Hire an electrician

Electrical work is licensed almost everywhere, and for good reason: a mistake does not always show up on the day. That makes the license check the most important part of hiring an electrician, and it only takes a couple of minutes.

If you see sparks, smell burning or an outlet is hot to the touch, switch off the power at the main switch and get help now. Our guide to when to call an electrician explains which problems can wait.

What electricians on Taskovery do

• Lights, fans and fittings
• Outlets, sockets and switches
• Fault finding: tripping breakers, flickering lights, dead circuits
• Switchboards, fuse boxes and panels
• Hardwired smoke alarms
• Electric vehicle chargers and new circuits

What to put in your job post

• What is happening, and when it started
• Photos of the fitting, the outlet or the switchboard
• The age of the home, if you know it
• Whether a breaker keeps tripping, and which one
• Access to the switchboard and the ceiling space

License rules and checks, by country

Electrical work is regulated in all six countries Taskovery covers: licensed in most, and controlled through registration and sign-off in the United Kingdom.

• United States: Electricians are licensed state by state, and many cities add their own license and permit rules. Your state electrical or contractor board runs a lookup.
• Canada: Electrical work is regulated by each province and territory. In Ontario, the Electrical Safety Authority licenses electrical contractors and publishes a lookup.
• United Kingdom: In England and Wales, notifiable electrical work in a home must be signed off by building control or done by an electrician registered with a competent person scheme, such as NICEIC or NAPIT.
• Ireland: Electrical contractors register with Safe Electric, which has a search.
• Australia: Electricians are licensed in every state and territory, and the state or territory regulator runs the license search.
• New Zealand: Electricians must be registered and licensed with the Electrical Workers Registration Board, which keeps a public register.

Whatever the rules, look the number up yourself on the regulator’s own site rather than following a link the contractor sends. How to check a license and insurance walks through it.

How pricing works

Electricians usually charge a call-out fee and an hourly rate, plus parts. A defined job, such as fitting a new light or an outlet, can often be quoted as a fixed price from photos. After-hours work costs more.

Ask for the certificate or paperwork your country requires for the work, and keep it with your home’s records. You will want it when you sell or insure the home.

How it works on Taskovery

1. Post the job for free. Say what needs doing, where, and when. Photos help more than anything else.
2. Hear from verified contractors. Only contractors whose checks have passed can answer: a government photo ID, plus a business registration for a company or a proof of address for a sole trader. It is not a criminal background check and we do not check insurance, so ask for those yourself when the job calls for them.
3. Choose who does it. Compare replies, profiles and past work, and pick the person you want.
4. Pay them directly. You agree the price with the contractor and pay them, not us. Customers never pay Taskovery anything.

Guides that help with this job

• When to call an electrician: what needs a pro
• How to check a contractor’s license and insurance
• Contractor red flags before you hire