Price Electric understands that it is rare that you call an electrician. Rarer still does someone call an electrician when everything is going according to schedule.

The process can cause a bit of anxiety, unless you have called us before. In that case you already understand that our process is designed to be easy and to get you talking to a person who can solve your problem right away.

However, some people make mistakes before they call their electrician.

Here are the most common mistakes. They’re broken into three categories: mistakes before you make the call, mistakes in choosing an electrician, and mistakes when evaluating their work.

Mistakes people make before calling an electrician

Sometimes homeowners make mistakes while they are debating whether to call an electrician at all. Sometimes they make the problem worse. Some common mistakes are …

1. Waiting until everything goes wrong
2. Hiring a friend of a friend who you heard does good work and “almost” has his license and will do it for barter, instead of a licensed electrician
3. Looking for the cheapest electrician rather than one who is bonded and certified
4. Failing to realize that any wiring issues are your responsibility as a homeowner – and you may be responsible for fixing them before your house can be sold
5. Researching the wrong information and saying you know what the problem is instead of describing the symptoms to the operator
6. Trying to DIY and only calling when it is hopelessly messed up

Mistakes in choosing an electrician

When finally deciding to call an electrician, some homeowners fail to take necessary precautions and do a little checking around. We at Price Electric want you to make sure you take the proper steps before hiring us, and we know you will be satisfied with the work we do.

Here are the common mistakes homeowners make:

1. Not checking that you are using a licensed and insured electrician
2. Not checking references and online sources and the BBB for evaluations
3. Hiring right away without getting quotes

Mistakes in evaluating your electrician’s work

Sometimes a homeowner expects too much from their electrician. Here are two common mistakes that lead them to being unsatisfied even when the electrician has done an excellent job within the parameters of their job description and task.

1. Expecting too much for too little. While many electricians will examine the immediate problem and the wiring that leads to it, they got hired to do one thing. They should point out mistakes, but can’t fix them til you give permission – and approve the increased cost.
2. Not understanding what an electrician can and cannot do. If an electrician discovers an unsafe situation, she should be unwilling to work around it without fixing the bigger problem.