What is the difference between electrical contractor & electrician?

Electrical contractor vs electrician

There is a common misconception that an electrician and an electrical contractor are the same things. Basically, an electrical contractor is an individual or company that employs electricians for large jobs. An electrician is a person with the proper training who can complete electrical tasks. Both are involved with electrical work in some way, but they deal with different parts of the job to each other.

What is a licensed electrical contractor?

Electrical contractors are licensed businesses or individuals who are required to perform a range of specialised electrical services. Electrical contractors start projects by submitting a plan with a greater amount of detail or providing assistance with the building design. They use the project budget to determine the work schedule so the workers can begin construction.

They differ from electricians as they have a license which allows them to hire qualified electricians to work on big projects. Before getting their contractor's license, all electrical contractors were electricians. They must complete four years of relevant work experience, become an apprentice, pass required examinations and complete other necessary tasks. Once they do this, contractors will receive cards and certificates for their licences.

Their license allows them to work on larger projects and hire other electricians to work with them. Most contractors set up their own personal businesses or work for a large company. Contractors also must provide insurance coverage for all of their workers.

What is a licensed electrician?

A licensed electrician is a tradesperson who installs, repairs or maintains electrical wiring and other electrical systems in buildings. Like a contractor, an electrical worker must complete four years of apprenticeship training and on-site practice under experienced worker supervision. Once someone becomes a fully qualified electrician, they can complete small to medium-sized jobs. Some of these may include maintenance, wiring, underground conduit installation, job analysis, fire safety and material dealings.

Electricians working on big jobs must have guidance from an electrical contractor. Electrical jobs have a large number of safety hazards and there are a number of penalties for not following regulations. Electricians that do larger jobs without working for a contractor are not insured properly. This could cause huge problems if something was to go wrong on the job.

For big jobs, your electrician must hold a license and be employed by a certified electrical contractor. This will provide your family with maximum electrical safety when carrying out electrical work.

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