know of an easier and stress-free way of doing just that. Call us at Tradebusters, and we’ll set you up with some of the best electricians in our network, wherever you may be in Australia. They are all licensed, experienced and very reliable, as they have been personally hand-picked to become part of the Tradebusters network.

Have you checked out Tradebusters Connect?

Tradebusters Connect is part of the Tradebusters group and is a premium local business directory that can help you find a good local electrician. Here you can connect directly with our pick of the best 3 local recommended electricians in your area. Visit www.tradebustersconnect.com.au and meet your local Tradebusters Premium 3 Connections!