Did you know that in Ontario, the only businesses legally allowed to do electrical work at your home or business are Licensed Electrical Contractors (LEC)? An LEC will have a valid ECRA/ESA license number and will also have all the necessary insurance that protects you, the homeowner, and he or she, the Contractor. This means that you cannot simply hire a “General Contractor”, “Handyman,” or even a Licensed Electrician. Unless you hire a Licensed Electrical Contractor, the work is not legal, and this can cause many issues for both you and the person you’re hiring that’s doing the work illegally.
Take it from the experts
Verve Electric is a family-owned and operated Licensed Electrical Contracting Company. Nathan Parsons is the owner/operator and Master Electrician. After 15 years of experience in the electrical field, working in both residential and commercial capacities, Nathan decided to open his own Licensed Electrical Contracting Company in June 2015. Since that time, Nathan has encountered numerous situations where homeowners have had to spend thousands of dollars to correct mistakes that happened when electrical work was done by someone other than an LEC.
We have also encountered situations where current homeowners hire Verve Electri to do a job, and when the work we’ve done legally is inspected, the ESA Inspector notices prior work that was never inspected. At this point, it becomes the current homeowner’s responsibility to have this prior work inspected and fixed by an LEC if necessary. This can quickly become an extremely costly and time-intensive process, one that could have been avoided had the work been done correctly by an LEC the first time.
A Licenced Electrical Contractor can provide peace of mind
Hiring an LEC not only means you’re doing work legally, and safely; it also means you are leaving all the details to the professionals. An LEC will obtain all necessary permits through the ESA and schedule all the necessary inspections. Once the work has been inspected and passed by the ESA Inspector, the LEC will present you with a Certificate of Inspection from ESA that you can give to your insurance company as proof that the work was done legally and to code.
Find an LEC in Your City Today!
If all of this sounds overwhelming, rest assured that a great LEC will take the time to answer any questions you have about the process and the relevant regulations. If you have futher questions, we encourage you to check out the guidelines posted by the Electrical Safety Authority.
Hiring an LEC is an investment in your safety and your home or business. It’s a smart decision, and one that should not be taken lightly. Find a certified electrician in your city with Baeumler Approved today!
