Hiring an Unlicensed Electrician: What's the Risk

While the thought of hiring an unlicensed electrician in order to save money may seem like a tempting solution, in reality the risks you’re taking could cost you much more than the few bucks more you’ll pay with hiring a licensed professional electrician to perform your electrical work.

Every year in the United states, $100 billion is lost by property owners who hire unlicensed or “underground” business to perform electrical work. In addition, unlicensed electricians are responsible for 55,000 electrical fires, 1.4 billion dollars in property damage and at least 500 deaths, annually.

Unlicensed electricians most frequently cause these electrical fires through faulty wiring and bad electrical sockets. Even worse? As a property owner, you are 100% liable for damage or injury to the unlicensed electrician or anyone else that is injured or killed as a consequence of faulty work; no one is exempt: in 2009, industry leader Windsor Industrial Services was fined more than two hundred thousand dollars for hiring an unlicensed electrical contractor to perform electrical upgrades.

In short, hiring an unlicensed electrician could spell disaster for both the safety of your home or commercial property as well as your bottom line. Do yourself a favor and leave electrical projects in the hand of a professionally licensed, bonded and insured electrical contractor. You’ll be glad you did.

For other electric tips and for all your electrical needs contact the professionals at John's Electric.