Electrician: Bonded or Not Bonded? Which do you chose?
Posted: Friday, September 04, 2009
by Don Carter
groundfresh
When an electrical contractor is "bonded," it means that he or she has purchased a guarantee that the work will be completed on time and in a professional manner. This written "bond" acts like an insurance policy and virtually assures that every job that the electrician starts will be finished to the satisfaction of the customer. If for a good reason the customer isn't ultimately satisfied with the work performed, then a "claim" is made with the bonding agent, and the customer will be reimbursed. Often there is an investigation into the work performed to verify that the claim is a legal one.
1 - THE BID BOND: A Bid Bond is issued as a portion of the bidding process by the electrician to the property owner. This type of bond assures and guarantees that should the bidder be successful, the electrical contractor will execute the contract and provide the required surety bonds. "Surety" in this case refers to the electrician doing the work.
2 - THE PERFORMANCE BOND: A performance bond is issued by an insurance company or a bank and guarantees satisfactory completion of the project by the electrician.
3 - PAYMENT BOND - A payment bond is what can guarantee the owner that the electrician will be paid any money that they are due from a "principal." So, if the electrical contractor is hired by someone else, and then they do work on your property, the owner (you) can benefit from a payment bond because the electrician and suppliers are guaranteed payment and will continue performance.
To sum up, if the licensed electrician is "bonded," then there is a really good chance that the electrical project will be finished to your 100% satisfaction. The electrical contractors reputation, and license, are on the line, they want to do a good job, and get good referrals.
One thing that most people don't know is that these bonding companies (usually insurance companies or banks) charge a significant fee to the electrician. Some of the smaller electricians will likely try to charge this back to the customer, whether they know it or not.
The bond also guarantees the work of the electrical contractor for as long as that person is living. So, when hiring a bonded electrical contractor, be certain to get the name of the bonding company and details in case you need it for future reference or claims.
Also, the bonding company keeps a good record of service for the licensed electricians contracted with them. It is always a good idea to check references through the bonding company, and see if there have been any complaints registered against the electrical contractor.
The important thing to keep in mind when trying to chose between a bonded or not bonded electrical contractor is this: A non bonded licensed electrician may always be able to do the same work as a bonded one. The bond provides assurance for the work under most circumstances, because it's an outside party providing the coverage. Ultimately it is up to you to determine whether to chose a bonded or not bonded electrical contractor. The one thing that is recommended under all circumstances, is to make sure the electrician you hire is licensed in that particular state, and knows all the electrical codes for the area. That, however, is covered under another article!
This article was brought to you by Don Carter and a licensed Clearwater electrician and Los Angeles California electrical contractor at Vozzcom Electric.
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