Electrical Contractor

What is an Electrical Contractor?

An Electrical Contractor is a Licensed business person who performs specialized electrical work related to the design, installation, and maintenance or repair of electrical systems.

Electrical contractors can also be companies and businesses that employ electricians to design, install, and maintain electrical equipment and supporting systems. The contractor’s focus is the responsibility of generating and placing bids on potential jobs, providing materials, hiring tradesmen to perform the work, and communicating with owners, planners, engineers, and architects, to plan, organize, and complete the work with a efficient timely schedule.

An Electrical Contractor is different from an Electrician. The Electrician is an individual electrical tradesman, and an Electrical Contractor is a businessperson or company that employs electricians. Both usually hold licenses as well as insurance to be compliant with local and state laws. Contractors need to operate a business properly and safely, protecting the employees and home/business owners from insurance liabilities. These individual requirements will vary from state to state as well as local municipalities. Electricians may work for an electrical contractor, sole proprietor, or large companies and corporations.

I have come to know several different variations or divided areas of the specialty contractor when referring to Electrical Contractors.

The "Outside" or "line", as referred to as, are specific electrical contractors who are solely responsible for high tension power transmission and distribution lines. High voltage Line contractors help build and maintain the critical infrastructure we rely on to deliver the electricity generated by our power plants and renewable energy sources. Through a combination of high-voltage transmission lines and related substations, it gets carried over great distances and delivered to various industrial facilities, office buildings, and our homes.

The "Inside", as referred to as, is another specific type of electrical contractor which focuses on providing electricity to any building or structure within the property's boundary lines, to include all outdoor lighting or local substations. Under the current construction specification guidelines, "inside" electrical contractors can serve as a prime contractor for all electrical design, installation, and maintenance on any residential, commercial, and industrial structure or building. These projects can also include Database Distribution Centers, Pharmaceutical Work, and Support Infrastructure.

Lastly, "Integrated building systems" (IBS) or "Voice/Data/Video" (VDV) electrical contractors are specialized contractors who work primarily with low-voltage installations and additions such as back-up power (UPS), climate controls, monitoring systems, wireless networks, LAN/WAN networks, energy-efficient lighting, telecommunications, fiber optics, and security systems. IBS contractors are particularly skilled with executing proper integration of these system controls to work collectively for maximum energy efficiency and ensuring peak reliability and performance within our critical infrastructure which we rely on heavily.

Electrical contractors are required to follow the National Electrical Code (NEC) just the same as all electricians. They ensure all electrical systems work in a safe way without any potential hazards. The NEC is a widely adhered to “code” book best utilized for the installation of electrical components and systems, with the intent of safeguarding persons and property from all hazards arising from the improper use of electricity. While these are the simplest, minimum code requirements and guidelines for electrical work, some municipalities and states modify selected areas of the NEC content to suit their specific circumstances usually requiring a stricter adherence or higher ruling to safety, or in California’s instance, a tighter adherence to energy efficiencies.

In summary, The Electrical Contractor has a unique position in ensuring electrical work gets performed safely, effectively, and within the guidelines of safe building practices for us to live comfortably without fear in our homes.

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