Justifying the Cost of a Professional Electrician

When you have any home repair or home installation project, the ability to DIY the project is a common thought. This is understandable, as it is expensive to hire a professional to do the work. Professionals have to charge extra money because they may have employees and definitely have other business expenses. On top of that, they have to earn an income. Their bills are not your problem. Therefore, the cost of hiring a professional electrician may seem a little steep. In reality, there are a lot of good reasons to hire a professional electrician, and below are a few ways that you can justify the cost.

9 Ways to Justify the Cost of a Professional Electrician

1. Speed

In order to DIY any electrical project in the home, you’ll likely have to do some research. This may involve YouTube videos or chatting with experienced friends. It will definitely takes some time. When things go wrong, as they invariably do during DIY projects, you will have to go back to these sources for more research. In the end, you may even have to hire an electrician to fix what you’ve done. A professional electrician will do the job correctly the first time. He or she will save you a lot of time in the long run.

2. Experience

Things can go wrong even for the professional electrician, but the experiences of the professional will allow him or her to quickly find solutions. Training and research are important aspects of any industry, but nothing trumps experience.

3. Options

When it comes to electricity, there are many options available that the layman will not know about. Today’s technology is changing rapidly, and the DIYer may opt for antiquated options. Get the latest and the greatest by hiring a professional.

4. Insurance

When you are dealing with large items in the home like electrical or plumbing, things can go VERY wrong. You cannot guarantee that your professional will do the job right, but you can make sure they have insurance to cover anything that happens while they are working in your home.

5. Safety

Probably the most important reason to hire a professional when working on anything electrical in the home is safety. Improperly installing or fixing electrical items in the home can lead to an increased risk of shock and fire. Electricians are trained to safely work on your home, so you don’t suffer the consequences later.

6. Resources

Especially when there are large projects, professional electricians have the resources to make sure the job is completely finished. This may involve other professionals such as plumbers or construction contractors that can do finish work. Think about how many DIY projects get partially finished once the functional part of the job is finished. This does not happen when you hire a professional.

7. Appearance

You can often tell when a project has been DIYed, and it’s not usually because it looks nice. Unless you are a very detail-oriented person, your DIY project will have a much nicer appearance if it is done by a professional.

8. Efficiency

If you hire a professional, they will know how to make your home more efficient. You don’t want your electrical project sapping energy and increasing your monthly electric bill. A professional electrician is trained to do electrical work in a manner that increases efficiency.

9. Code

Electrical codes vary by state, and in many states, it is illegal to DIY your electrical project. Your project will not be up to code, and you may suffer financial penalties. These codes are in place in order to protect the public from the risk of injury and fire by incorrectly installed electrical applications. A licensed electrician will know your local code, and you can get your project finished within the restrictions of the law.

The Cost of Not Hiring a Professional

Hopefully the nine reasons above justify the cost of a professional electrician, but if it doesn’t, consider the cost of not hiring a professional. It could be the loss of your home. Many fires have been caused by incorrectly installed or faulty wiring in the home. This can result in the loss of home and sometimes the loss of life. No amount of savings is worth this risk, which is why there is a licensing process for professional electricians.

Justification is Easy

If you consider the risk of self-installed electrical work, DIY seems like a very irresponsible term. This is not to discourage DIY projects, but they should not include electrical work. The justification of hiring a professional is easy because electricity is dangerous. The cost of DIY work can be much more expensive than hiring an electrician even when the cost does not involve the loss of a home or the loss of life. When you include those disastrous consequences that can occur, it is a no-brainer. Hire a professional.