Looking for a good electrician

One of the best ways to find a good local electrician is by asking for recommendations from your friends, family and neighbours. If you can hire an electrician you can trust then to some degree you will be sorted for a long time to come. Choose a registered electrician. As a starting point, check the electrician is a registered member of an industry trade associations.

Word of Mouth can be good

The first port of call to finding an electrician is to ask around. Whether it’s your friends and family or a shout out on social media, a recommendation from someone else is like gold dust. If someone you know has used an electrician in Surrey and they were good enough to warrant a recommendation, then you know they’re good, especially if you can go and look at their handiwork themselves.

There are also sites like mybuilder.com. There is also Check a trade too, where you can post a job online, and you’ll get responses from local tradesman. You can review their profiles, work history and customer reviews.

Look to make sure you get a thorough quote

Obtain at least three electrician quotations from at least three different electricians, and make sure that your quote is broken down into the actual work that the electrician will be doing, the amount of time it will take to do the job and the material costs for any parts.

When you’re with the electrician, take this time to analyse them. Think about:

• Do they look relatively smart?
• Do they have relevant certification of their qualifications?
• Do they turn up on time?
• Do they have a van with a logo and telephone number?
• Is it a written or verbal quote?
• Do they give a guarantee for their work?

Some other very key points to also take on board

Once you have found an electrician, it’s a good idea to follow these simple suggestions before they begin the work:

• Before they start, agree a timetable of work and get confirmation of their expected completion date in writing. This should cover all aspects of any agreed work and be signed by both parties. For larger jobs, ask for regular updates on their progress. You should also ask that they tell you immediately if they are not going to meet the completion date given.
• Agree payment terms so you can ensure that you have the funds available. Some electricians may ask for material costs up-front and also request staged payments for a larger job. If you do need to make changes, confirm them in writing with the electrician and make sure you get a revised quote before the modified work starts.

Also

• Avoid dealing in cash as it is easy to lose track of what you have paid. Always ask for a receipt or statement of account.
• Try to avoid making changes or adding to the job halfway through. This will usually cost more and cause delays. If you do need to make changes, confirm them in writing with the electrician.
• If you have any concerns or questions, talk to the electrician straight away. If you are dealing with a larger company, speak to the person in charge. This will usually be a supervisor or manager. Make it clear exactly what you are concerned or unhappy about. Then explain what you want done and give the electrician a chance to put things right.
• If you are unable to resolve any issues with the electrician or the company who employs them, contact the Competent Person Scheme Operator they are certified by. They will be able to advise you and will work with both parties to try and reach a solution. You can find out whether they are certified and who they are certified by via the search facility on this website.

Overall

Choosing the best electrician for your project is all about ensuring they have the right skills and qualifications for your job. Electrical work is more strictly regulated than many other areas of construction. While that largely rules out taking on anything more than superficial changes on a DIY basis, it does mean that modern installations are exceptionally safe.

Seeking recommendations from friends, neighbours and other trades is a good place to start, but there are other options. The websites of the major electrical trade bodies are well worth a visit. Off of this, they’ll have ‘find a trade’ searches that allow you track down local pros in your area. Whoever you invite to quote, it’s wise to investigate a little further before you sign on the dotted line. Ideally, visit a live site so you can see how neat their work is. Or if not, at least speak to former clients about their experience with that trade.