Getting the right deal on your electrical work without being ripped off!
Hiring an electrician for large commercial projects versus a residential project comes with some very obvious differences. However, this depends on the size of the property the electrician is tasked with working on. Some offices are smaller than homes, so how can the pricing of a residential job be applied to a commercial job?
If an electrical company is charging you higher prices simply because the property is a commercial one, then you should think about looking for another company or electrician to work with. The reason being is that a fair electrical contractor will not increase his or her prices simply on the assumption that a business can pay more.
Sometimes businesses are struggling while the owners may have money in the bank themselves and are exempt from any debt because the business is Limited. In this case, why is the residential property owner not being charged more than the business that is trying to make ends meet?
At the end of the day, an electrical installation job that is the same in an office as it would be in a residential property should always be charged at the price.
Here are some more tips coming from 2E Electrical Commercial Maintainance team.
As a business how do you test whether you are being charged a fair rate?
There are numerous companies out there that offer what is called a ‘free no obligation quote’. This means you will receive a quote with multiple payment options for your business to look at.
Call at least three different companies and initially begin by asking them the price of a particular job without mentioning whether you are a business or a residential property. Try and get an estimate, but when you do, make sure you let them know you are asking because you are shopping around for the best price because of mone constraints for this particular project.
If you cannot get an estimate over the phone of between $xxxx and $xxx for a job like this, and the company or person is asking if this is a commercial or residential job, then the chances are this company could employ a policy that uses different pricing for business jobs.
Now obviously don’t do this if you do have a large commercial sized electrical job. This is only for small offices that are smaller than a house.
Once you have shortlisted your electricians, you can now ask for the best one to come and give you a quote. You could always ask two or three companies to come in and quote and let them know you are doing this. Alternatively, you could just tell the electrician that you have another company coming in to quote, which will encourage the person assessing your job to give you a fair price.
Don’t always go for the cheapest option
Now although this sounds contradictory to the above, sometimes cheaper quotes mean shoddy workmanship. You need to make sure that the company you hire has a great reputation. Check out their website, look for reviews about the company, and check to see if the company is on Google Maps or Social Media where people are likely to leave positive reviews for the business.
Next, you need to ask them about the system that they intend to use if the commercial maintenance job is going to mean replacing part of the system or upgrading the system. This is important because when you have your quotes in front of you, you will be able to compare price and system. This way you can ask each of the electricians why they don’t use xx system, which the other electrician suggested.
Furthermore, you can always look online for reviews about the systems or brands being used for your electrical work. This way you will know if it needs regular or little maintenance or whether it will need replacing in 5 years or 10 years time. Many cheaper systems cost double in the long run because after just a few years it needs replacing, while a more expensive system will last twice as long.
Try to think of looking for an electrician in the same way as when you want to book a holiday getaway. You check reviews, look for the reputation of the provider, and make sure that you are getting exactly what you should be getting for the price you are paying. Research will also help you understand the going market rates too.