Reasons to Hire an Electrical Repair Company Instead of DIYing

Home and business owners are always looking for ways to save money and time by doing repairs themselves, but one area you don’t want to ever go the Do It Yourself route is electrical repairs. Hiring an electrician from an electrical repair company will ensure safety with your repairs.

There are many reasons why you don’t want to mess around with electrical repairs. At Afton Electric, we’ve seen a lot of what can go wrong when an inexperienced DIYer attempts electrical work. In this blog, we’ll lay out the top reasons you should hire an electrical repair company instead of doing it yourself.

Doing your own electrical repairs might get you in trouble with the law.

Some states have laws against doing your own electrical work. Make sure to research all of the regulations in your state and city. Even in areas where DIY electrical work is allowed, you still need to know which permits to apply for and which paperwork to fill out. Or you could just hire an electrical repair company and let them take care of the electrical work as well as the paperwork and research for you. 

Your work might not pass inspection.

In many areas, depending on the size of the job, electrical work is followed by a visit from an inspector who makes sure that all of the work was done legally and according to code. Experienced electricians are used to this and don’t worry too much about it. Inexperienced people worry their way through the inspection, wondering what may be found. Increased worry isn’t the only bad side. What happens if the work doesn’t pass inspection? 

This is the point when many people decide to call in an electrician. But at this point, the job might be more complicated and more expensive. To make a long story short, when it comes to doing inspection-worthy work, save yourself time, aggravation, and money by hiring a professional from the start.

You’re not licensed and insured.

There is a reason that contractors put “licenses and insured” all over their business card, work truck, and anyplace else customers might see. The words “licensed and insured” bring customers peace because they send a message: if anything goes wrong, the work will be fixed without causing the customer more money. 

There is a good chance while doing an electrical job that an unexpected complication will arise. It may be something small or it may be something big. It may change the entire scope and price of the job. Do you want to take the chance? Or do you want someone who is licensed and insured to take on that responsibility?

Your home insurance may not cover your DIY electrical work.

Home insurance companies are well aware of the damages that occur when homeowners do their own electrical work. For that reason, many home insurance policies specify that all electrical work must be done by a licensed professional. Doublecheck your policy’s fine print to make sure that doing your own electrician repairs will not hurt your ability to make claims on your insurance.

YouTube doesn’t always give the best advice.

Literally, anyone can create a YouTube video in which they declare themself an expert and claim that they are qualified to teach people about a subject. If you are using online videos and articles as your main resource for an electrical repair job, you’ll need to look at several different videos by different people. If a certain technique is only mentioned in one resource and not the others, it’s probably not safe.

Professionals who work for reputable electrical repair companies have learned what works and what doesn’t first hand. They’ve tried the shortcuts and tossed out the ones that don’t work. Don’t believe that a quick trick you found online is safe. Always get a second opinion. Or just have a professional do it.

When it comes to electrical repairs, DIY doesn’t save you money.

Most people who try to DIY end up buying more materials than they actually need for the job. They also make rookie mistakes that result in them needing more materials than a professional. Also, about fifty percent of DIY jobs are followed by a call to an electrician to figure out what went wrong.

Having a professional do the work helps you sleep better at night.

The most important reason to call in an electrical repair company is to preserve your own peace of mind. You want the job done correctly, and a licensed professional is your best bet. The problem with work done by DIYers is that you do not always know it’s problematic until long after the job is completed. Even if the electricity seems to be working properly, there might be underlying issues that can cause huge problems like house fires in the future. Contact Afton Electric for all of your electrical installation and repair needs!