What Are the Functions of Electrical Contractors for Your Commercial Needs?

An electrical contractor can mean a business enterprise or an individual. The business or individual businessperson outsources their skillset and capabilities to other businesses and households. They work on specialized needs related to design of the electrical systems; generally skilled electricians work under the supervision of the electrical contractors. When you hire a contractor’s agency, you must first verify their past samples and the nature of work that they do, before you assign them any new projects. Electricians can also become individual electrical contractors. Just as electricians hold required licenses to work, an electrical contractor must also hold the necessary licenses and insurances, which protects that homeowner from any hazard that can ruin their domestic front.

The Industry Segregates Electrical Contractors Based on the Three Main Types of Contractual Work They Take Up:

1. Inside contractors: Inside contractors are responsible for providing electricity for any structure within the property’s boundary limits. This also includes any substation or outdoor lighting. Inside contractors are also responsible for all cabling and electrical designs. They also take care of electrical maintenance for commercial, residential and institutional buildings.

2. Outside contractors: Outside contractors are responsible for the working of high-power transmissions. They oversee the flow of electricity generated at a power plant and that is carried through high-voltage lines and substations before it is distributed across homes, businesses and other facilities.

3. Voice/Data/Video (VDV) electrical contractors or Integrated Building Systems (IBS) or: IBS/VDV contractors are responsible to work on low-voltage transmissions. These include climate controls, wireless networks, telecommunications, fiber optics etc.

In general, electrical contractors hire electricians in many capacities. This is purely based on their level of experience and training.

Functions of the Expert Electrical Contractors:

1. Apprentice electrician: Apprentice electricians receive on-the-job training from a licensed journeyman. They are taught how to install, repair, modify and maintain power and lighting systems.

2. Journeyman electrician: Journeyman electricians read blueprints, install, repair, modify and maintain power and lighting systems. They can also terminate cables, install and troubleshoot control wirings from drawings.

3. Project supervisor: Responsible for the workforce. Project supervisors need to monitor progress of the workforce and deadlines.

4. Estimator: The role of the estimator is to estimate the cost of the project including materials and labor. At times the estimate is submitted as a bid. If the estimate is submitted as a bid and the bid is successful, the estimate is used as a guideline and a scheduling concept for the project.

In the U.S., the electrical contracting business is a whopping $130 million industry. In the U.S. and U.K. there are trade organizations responsible in overseeing the legitimate functioning of the electrical contracting industry. The U.K. has three main trade organizations. They are the SELECT – the Electrical Contractors’ Association for Scotland, Electrical Contractors Association and National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting, and that covers England, Wales and North Ireland. The electrical contractors maintain, repair, change and modify the cables and the wiring network, so that your house remains safe from any electrical hazards and emergencies. They manage large-scale projects related to hydroelectric power plants and also install and maintain power plant equipment.

The future of the electrical contracting industry is also on the upswing. The report 2021 Vision: The Future of the Electrical Contracting Industry has reported that the number of opportunities is increasing. The report is based out of a research project funded by NICEIC and ECA. The research project focused on the 10-year prediction for the industry, which includes the economic outlook and the range of work likely to be undertaken. The report suggests that the drive to reduce construction costs will have an impact to supply chain, however, this will have an overall positive influence with respect to improving overall efficiency.

The above mentioned all the functions will help you to find the best electrical contractors for your business needs.