Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Electrician

The fastest way to judge an electrician is not the price or the truck. It is how they answer twelve specific questions about licensing, permits, load calculations, and warranty terms. Good electricians like these questions because the answers show off their work. Evasive answers tell you everything you need to know before a single wire is touched.

This checklist pairs with our broader guide on how to choose a home services contractor in Seattle. That article covers vetting any trade. This one is the electrical deep dive.

Licensing, permits, and insurance

1. What is your Washington electrical contractor license number?

Why it matters: Electrical work in Washington requires an electrical contractor license, not just a general contractor registration, and the state lets you verify it online in minutes. A good answer: the number comes out immediately, often with an invitation to look it up on the L&I site. Hesitation, or an offer to work under someone else's license, ends the conversation. Our plain-words explainer on licensed vs bonded vs insured covers what each term actually protects.

2. Who will actually be in my house, and are they certified?

Why it matters: The person quoting the job is not always the person doing it. Washington certifies individual electricians, and trainees must work under supervision at set ratios. A good answer: a certified journeyman electrician leads the work on site, and any trainees are supervised according to state rules. Vague answers about crews usually mean the cheapest available labor.

3. Will you pull the electrical permit under your license?

Why it matters: The permit and inspection are your independent quality check, and they must run under the contractor's license, not yours. A contractor who suggests skipping the permit, or asks you to pull an owner's permit, is shifting legal responsibility onto you. A good answer: yes, always, and the permit cost is a line item in the bid. Our article on what happens if you do unpermitted work explains what is at stake.

4. Can you send proof of insurance directly from your insurer?

Why it matters: A photocopied certificate can be expired or doctored. A certificate sent by the insurance agent cannot. A good answer: no hesitation, and the certificate arrives within a day. This is a thirty-second favor for a legitimate company.

Technical judgment

5. Will you run a load calculation before adding circuits or an EV charger?

Why it matters: Many Seattle-area homes built before 1980 still run on 100-amp service. Adding an EV charger, heat pump, or induction range without doing the math can overload the service or trigger an unnecessary panel upgrade. The electrical code requires a real calculation. A good answer: describes adding up the home's loads on paper before recommending anything, and mentions options like load management devices when the panel is close to its limit. You can get a rough feel for your own numbers with our electrical load calculator before the visit.

6. Which panel brands do you install, and are there any you will not touch?

Why it matters: Panel brand is a safety question, not a style question. Certain legacy brands, Federal Pacific and Zinsco in particular, have documented failure histories, and an electrician should say so plainly. A good answer: names mainstream brands they install, and states clearly that some old panels get replaced, not repaired. Our comparison of Federal Pacific and Zinsco vs modern panels explains why this question separates pros from parts-changers.

7. What will you do about surprises inside the walls?

Why it matters: Older Puget Sound homes hide knob-and-tube runs, buried junction boxes, and previous owners' weekend projects. A good answer: explains how discoveries are documented, priced through written change orders, and never covered back up without your sign-off. Anyone who promises zero surprises in a 1950s house is guessing.

8. What happens if the inspector flags something?

Why it matters: Corrections happen, even to good electricians. What varies is who pays. A good answer: corrections to their own work are fixed at their cost, promptly, and the reinspection is handled by them. If the answer involves blaming inspectors, expect friction later.

Money, warranty, and cleanup

9. Is this flat-rate or time and materials, and what could change the price?

Why it matters: Neither model is wrong, but you need to know which one you are in. Flat rate gives certainty; time and materials can be fair for exploratory work. A good answer: states the model, then names the specific conditions that would change the number. Unlimited open-endedness is how small jobs become large invoices.

10. What warranty do you offer on your labor, in writing?

Why it matters: Parts carry manufacturer warranties, but workmanship is on the contractor. A company that plans to be around stands behind its labor on paper. A good answer: a specific term, in writing, on the invoice. A verbal promise of taking care of you is worth what it costs.

11. Who patches the drywall and hauls the debris?

Why it matters: Rewiring and panel work open walls. If patching is excluded, you need to know before you compare bids, because it can be a meaningful cost. A good answer: a plain statement of what is included, what is not, and what the finish standard is (patched and ready for paint, for example).

12. Do you install customer-supplied fixtures, and what is covered if you do?

Why it matters: Many electricians will hang the chandelier you bought online, but the fixture itself will not carry their warranty. A good answer: yes, with a clear line drawn between warranted labor and unwarranted product. Clarity here prevents the classic argument when a bargain fixture fails.

Common questions

Do small electrical jobs really need a permit in Washington?

Most work beyond replacing like-for-like devices does, including new circuits, panel changes, and EV charger installs. Permit costs are small compared to the work, and the inspection is a second set of trained eyes on something that can burn a house down. Treat a contractor's attitude toward small permits as a preview of their attitude toward everything else.

Is a handyman ever allowed to do electrical work?

Not legally, beyond very narrow exceptions. Washington requires certified electricians working for licensed electrical contractors. A general handyman quoting panel work or new circuits is offering to work outside their license, which also means outside their insurance.

How should I compare two electrician bids?

Line up the scopes item by item: permit included or not, panel brand and amperage, number of circuits, patching, haul-away, warranty term. Then compare prices. A bid that is dramatically cheaper usually differs in the scope, not in efficiency. Our contractor guide linked above covers this in detail.

What to do next

Print these twelve questions, or keep them on your phone, and ask every bidder the same set so the answers are comparable. If you would like to hear how our team answers them, start with an electrical inspection, book online, or call Eco at (206) 970-1031, 6 AM to 6 PM every day. We will put the license number, the scope, and the warranty in writing before you commit to anything.