21 Feb 10 What is a Full Service Electrical Contractor?

Electricity is a powerful force that can also pose danger. It should, therefore, only be handled by a licensed full service electrical contractor company. But what exactly is a licensed full service electrical contractor company?

A licensed full service electrical contractor company should have the complete licenses and certifications required in its locality, from state to city levels. It should also employ professionally certified electricians highly qualified to design, install, maintain and repair residential, commercial and industrial electrical systems.

A licensed full service electrical contractor company should not only be able to design, install, maintain and repair residential, commercial and industrial electrical systems but also solutions related to hurricane preparation, lightning protection and surge protection. Part of this solution is generator installation.

A licensed full service electrical contractor company also upgrades and services electrical panels. It does regular electric inspection and the necessary electric repairs and maintenance for the electrical systems it is responsible for. Maintenance and repair may cover the servicing of street lights, parking lot lighting, landscape lighting and commercial lights. A licensed full service electrical contractor company is also prepared to meet any emergency with fully equipped bucket trucks.

In certain locations, the services of a licensed full service electrical contractor company are needed to meet government requirements. For instance, the Miami-Dade County 40-Year Building Inspection Program demands that all buildings that are 40 years old or older need to undergo structural and electrical safety inspection and certification every ten years.

There are three categories of licensed full service electrical contractor companies in the US, all governed by the National Electrical Code (NEC) of the United States. The categorizations based on specializations are the voice/data/video (VDV) electrical contractors or integrated building systems (IBS) electrical contractors; the inside electrical contractors; and the line electrical contractors or outside electrical contractors.   

Voice/data/video (VDV) electrical contractors or integrated building systems (IBS) electrical contractors handle electrical work related to low-voltage power installations, including security systems, climate control, telecommunications, wireless networks, fiber optics, back-up power and energy-efficient lighting.

Inside electrical contractors handle all kinds of indoor and outdoor electrical work provided they are inside the property boundary lines of the industrial, commercial or residential client.

Line electrical contractors or outside electrical contractors handle the most complicated types of electrical work concerning high voltage power transmission infrastructure and the line originating from a main power plant and going on to power substations, power facilities and power users.

A licensed full service electrical contractor company employs electricians and trains them from apprentice level to estimator level.

Apprentice electricians are paid regular wages during their training program lasting from three to five years. They receive class lessons and hands on training on the installation, modification, maintenance and repair of electrical systems.

Licensed journeyman electricians have passed the apprentice training and have met state requirements for licensing. They are already qualified to actually install, modify, maintain and repair electrical systems.

Estimator electricians have reached the next level of responsibility in the electrical contractor company. They calculate the total costs of each project, covering materials, labor and overhead. They also estimate the time required for finishing the project and the work schedule to be followed. Their output is used in the bids submitted by the electrical contractor company.

Project supervisor electricians have been promoted to managing the whole work force of each project of the electrical contractor company. They take care of ensuring compliance with quality control and safety standards as well as work schedule deadlines. They also accomplish and submit all necessary forms and reports to management.

A licensed full service electrical contractor company should, therefore, be able to prove having not only a full range of top quality electrical services but also having the most qualified professional electricians.