Electricians tend to specialize. Some concentrate on new construction, some just in commercial work and some go only on service calls to fix dead outlets or faulty fixtures. Those who specialize in remodeling have mastered techniques for wiring existing homes and additions, such as snaking wires through finished walls, assessing the capacity of existing circuits and evaluating whether to install an additional service panel (where the circuit breakers are) to handle increased power demands.
Most general contractors have a short list of dependable electricians, but if your contractor can’t recommend one, check with the local home- builders’ association or an electrical- supply house in the area for a recommendation. Be sure to tell them the type of work you are doing so they can properly match the pro to the job.
Finding a qualified electrician is easier than finding the right carpenter or plumber. You can assume a certain level of competence when an electrician shows you their state license, but there are two degrees of pro to consider:
There’s another layer in the safety net. Most electrical work requires a permit issued by your local building department. Before the building inspector can sign off on the work, the inspector must take a look at it to see if it’s up to code.
Though it takes a trained eye to spot an electrician's mistakes, you can eliminate some names from your list based on the neatness of their work. As a rule, a job that isn't neat probably isn't safe.
If you can get access to a site, find a place where a number of wires run together, usually near the service panel. Romex — the flat, white plastic-sheathed cable common to most residential wiring — should run to the service panel in a neat, orderly way. If cables are crossed and jumbled, or if they droop from joist to joist, the electrician is neither doing a methodical job nor exhibiting the care essential to wiring a home safely. This is not nitpicking. Cables that merge at the service panel in an orderly way make it easier for the electrician to match the cable with the correct circuit breaker.
In the living area, the cover plates on switches and outlets should be plumb and square to the wall and lie flat against the face of the wall. If they don't, the electrician did not take the time to set the utility box (the box behind the wall that holds the outlets or switches) squarely against the studs and the proper distance back from the wall. If the work looks sloppy, go instead with an electrician who pays closer attention to detail.
