A commercial electrician is a professional who works in the provision of electrical services on a large scale and mostly for brands and businesses. These are the types of electrician you call when you need to design, install and maintain electrical systems in a new build property or during a wide-scale complex refurbishment. They also work on minor day-to-day electrical issues, but their services are mostly required in bigger electrical projects. Some of the things a commercial electrician can do include: emergency lighting installations, data cabling, inspection and testing, single phase and/or three phase distribution, handling containment systems (such as Busbar Trunking, Steeling Trunking, Steel Conduit), electrical heating and ventilation as well as CCTV installations.
Some characteristics of commercial electricians:
- A good commercial electrician is always excited to take on large-scale projects, and all aspects of the project will still be painstakingly addressed in a thorough manner.This makes the customer very happy, as they can see that the electrician knows exactly what they’re doing and makes them more relaxed about a project, no matter how challenging it might be on paper.
- Commercial electricians are professionals. This is evident right from the way they present themselves to the processes surrounding a project. Professionally-designed web pages, uniforms, identification and marked vehicles are just some of the physical signs of their professionalism. A thorough analysis of a project, competitive pricing and sticking to deadlines are other signs of professionalism that they will also exhibit.
- Commercial electricians can communicate with other commercial contractors while on a project, collaborating where necessary. They know the best ways to communicate effectively to ensure the collective achievement of a common goal.
- They complement their exceptional electrical skills with experience and creativity. This allows them to have solutions for a wide range of clientele from landlords to government buildings.
- Their creativity means that they are highly adaptable. They are able to come up with the right solutions to any problems on the spot. Whether a builder wants wires installed in hard to reach parts of a building or whether underfloor heating wiring needs to be done with flooring experts, they always know how to deliver.
Screening your commercial electrician
- Find out if they are licensed to do the job. If they don’t have the right certifications and are not members of the right bodies, this is a red flag. Licenses and certifications ensure that they will work to industry standards whilst not breaking any laws.
- Seek references from past clients. Your commercial electrician should be able to provide you with references from clients your size that they have worked with in the past (preferably in your niche). Verify these references, especially for large-scale projects where you can’t afford to get anything wrong.
- Verify that they offer the services you need and are indeed experienced. Commercial electricians are versatile, but you may be disappointed if you hire them only to find out that they are not proficient in one aspect of the electricity project.
- Ask for reassurance. What happens if they fail to deliver on the project? Be sure you have all your bases covered.