One of the best ways to find a good electrician is to make sure you use a licensed or certified professional. To get an electricians license, a person must complete 6,000 to 8,000 hours of on-the-job training, at least 144 hours of college classes, and pass a licensing test or exam.
Their education doesn’t end there; all licensed electricians are required to take continuing education cources, take new licensing tests, get a certain number of hours of professional experience, and stay up-to-date with new technologies and code requirements.
Most electricians begin their careers with an apprenticeship program. This is a program that usually comprises four to five years of on-the-job training under a more experienced electrician. Your electrician will also be taking courses during their apprenticeship, and must complete both the classes and the necessary hours before being allowed to take a licensing test.
They will be working under the supervision of an experienced professional, gaining valuable hands-on experience. The next step is becoming a journeyman. Journeymen continue to take classes to make sure their license is current and their knowledge is up-to-date.
After they are a journeyman they are allowed to work without supervision. Depending on the state, this requirement is between four to eight hours per year. The classes are chosen by the state licensing board, and include education about both state and national code changes to make sure the electrician knows cutting-edge technology, as well as making sure that they will give you work that fits legal requirements.
If you work with an unlicensed electrician, you might face legal ramifications. Apprentices are unlicensed, and must work under the supervision of a licensed electrician.
Depending on the state, you might not be required to use a licensed electrician, but if you are in a state which requires it, you can be charged with a crime for hiring an unlicensed electrician, and the penalties can range from a small monetary fine to jail time.
It is never worth the risk of hiring an unlicensed electrician. Even if it’s only a small job, you should only ever choose a licensed electrician. Not only do you face legal penalties, but you are placing trust in someone who is not qualified for the job.
You will have someone working on your home or business who doesn’t know what they are doing. Electrical wiring problems are the number one cause of fires in building, so you are risking not only your livelihood but your family and coworkers safety by using an unlicensed electrician.
You might save money now, but this will likely cost you in the future. Training to become a licensed electrician is hard work, so you can be sure that the person you are working for is qualified to do the work.
They will know how to do their job correctly and safely. They have also shown that they care about their reputation and the safety of their work is important to them. The license is proof that the person you have hired is qualified, skilled, and dedicated, and you can be sure that they will handle any task they give you professionally and with pride.