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Electrical

Tips for Deciding on the Best Electrician to Upgrade Your Electrica…

By Frank Luersen • July 11, 2023 • 6 min read

The electrical panel, also known as a breaker panel, is an enclosed metal box that houses your home’s electrical system. When upgrading your panel, hiring a professional to do the work is highly recommended. Doing so will protect your investment and keep your household safe by making sure everything is done right. Nevertheless, finding the best electrician to do the work is not a walk in the park. You have to do your due diligence to find the right experts to make sure the job is well done. Below are some tips for choosing the best electrician to upgrade your electrical panel.

Ask for Referrals

Asking your family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues to recommend reputable electricians can be helpful. You can also get referrals from other home experts, including plumbers and builders. Be sure to ask about the electrician’s work and expertise. It would also help to review the electrician’s website. Select a professional that has delivered satisfactory results.

Review Credentials

Once you have a list of qualified electricians from your network, look into their credentials to determine their level of expertise. Start by asking about their certifications. Electricians have three certification levels, apprentice, journeyman, and master electrician. Also, review the candidate’s licenses to make sure they are registered in the State of California to handle electrical services in the area.

You can also ask for additional certifications, such as OSHA safety and EPA operator safety certifications. Be sure that you select a certified and licensed electrician. This will save you from difficult situations down the road.

Check Insurance

Electrical repairs are more dangerous and notorious for causing property damage and human harm. That said, you should ask electricians on your shortlist about their insurance coverage. The electrical contractor should have general liability insurance, also known as electrician liability insurance, at the minimum. This insurance helps cover property damage or bodily injury claims on your premises.

It is even better if the contractor has worker’s compensation insurance for their team and professional indemnity insurance for protection against mistakes and negligence. Using this tip is essential to protect your property during and after electrical panel services.

Look for Guarantees and Warranties

Reputable electrical contractors who deliver outstanding results stand behind their work by issuing guarantees and warranties. Experienced experts should offer a service guarantee promising your electrical panel will operate as needed after the upgrade. In addition, the electricians should also have warranties on their products and services. The warranties will offer protection if any issues arise from the products and the services rendered.

You should only hire electricians who provide guarantees and warranties on the items they use and the services they deliver to make sure the outcome is reliable and safe.

Evaluate Reviews and Ratings

Reviewing online reviews and ratings is instrumental in selecting the right electrical professional to upgrade your panel. Doing this will let you see what current and past clients say about the contractor you want to hire, the kind of services they deliver, and other vital information about their work. You can read reviews on the electrician’s company website.

Other places to evaluate reviews and ratings include Better Business Bureau (BBB), Google Business Profile, Consumer Affairs, HomeAdvisor, and Angi. Make sure the contractor you settle for has positive reviews and top ratings across the board. Otherwise, keep looking until you find another suitable professional.

Check References

Asking for and talking to references is integral to hiring an electrician to take care of your electrical panel. This process is essential for gathering additional information about a potential candidate before extending the job offer. Inform the candidates upfront that you do reference checks, and conduct the process yourself. The checks are best done via phone, but you can also ask for recommendation letters or emails.

Reference checks have multiple benefits.

  • Help ascertain employment history information
  • Verification of experience and skillsets
  • Effective in identifying warning signs about the contractor
  • Help discover new information about the candidate

Evaluate Reliability

Another effective way to make sure the electrician you hire is the right person for upgrading your electrical panel is to evaluate their reliability among peers and past clients. Professionals should be presentable, helpful, and friendly. They should have a good reputation for delivering quality work and meeting client needs. Also, experts should communicate honestly and involve you in critical decision-making processes. In addition, the contractor should provide services 24/7 to make sure you get assistance whenever you are in need. Working with a reliable pro will give you peace of mind.

Consider Location

Your electrician’s location is just as important as their reliability when it comes to finding the best personnel for your electrical panel needs. In general, you should hire a contractor within your locality. One benefit of doing so is making sure you get a professional familiar with your area’s electrical codes since different cities have varying National Electric Code (NEC) regulations and modifications.

This will help eliminate any confusion and other irregularities associated with these codes. Additionally, selecting pros in the same locality as you is a significant factor in getting prompt, 24 hour electrical services even in the middle of the night and during weekends.

Make Pricing Inquiries

Making pricing inquiries is also vital in selecting the best electrician to upgrade your panel. You should ask potential electricians about their prices. The pro you settle for should be able to come up with an estimate beforehand to let you know how much the project will cost. This quote should entail the scope of work to be done and all expected costs. It should also describe payment methods and intervals.

Getting a quote beforehand helps you prepare and prevents surprises. Do not work with a contractor who cannot offer estimates to avoid hidden charges. It is also important to remember that the contractor offering the lowest price is not always the right person for the job. Make sure that the person you choose does quality work at a fair price.

