When you need an electrician, they aren’t hard to find. Finding a reputable, qualified electrician is another story. There are questions to ask and reputations to verify. Be sure to ask for references and check your local BBB for any possible complaints. While you’re online, might want to check out places like AngiesList and Yelp, too. So how does a person become an electrician? To become a licensed and experienced electrician takes a lot more work than most people think and it’s not just about ‘knowing some electrical’…
- Have you ever thought about the service a good Electrician can provide?
- What does the make-up of a good Electrician look like?
If you’re like most people the thought won’t cross your mind until you ever have experience flickering lights, electrical outages or the smell of an electrical burning odor. It’s then you need an electrician and you know that you need a professional electrician.
I need an electrician, now what?
For insurance and quality reasons, you should be hiring an electrical contractor who employs licensed electricians. First and foremost a good electrician will be licensed within the state and/or the local jurisdiction in which you reside or where your business is located.
How does an electrician earn his license?
There are different electrical licensing levels that can be achieved by an electrician. Those licenses now require continuing education under Colorado state law.
An Apprentice Electrician is the entry level into the trade. The apprentice is required to be registered as an apprentice with the state and/or local authorities. The apprenticeship requires two or four years of a solid employed electrical experience with a licensed electrical contractor, along with some classroom electrical apprenticeship schooling programs.
A 2 year Residential Wireman’s license can be obtained by demonstrating two years of continuous experience as an apprentice wiring houses, condominiums, apartments etc. This type of license permits the wireman to wire residential units unsupervised. It is often skipped over by most apprentices in favor of a Journeyman’s license.
A 4 year Journeyman Electrician license requires four years of progressive experience as an apprentice electrician, in a combination of residential and commercial wiring experience. The testing examinations for this license are extremely difficult and require a great deal of study and preparation on the part of the apprentice seeking this level of licensing. It is not uncommon for the apprentice to take the exam several times before obtaining success. Once the Journeyman’s Electrician license is obtained the “new” professional is entitled to perform any and all electrical wiring in all types of buildings for both residential and commercial applications. Both the Residential Wireman and the Journeyman Electrician licenses are required by statute to be employed under the supervision of the Master Electrician.
The final level of licensing is the Master Electrician and requires an additional year of experience in the areas of planning and layout. The exam for this license is far more difficult than the Journeyman Electrician exam and requires a higher degree of study and experience. This level of license entitles the Master Electrician to legally own and operate a legitimate electrical contracting company.
Now we know that a good electrician is a locally licensed professional that has completed the required apprenticeships and areas of study to obtain a specific electrical license. That is what a good electrician looks like.
Now what about an excellent electrician? An excellent electrician can provide professional electrical services on a variety of levels. An excellent electrician has experience that goes well beyond the installation of new electrical wiring in a newly built structure. An excellent electrician has been exposed to a variety of complex electrical problems or issues that have developed within facilities and residences. They have developed the skill sets necessary to analyze, troubleshoot, and complete repairs in a timely manner. Handymen and multi-service contractors often only train as an apprentice electrician, if they have any certified electrical training at all.
An excellent electrician knows and recommends the correct product or solution for any given electrical situation. Whether it is repairing an electrical issue, proposing lighting solutions, or assisting with energy saving measures.
An excellent electrician understands the importance of customer service and therefore trains and educates the apprentice and licensed electricians within their employ to the “excellent electrician” level of professionalism.
An excellent electrical company recognizes and utilizes ethical business practices and employs excellent electricians to serve their customers.
Electric Doctor takes pride in hiring and training professionals who have dedicated themselves to being excellent electricians. Our team exemplifies what it means to be an excellent electrical company specializing in Electrical Service and Repair of all electrical issues big and small, commercial and residential.
