The following is some advice for new legitimate electrical contractors starting out.

This is a separate web page topic for this subject which I had promissed to do already a year ago.

Beware! There is a very small percentage of customers out there who like to exploit contractors. They come up with a lot of tricks to fool you. You could play dumb - it helps a lot because then they get to go on and on and you learn a lot more about them! Just be a good listener.

Some will start with some of us who advertise in newspapers and smaller medias, because they expect extremely CHEAP prices and are hoping you are desperate for the job! But then they are smart enough to realize that you may be just a handyman or something. They under estimate you quite a bit when you were chosen from a certain "media". They will do a lot of "cross examining" (as if I don't notice it myself!). A lot of times their intention is even to "deny paying you" when the work is done or trying to make a DEAL when you are finished or they will mention paying by cash or saying that they will have a lot of other work soon or they may play the work down so you fall in a trap (one being a signed contract) one which you will soon realize you are loosing your shirt! Others will ask exactly how you are going to do this and that - they want to know all details so they can learn more do the work themselves!

Important! Don't do anything illegal such as get paid by cash without receipts or not taking a permit out for that small amount of work - later they will demand a permit at your own expense! Don't be a "good Samaritan" and start fixing other staff around the home because you feel it is not safe - You will not get paid for it unless you do the proper SIGNED CHANGE ORDER etc. Remember, the inspector may find things that need repairs (which you overlooked in those few minutes when doing an estimate). He may say all he likes until getting blue in the face but "you only do what is WRITTEN on the permit and contract. He will have no choice but  start to write out a "Violation Notice" to the home owner and NOT TO YOU! - and you tell him Action Electric told you so!

Although I may advertise in such smaller medias at times myself, I can detect such customers in about exactly 2 minutes of talking to them!  They can be even extremely rude such as I had a few months ago (an older couple - husband and wife) in very affluent neighbourhood - half a million dollars home do just that after I spent numerous hours on an estimate including guiding them on safety issues, approved short cuts to save money etc.. ( I sort of felt sorry for them having their   insurance canceled unless the knob & Tube was removed). I Never heard from them again - no communication whatsoever. 

That home would have been one of the most difficult homes to be rewired. They had a drawing from some electrical engineer indicating the circuits etc. I never seen such a mess and misleading information! They were thinking that there was only 2 circuits of knob & tube to be rewired (trying to downsize the work as if I would fall for a CHEAP CONTRACT) however, there are at least 8 circuits to be rewired.  - Some reasons of difficulty were that the home is built like a tank! has brick perimeter walls up to the 2nd floor, 100 years old light fixtures to reinstall back, plaster ceilings in the basement and all over other floors, miles of obstructions including heating pipes etc. in the basement, tons of furniture all over, could not manage (OR AFFORD) to have the OLD FUSE PANELS changed or a new service installed - about 40 years  overdue!.

 Later, I found out, they obtained a HOME OWNER'S WIRING PERMIT and very likely hired a hack to do the rewiring and likely using some of my best suggestions! However, when I happen to drive by I just look to see if the place is still standing! I predict in 2 years something will give! 

Such attitudes of such folks caused me, from now on, to charge $80.00 for a rewiring estimate! - something I have NEVER done in 30 years.

One final note: Most people are quite honest and are fantastic to work for and usually you can tell very quickly. That is the main reason I am still doing it.

I hope you, as a contractor, learned something from what I mentioned above.

There is quite a bit more to come later - keep in touch.

May 01, 2011 - A while ago I received a cheque ($3,200.00) - waited 6 days after depositing it, wrote 5 cheques based on that amount (balance) - 14 days later (there was a long week end) received a notice, from my bank by standard mail, that the check was - NSF. Result = costed me $425.00 in bank charges. Lesson - from now on only certified checks or money orders allowed or cash allowed, including smaller payments but more often. I call it "Pay as you go" progress payments!

TO BE CONTINUED.........