Conduct Interviews

Before hiring any electricians on your shortlist, make sure to arrange for an interview. Meeting up with potential candidates gives you a chance to ask any questions you might have about the electrician and their services. It is also a great opportunity for the candidate to show off their work and demonstrate their experience. Make sure you do the interviews physically. This is especially helpful for large jobs.

Rely on Us for Electrical Panel Upgrade Services

Home Team Electric is a reputable electrical company specializing in multiple electrical services, including installing, repairing, and maintaining electrical panels. Additionally, our electricians install smoke detectors, surge protectors, design smart home automation systems, and Home EV charging stations. We offer on-time services and guarantee 100% satisfaction along with emergency services.

Home Team Electric is rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau. Our company takes pride in employing highly experienced and licensed electricians to serve clients in the Coachella Valley, Morongo Basin, and surrounding areas. We also offer financing options and online payments. Contact Home Team Electric today to book a service appointment.

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Written By

Frank Luersen, leadership

Frank Luersen

leadership

There's a running tradition inside Home Team Electric called Frank Pranks, and it says everything about the kind of culture Frank built. Ask anyone on the team about it and they'll grin before they finish explaining it. Someone sets it up, he walks right into it, the room erupts, and whether he actually sees it coming is still an ongoing debate. Frank could settle it anytime. He hasn't.

California C-10 Electrical Contractor License #879507. Verify it at cslb.ca.gov.

Published July 11, 2023

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Questions Homeowners Actually Ask

The questions homeowners across the Coachella Valley and Morongo Basin actually ask us, answered the way we answer them in person: plainly, with the reasoning behind every recommendation, so you can decide what fits your home.

How Does Living in This Desert Change the Way You Evaluate a Home’s Electrical System?

It changes the evaluation from the start. Coachella Valley summers regularly climb past 115 degrees, and Morongo Basin day-to-night swings can exceed 40 degrees, cycling expansion and contraction through every connection. So symptoms get read against the home's age, construction era, and load history, not just the breaker that tripped.

What Protections Do I Have If Something Goes Wrong After the Job?

Two guarantees with proof behind them. The 100% Satisfaction Guarantee means if the work does not meet your expectations, we make it right. The Lifetime Workmanship Guarantee means we fix workmanship failures at no charge, and the coverage stays with the home if you sell it. Behind both: California C-10 Electrical Contractor License #879507 and a $1,000,000 per-occurrence liability policy.

Why Does Home Team Electric Only Work on Residential Homes?

Because residential electrical work is a specialty, not a side category. Most contractors split time between construction, commercial buildings, and residential calls. Home Team Electric chose one focus in 2006: the electrical systems inside homes across the Coachella Valley and Morongo Basin. Decades inside thousands of desert homes builds pattern recognition no generalist schedule can produce.

Who Is Home Team Electric, and Who Will Actually Be in My Home?

Home Team Electric is a residential-only electrical contractor serving the Coachella Valley and Morongo Basin since 2006. The person at your door is a Home Team Electric electrician: drug tested, background checked, and professionally trained, with weekly ongoing training. The company has completed more than 25,000 residential projects, with a 4.9 Google rating and 16,000+ homeowners served.

Do I Need GFCI (Shock Prevention) Protection by the Pool and Spa?

Yes. Code requires GFCI (shock prevention) protection for pool and spa equipment, nearby receptacles, and underwater lighting, and the requirement exists because water and electricity meet here on purpose. Many desert pools predate today's requirements and run unprotected. If you do not know whether yours is protected, that is exactly what the evaluation answers.

When Does an Older Desert Home Need Rewiring?

Rewiring is warranted when the wiring itself, not just a device, has aged past safety: brittle or damaged insulation, ungrounded two-wire circuits, aluminum branch wiring, or repeated faults across different circuits. Desert attics bake wiring insulation for decades. An evaluation maps which circuits actually need work, because most older homes need targeted rewiring, not a whole-home gut.

What Does Whole-Home Surge Protection Actually Protect?

A whole-home surge protector at the panel clamps voltage spikes before they reach your circuits, protecting everything plugged in: AC systems, appliances, EV chargers, and electronics. In the desert, monsoon lightning, grid switching, and your own large motors all generate surges. Plug strips alone protect single devices. The panel unit protects the home.

Why Do My Lights Flicker When the AC Kicks On?

A brief dim when a large motor starts can be normal, because compressors pull a surge of current on startup. Regular, noticeable flickering across multiple rooms is not. It usually means the panel or service is near its limit, or a connection has loosened under desert heat. The pattern decides which, and the pattern is worth reading professionally.

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