10 Questions to Ask Before You Hire an Electrician

Why the questions matter

Electrical work is one of the few trades where a bad job can burn a house down years later, hidden behind drywall. The protections that exist for homeowners — licensing, permits and inspection — are the same ones that disappear the moment you hire someone who skips them.

The good news is that a licensed electrician will answer all of these without hesitation. Refusal or vagueness is the answer.

The ten questions

• Are you licensed to perform this work in this state, and what is your licence number?
• Can you show a certificate of liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage?
• Will you pull the permit for permitted work, and is the fee included in the quote?
• Is the price flat-rate or hourly, and what would cause it to change?
• What is included: materials, disposal, patching, testing, inspection follow-up?
• What brand and model of equipment are you installing?
• Is the diagnostic or trip fee credited toward the repair if I proceed?
• Who is the person doing the work — your employee, or a subcontractor?
• What warranty covers the labour, and for how long?
• What is your plan if the work uncovers something worse behind the wall?

Red flags that should end the conversation

Most bad experiences in this trade follow the same pattern: a low verbal number, work started the same day, and change orders once the wall is open. These are the signals to walk away from.

• Offers to skip the permit because 'it is not needed for this' in a jurisdiction that requires it
• Cash-only, no invoice, no licence number on the vehicle or paperwork
• A price given over the phone for a panel, service or rewire with no site visit
• Pressure to sign today for a discount that expires immediately
• No physical business address or no verifiable licence record
• Willingness to work live on a panel as a shortcut rather than isolating circuits

Verify the licence yourself

Licensing for electrical work in the United States is handled at state level in most states and at municipal level in a few large metro areas. A licence lookup typically takes two minutes and needs only a name or licence number.

Ask for the licence number in writing before work starts, then confirm it is current and covers the type of work being quoted. Electrical contracting, journeyman and master licences all mean different things.