What to Look for When Hiring an Electrician — Honest Advice

You need electrical work done. You search online, find a few names, and now you're trying to figure out which one to actually let into your house. Here's what matters and what doesn't.

Check the License

In Washington state, electrical contractors must hold a valid license from the Department of Labor & Industries. The license number looks like this: TRIPLTE891QG. You can verify any contractor's license in Washington State on the L&I website.

What the license tells you:

- The contractor has met bonding and insurance requirements

- They're authorized to pull electrical permits

- There's a bond you can file a claim against if work is defective

What it doesn't tell you:

- Whether they're any good

- Whether they'll show up on time

- Whether they'll communicate clearly

The license is the minimum. Don't hire anyone without one — unlicensed electrical work is illegal in Washington, your insurance won't cover damage from it, and the work can't be permitted or inspected.

Get a Specific Quote, Not a Range

"Somewhere between $2,000 and $5,000" isn't a quote. It's a guess designed to get you to say yes before the real number appears.

A real quote comes after someone looks at the actual job — your panel, your property, the distance, the complexity. It includes what's covered and what isn't. It has a number on it.

Ask:

- Does this include the permit and inspection fees?

- What happens if you find something unexpected once the work starts?

- Is there a separate charge for the estimate?

A good electrician will answer all three directly.

Ask About Permits

Any electrical work beyond the most basic (changing a light fixture, replacing a switch) requires an electrical permit in Washington. The electrician should be pulling this permit — not asking you to do it, and not skipping it.

Why this matters: unpermitted work doesn't get inspected. You won't know if it's up to code until it causes a problem — which might be an insurance claim that gets denied, or a failed inspection when you try to sell the house.

Ask: "Will you be pulling the permit for this?" The answer should be yes without hesitation.

Look at How They Communicate

Electrical work isn't something most homeowners can evaluate by looking at it. You can't see what's inside the walls. You can't verify wire sizes by sight. So you're trusting someone to do invisible work correctly.

That trust starts with communication:

- Did they call back when they said they would?

- Did they explain what needed to happen in plain language?

- Did they answer your questions without making you feel like you were wasting their time?

- Were they clear about cost, timeline, and scope?

If an electrician can't communicate clearly before the work starts, they won't communicate clearly when something goes wrong during the work.

Word of Mouth Still Works (In Some Markets)

In smaller communities — Grays Harbor, Mason County, rural Thurston County — asking your neighbors who they use still works. People remember who showed up, who did good work, and who charged fairly.

In larger markets like Olympia and Lacey, word of mouth is harder to come by. That's where online reviews, a real website, and a clear service description matter more. But even in those markets, a referral from someone you trust is worth more than a five-star Google review from a stranger.

Red Flags

• No license number on their website, truck, or business card. If they won't show it, they might not have one.

• Wants cash only. Legitimate contractors accept payment by check, card, or invoice.

• “We don't need a permit for this.” Maybe, but probably not. And if they're wrong, you're the one who pays for it later.

• Can't or won't give a written quote. Verbal agreements protect no one.

• Drastically lower price than everyone else. Electrical work has real material and labor costs. If someone is 40% cheaper than three other quotes, ask yourself what they're cutting.

The Bottom Line

Hire someone licensed, bonded, and willing to pull permits. Get a written quote with specifics. Pay attention to how they communicate. And if someone you trust has a recommendation, that's still the best starting point.

Triple Tree Electric is licensed (TRIPLTE891QG), bonded, and pulls permits for every job. We handle residential electrical, panel upgrades, EV charger installation, and home battery backup across Grays Harbor and Thurston County. We give specific quotes after seeing the work, and we answer the phone when you call.