Ecmweb 17849 Service Secrets Talbot Pr
Ecmweb 17849 Service Secrets Talbot Pr
Ecmweb 17849 Service Secrets Talbot Pr
Ecmweb 17849 Service Secrets Talbot Pr
Ecmweb 17849 Service Secrets Talbot Pr

The Importance of Inspections

Oct. 16, 2019
Having a permitting process in place will help set you apart from your competition and could elevate your reputation.

Electrical work inspections are a common part of any electrical project — big or small. In fact, did you know some cities and counties require a permit to even change an electrical outlet? Many electricians in the residential home service business are letting electrical inspections fall by the wayside simply because a large number of electrical jobs are going unpermitted. I believe this is a disservice to your company, your customers, and your technicians. Why? Because your company could lose credibility, your customers don’t have documentation about the service(s) performed, and your techs lose an opportunity to improve the quality of their work. The solution is straightforward: Always pull a permit if the county or city you are working in requires it for the work you are doing. 

Why should you be pulling permits for the small work you’re doing? The answer is simple: The average person typically doesn’t know if the electrical work done on his or her home or business was done by a licensed professional unless a permit for the work was pulled. Pulling a permit accomplishes several objectives. First, it lets your clients know they are dealing with a licensed electrician. It also allows a third party to examine your work and determine if any Code violations have occurred.

In addition, permits and inspection from a third party are a great form of quality control for your business. Imagine, as the license holder, having to go to every single job that your techs are doing, just to see if the work is being performed correctly or not. You can’t depend on your client to know the difference between good work and uncraftsman-like work. It is your responsibility to make sure all jobs are installed correctly under your license. 

Although implementing permits on every job that requires a permit may seem expensive and cumbersome to execute, the benefits grossly outweigh the effort. The following tips will help ensure this becomes a seamless procedure for you to implement.

1. Stay in contact with your service tech to see what jobs they are performing that day, and determine if the county or city will require a permit.

2. Call local inspectors and permit offices to determine if the job at hand requires permitting. Remember some jurisdictions require a permit if you are simply changing an outlet.

3. Record whatever the jurisdiction requires in a log book or spreadsheet to make sure you don’t have to go by muscle memory every time you enter that jurisdiction. 

4. Use this permitting process as a selling point when talking to your clients. You’ll be surprised at how impressed they are that you are looking to protect their investment with a permit— especially if they didn’t even know to ask about it.

5. Train your employees on the requirements of each and every jurisdiction in which they will be working. 

6. Make sure you use the records of passed inspections to reward and motivate your employees.

7. Keep failed inspections to a minimum as this is a direct result of the consistency and quality of the work your techs are performing.

Having a permitting process in place will help set you apart from your competition and could elevate your reputation. Furthermore, electrical inspectors will grow to respect your business, knowing your company is looking to do the right thing. A permitting process will also help keep your focus and skills sharp as you move forward in your residential electrical service business.    

Talbot is a licensed, master electrician in Georgia, where he was born and raised. He has been in the industry for 18 years and is currently the operations manager for Mister Sparky Atlanta, where he manages a team of technicians. In his spare time, he plays with his kids, volunteers, and enjoys flipping houses. He can be reached at [email protected]
 

About the Author

Gerald Talbot | Operations Manager

Gerald is a licensed, master electrician in Georgia, where he was born and raised. He has been in the industry for 17 years and is currently the operations manager for Mister Sparky Atlanta, where he manages a team of technicians.

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