Working on your home’s wiring is something that you should never, ever do.  In fact, it is illegal for you to do any electrical work yourself!  That’s why you’ll need to hire an electrician for even the simplest of jobs.  Not sure where to start?  Here’s everything you need to know. For more information or to find one near you, check out the electricians in our directory.

Choosing an Electrician

It is absolutely vital that your home’s wiring is safe and properly functioning so if anything goes wrong, or you need to add anything electrical wise (power points etc), you will need the services of an electrician.  Of course, you want one that is fully licensed and qualified so never be afraid to ask to see their licensing details and to check them with the relevant state authority if necessary!  The license should be fully up to date and not expired.  To help you make a shortlist, you may want to ask your friends or family who they use for an electrician and if they are happy with them.  Alternatively, you can research them online and read their feedback or customer testimonials.  Make sure the electrician is fully insured and that they guarantee their work.

The Cost of an Electrician

There are a few components that make up the overall electrician’s fee.  The first is the call out fee – a fee that they charge for coming out to your property.  If they don’t do any work, you’ll still need to pay the call out fee but if they do perform electrical work, the call out fee will be absorbed into the first half hour or hour of the hourly fee.  The second part of an electrician’s fee is the hourly rate. This is the amount that they charge per hour, and it is often charged in 15 minute blocks.  Be aware that in some cases, an electrician will charge a flat rate to perform a job. This is generally for smaller, more standard jobs such as adding new power points, safety switches or light fittings.

While an electrician’s quote is generally pretty detailed (hourly fee, cost of materials etc), there are some cases in which the job may cost more than you or they expected.  An example of this would be when the electrician finds unsafe wiring.  They cannot leave the wiring as it is as it is a breach of their duty of care, so they need to restore the wiring to a safe state – at a cost to you!

Always ask the electrician/s that you are considering to provide you with a detailed quote in order to minimise the chances of you being surprised by the bill.  Detailed quotes also make it easier to perform a comparison if necessary.