An electrical contractor turns you on
Most people are familiar with the job of an electrician, but there are other people who are often behind the man or woman who turns on your lights. If you need a house wired or job done that is bigger than a simple fix, there’s a person who can handle it all for you.
Managing the electricity that runs into homes,
offices and buildings around the country is an industry that is worth hundreds of billions of dollars in the United States alone each year, yet some people do not even know that an electrical contractor exists.
If you’re someone who isn’t familiar with construction or building trades and your experience with the electricity running to your home or office is limited to making a phone call when the lights don’t work, you probably believe that an electrician is the sole representative of the trade.
Much to the contrary, an electrical contractor is often the point person when it comes to all things electricity. Whether it’s during a home’s construction or remodeling or if a major wiring job needs to be completed or fixed, this person is the one who makes the plans and directs the electricians when it’s time to go to work. He or she is also a good person to contact if you are seeking information about a specific job or need an electrician referred to you.
An electrical contractor can work as an individual or as part of a firm. He or she specializes in designing, installing and maintaining systems of electricity in all types of structures around the country. This person typically holds the same licenses and is covered by the same insurance as a common electrician, but is in charge of managing a company and its entire projects rather than specific jobs themselves.
Such contractors are often grouped into one of three classes based on the type of work they perform. Line contractors typically work on outside job and most often service high-voltage wires and distribution lines. They are charged with constructing and managing the infrastructure that supports the transportation of power from a power plant to the various substations that then channel it to specific sources.
Inside contractors service power that has already been wired within an existing structure or inside property lines as owned by a homeowner or business. This can include residential or commercial buildings and includes outdoor lighting systems and substations that serve such dwellings.
An electrical contractor that focuses on integrated building systems or voice, data and audio work on low-voltage jobs such as reserve power sources, climate control systems and newer technologies such as wireless internet networks, telecommunications, fiber optics and alarm systems. They are often particularly adept at weaving these technologies together to work under a shared power source that makes them more energy efficient.
All in all, an electrical contractor can often do everything electricians can do and more, and if there is something that they cannot do, they have the resources available to quickly find someone who can.
