Having the right electrical contractors servicing your facilities is essential in keeping your sites safe and functional. That’s why you want to avoid rushing into decisions without properly vetting potential contractors. But it doesn’t have to be a stressful task. Here’s how to select the best commercial electrical contractor for your facilities.

1. The right experience

In theory, potential contractors might tick all the boxes, but lack critical on-site experience specific to your facilities.

Sometimes, general experience isn’t enough when your sites are unique. Make sure you get a thorough understanding about the types of sites and facilities they are most comfortable with. As well as being confident in their ability to work on your sites, you want to make sure they have good experience in the actual work-types you need them for.

For example, if you need them to perform a variety of electrical works, you want to make sure they have experience across everything from reactive works to capital jobs. Plus, you need to make sure your contractor is up-to-date with the continuously updated AS/NZ3000 wiring rules and regulations.

It’s important to first understand your expectations of their experience, then see if they can fit the mould.

Tip: A great way to verify a potential electrical contractor’s experience is to use your own network. Do you know anyone else who has worked with them before? Ask around, you never know what you might find. At the very least, you’ll have peace of mind that their experience on paper checks out.

2. The right attitude

We know that trade knowledge and experience is critical to every job, but one thing that tends to get skipped over is a potential contractor’s attitude.

If you employ a contractor with the wrong attitude, you might be signing yourself up for decreased productivity and increased interruptions on site.

These are the questions you should be asking yourself:

  • Are they easy to work with?
  • Do you see any potential red flags in their communication style or their ability to work in and around other trades?


Tip: Understanding and agreeing on a way of communicating with your electrical contractor at the very beginning is critical. You’ll want to make sure you both understand the communication methods and expectations before moving forward. This way, you’ll have a fool-proof way to reach them for upcoming work, especially for emergency works.

3. The right credentials

One thing is for sure: safety and compliance is absolutely essential across your sites. So make sure you ask the right questions about their credentials, like appropriate licensing and insurance.

Finding a commercial electrical contactor with the right attitude and experience is a good start, but if they’re only carrying the minimum credentials required, this could potentially open you and your sites up to unnecessary risks.

Don’t be afraid to double check their certifications.

Think of it like this: double checking them is your own insurance against potential gaps in your safety and compliance framework.

Selecting the right commercial electrical contractor

If you’re looking to engage more electrical contractors across your facilities, use this simple guide as a checklist to make sure you find the right fit for your sites.

If you see any red flags across their experience, attitude or credentials, remember to investigate further. A missed certification or sketchy communication style isn’t worth the potential risk in the long run.

Why not use our own guide to cross-check Lighton Electrics? We’d be more than happy to chat about becoming your next electrical contractor. Book a meeting with the team here.