The Dangers of Working with Unlicensed Electricians

If an electrician is offering you an astonishingly low rate, there’s probably a reason for it. Sadly, it’s probably not because they are friendly and want to offer a competitive rate. It’s more likely that they’re an unlicensed because this is something that unlicensed electricians do.

Unlicensed electricians have not purchased required permits, general liability insurance and workers compensation insurance. This is a massive red flag and a significant risk to you and your home. Additionally, unlicensed electricians usually lack the experience to safely and correctly complete even simple wiring jobs. Here are the main reasons you’ll want to avoid working with unlicensed electricians. 

Risks to Your Home

Electricians naturally work in some pretty high-risk areas of the home. For example, one of the most common services we provide is home wiring. A poorly done job here can cause an electrical fire. Even once such a fire is put out, irreversible damage will likely already be done. Licensed electricians are professionally trained to avoid these risks, while the unlicensed contractor looking to get a quick job might not be so prepared. 

Insurance Risks

Remember the electrical fire situation? If this happens to you and your electrician is unlicensed, somebody will have to cover the damage, and it will probably end up being you, the homeowner. This is simply the risk homeowners take when they trust unlicensed contractors to do professional-level work. Luckily, this headache can easily be avoided simply by choosing a licensed contractor who has liability insurance to cover situations just like this one. 

Liability Risks

So, you already know that working with an unlicensed electrician creates some risks for your home. But what if the electrician themselves gets hurt? Unlike a licensed contractor, they won’t have general liability insurance to cover the cost. In most cases, the burden then has to be placed on the homeowner’s insurance company. From there, there is no guarantee that you will receive reimbursement. 

Your Preferred Affordable, Reliable and Licensed Electric Service Provider

CK Electric is a veteran-owned and veteran-operated local electrician dedicated to high-quality service and customer satisfaction. For your convenience, we also offer evening and weekend appointments. For a free estimate call 443.920.3078, email info@ckelectricllc.com or visit our site. We look forward to helping make your home a safer, brighter place.