Three Tips for Hiring a Lighting Contractor
Are you looking for a lighting contractor? Finding the best lighting contractor for your residential electrical repairs is a very important decision. Your lighting contractor is responsible for making your electrical wiring repairs safely, and for ensuring that the job is done right, so you aren’t left in the dark (pun intended). In fact, when you use a great lighting contractor, you can save hundreds of dollars through energy savings. To help you identify the lighting contractor you need, we’ve put together a quick guide, below:
Four Tips for Hiring a Lighting Contractor
- Consider the value added, not just the price you pay today.
It’s easy to get in a mindset that only worries about the cost of a lighting contractor. You might collect several bids, but then only make your selection based on who has the lowest price tag at the bottom of the estimate.
However, we suggest that you pay attention to more than just the overall price tag to get the best deal. This is important for a few reasons:- When a lighting contractor makes changes to your electrical system that give you the greatest energy savings, it will cost more than the contractor who is just patching up the repairs in need. This will give you greater savings in the long run. In fact, if your electrical system is outdated, you might be bleeding energy. By choosing a lighting contractor based on who will take a holistic approach and look for long term savings, you may recoup the additional cost in energy savings quickly.
- You get what you pay for. When a contractor can give you an estimate that is far below their competitors, there’s a reason for it. Perhaps they are just doing this on the side, and they don’t have the proper insurance or bonding that protects you and verifies their work. Perhaps they are using cut-rate material. Perhaps they are cutting corners to reduce the time they put forth on your job. The point is, quality costs more.
We aren’t saying that the highest bid is the best bid. We’re just saying that the price tag should not be the only thing you consider when choosing a lighting contractor. Choosing the cheapest bid could cost you a lot more in the end.
- Always look for reputation.
Any professional electrician you talk to is going to present themselves in the best light they can to get your business. They aren’t going to tell you, “We cut corners and do shoddy work. You’d be better off using someone else.” even if that’s actually the case. However, a great reputation cannot be faked. If a contractor has been been business to for a long time, and has a trail of happy clients behind them, this is a good indication that they care about their workmanship and the quality of service you get from them.
Before hiring a lighting contractor, make sure to ask them for a few references from other clients who have had similar work done. If you’re able to, make a phone call to a couple of their references. Ask how the contractor stuck to timelines and budgets. Ask if the contractor took care of permits and all of the other details on their behalf. Ask how it was handled if a problem (inevitably) arose. Ask about their satisfaction with the work done.
In fact, to ensure you aren’t just given biased references, it’s not a bad idea to put your private i hat on and do a little investigating yourself. Check out online reviews of the service on client review websites. Make sure there are no open claims against them with the Better Business Bureau. This could save you a heap of trouble. - Look for memberships and certifications.
Finding a lighting contractor who is part of a professional organization tells you that they are accountable to the guidelines set forth by the organization. This is a good sign that you will get professional work on your home from the contractor. A few great organizations to start with are:- National Association of Energy Service Companies
- International Association of Lighting Management Companies
- Professional Lighting and Sign Management Companies of America
- National Council on Qualifications for the Lighting Professions
Do you have any other questions? Share below!