How to I find a good electrician?

February 11, 2013 3:02 PM

I am prepping a whole-house restoration in Los Angeles. Walls are coming down; new electrical is going in. My electrical needs will include the usual lights and switches and outlets, but also low voltage stuff like security, audio/video and wifi/internet. My question is twofold: 1) What is the best way to source a good electrician? (I would like to meet with at least a few at the property before making a selection.) 2) What is the best way to verify an electrician is good?
posted by zagyzebra to Home & Garden (9 answers total)

I've had very good luck with Angie's List in So. Cal. We've hired close to a dozen different contractors and workers that way, and have had great results.

Consider hiring separate people to do the usual lights/switches/receptacles kind of stuff and low voltage/data/AV. Contractors who are good at both are exceptionally rare in my experience.
posted by primethyme at 3:19 PM on February 11, 2013

Have had excellent luck with Angie's List in Austin too.
posted by magnetsphere at 3:50 PM on February 11, 2013

I have not had good luck with Angie's list in So Cal. Many of the contractors I've sourced through there are savvy marketers and use Angie's list as a marketing tool but did not always do great work.

I have had better luck asking friends and colleagues who they like to use. I am still looking for a good electrician. I have only had lackluster experiences.

Once you get some leads on electricians, you can check their license status here.

I agree that not all electricians are good with low voltage/data/AV. My electrician said he could do it but in the end I had to get AT&T to come out and fix a bunch of his work. I had my security company come before the electricians were done and it was a mistake. The electrician ended up cutting a bunch of low voltage wire the security guys had just put in, so maybe wait and do security last.

One thing I'm really glad I did is add one outdoor outlet for Christmas lights. Also, I added way more outlets to the entertainment area than I ever wanted but now use every plug.
posted by dottiechang at 3:56 PM on February 11, 2013

Not to derail too much, but I think this is an important topic. One thing with Angie's List in my experience is that you have to really read the reviews. Don't skim, and don't look at just a few. I have only hired people with a substantial number of reviews, doing the kind of work I need done. If they don't have enough positive reviews, the reviews are all about a different type of project, or I get the sense that the reviews are not totally genuine (e.g. there are no negative points at all, or my gut tells me something is fishy), I'll pass. I also of course interview several candidates before choosing one, and there have definitely been people I've found from Angie's List that I chose not to hire after talking to them. But there were also cases where I had three possibilities who all seemed solid.

There have of course been cases where there simply isn't anyone on Angie's List who has enough believable reviews, and in that case I've fallen back to the "ask around work" and "ask neighbors" methods. However, I frankly haven't been super impressed with the results from that (lots of contractors do well on some jobs and poorly on others, so a single sample isn't necessarily predictive).
posted by primethyme at 4:08 PM on February 11, 2013 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: I can't think of one person who is rehabbing their house. The recession pretty much put an end to all new construction and home renovations. So there's not a lot of people I know to ask. Thank you for the recommendations and words of caution. Come to think of it, Yelp is another source. And it's free.
posted by zagyzebra at 5:14 PM on February 11, 2013

Let us know if you find someone you're happy with. I am in the LA area and I'd love to find a good electrician.

I just finished a whole house remodel about a year ago, so I sympathize with you. Hang in there!

A tangent, but thought I'd mention, the reason we had to re-do all electrical was because it was old knob and tube in poor condition in our 1928 house. It was pricey but I'm totally loving the period appropriate light fixtures that I got from Rejuvenation. Their customer service is outstanding. You can order on-line or go to their showroom in west LA. I couldn't afford to use them for all of the fixtures I needed to replace, but the lights I did get from them are total eye candy!
posted by dottiechang at 6:02 PM on February 11, 2013

Response by poster: The reason I have to do electrical is because my 1931 house I rented out was badly burned in a candle fire -- I have to take the walls down and redo all the electric. Thanks for the Rejuvenation tip. I'll definitely check them out. For the time being, I've pretty much been casing Arte de Mexico's liquidation sale. Arte has a really fine designer helping them out who's been assisting me with everything from selecting trim to designing fireplace mantels. Arte also has some wicked, almost over-the-top dramatic lighting.

How do I let you know if I find a good electrician?
posted by zagyzebra at 7:15 PM on February 11, 2013 [1 favorite]

I have found that a really good real estate agent knows really good contractors. Look for an agent whose advertisements tell you they are the top 1% of their area. Call them and ask for a recommendation.
posted by blob at 7:40 PM on February 11, 2013 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Real estate agent. What a great idea.
posted by zagyzebra at 9:53 PM on February 11, 2013