Using an Electrical Contractor

Now that you've decided that hiring a professional electrical contractor is the way to go, you're going to have to understand how to read his contract, and understand what your responsibilities are as well as his.

Most electrical contractors have standard contracts. They could be single pieces of paper that are easy to read and negotiated at your kitchen table, or they could be multi page forms in small print that could look a little intimidating. Either way, you should understand what you are being asked to sign.

Given the opportunity, have an attorney glance over anything that is more than a page, and covers an extensive job with multiple requests and tasks. It might cost you $100 to do this, but it's well worth the money if it will prevent you from losing or spending thousands later on for items you weren't planning on.

As you look through the contract, look for paragraphs or sections that have titles similar to Liability, Insurance, Time and Materials, Overage, Liens, Subcontractors, Time frame and Payments. Be very aware that in some cities you, the homeowner, are responsible for making sure everyone on the job is paid - or the subcontractors can put a lien on your home. You may not even know this until you try to sell your home. No matter what the contract says, it still boils down to you are responsible. Period. In other words, make sure that you see the subcontractors being paid and you interact with them to make certain they are in fact being paid.

If the electrical contractor will be supplying anything such as fixtures, make sure the contract specifies who pays for these and when. You don't want to get an additional bill at the end of the job for items you thought were covered under the work agreement.
If your job is so extensive as to require a building permit, put a section in the contract that specifies that final payment will not be made until your project passes inspection. You should also request that the contractor be there when the inspector shows up in case there are problems. Most inspections are done by appointment, so this shouldn't be too difficult to coordinate.

It is also important to understand what his liability insurance covers. Does it cover damages to your home? What about if the project is running late, and it ends up costing you more money for other contractors who are being held up waiting for the electricians to finish?

Cover all your bases to avoid expensive surprises. If you do need any electrician in Pasadena CA, call us today at (626) 603-2025 for free quote.