Tips for Hiring an Electrician
- Contact Burlington’s Department of Permitting and Inspections to discuss your project and find out what permits are needed. Your electrician must obtain an electrical permit before starting the EVSE installation process. More information about the electrical permitting process and the department’s contact information can be found here.
- Hire only a licensed and bonded electrician to install your EVSE.
- To make sure that your electrician is licensed in the state of Vermont, check the Department of Fire Safety’s list of licensed electricians.
- Ask friends, family and neighbors for references. Also, ask electricians for references from their past customers and contact them.
- Get at least three bids for the installation of your EVSE.
- While most contractors will provide bids for free, ensure that you ask about fees when you request a bid.
- Double-check prices by calling electrical supply companies and/or hardware stores to make sure that costs for equipment are correct.
- If there are any charges on the estimate that are unclear, be sure to ask the electrician before signing a contract.
- Never sign a contract that you don’t understand, seems incomplete, is ambiguous about the work to be done or does not detail how long the project will take. Ensure that you know what you are agreeing to pay before the project starts.
- Ask the contractor for a provision in the contract that states you will make your final payment after the Department of Permitting and Inspections completes its inspection and accepts the work.
If you are renting the property, be sure to check with your landlord before beginning the installation process.
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*Adapted from Tacoma Public Utilities’ Hiring a Contractor webpage.