What to record before the visit
The point is to describe the situation accurately, not to diagnose it: an electrician evaluates the circuit, and a note from you saves the first half of the visit.
Stay outside the equipment. Do not remove a panel cover, touch exposed conductors or keep resetting a breaker that trips. If any circuit shows heat, an odour or repeated tripping, stop using it and request urgent help.
- What changed beforehand: new equipment, weather or building work
- Which rooms, circuits or appliances are affected
- Anything warm, discoloured, buzzing or smelling
- Whether the problem is constant or comes and goes
- Photos of labels and visible damage taken from a safe distance
What to ask every electrician to write down
These questions are where two quotes for the same work most often diverge. Ask them of each electrician in the same words, and keep the answers with the estimate. The pricing guide explains how each line changes the number.
- Who obtains the permit and pays the fees
- Who schedules the inspection, and at which stages
- How concealed conditions are priced: allowance or change order
- What surface restoration is included, and to what standard
- Warranty terms for parts and labour, stated separately
Before you sign
Confirm the licence of the person who will actually do the work, not only the business name, and check that the estimate names the equipment, the circuits and the scope in plain words. A quote that cannot be read by a second electrician is not comparable to anything.