Benefits of Hiring a Licensed Commercial Electrician

Hiring a licensed commercial electrician is crucial to protecting your business from dangers associated with electricity, ensuring code compliance, and providing reliable energy to save you money. Whether your commercial property needs electrical maintenance, installation or something else, a licensed professional is always the best option for business owners.

Why Licensing Is Necessary for Electrical Work

Hiring a licensed commercial electrician in Maryland ensures your electrical work will be handled safely, professionally and according to industry standards.

While residential electrical work is fairly similar to commercial, commercial buildings and facilities require significantly more electricity to operate and have different electrical requirements. A licensed professional is trained and qualified to handle any commercial electrical work, no matter how simple or complex.

Insurance Coverage

A licensed commercial electrical contractor has the proper insurance coverage to ensure the safety of your employees and business. Most unlicensed contractors do not carry workers' compensation or liability insurance, and if an accident occurs, an insurance company might deny a claim, leaving the business owner responsible for the costs.

Safety

A licensed commercial electrician in Maryland can help keep your employees, customers, and building safe from electrical hazards. Faulty wiring and circuits can cause serious injury or even start a fire.

Hiring a professional can help avoid these issues by:

• Making sure circuits and panels can handle the electricity being supplied to each part of your business
• Providing proper grounding and surge protection
  Noticing potentially dangerous situations and warning you
• Taking the proper steps to keep workers from electricity hazards like lockout/tagout procedures.

If a business has a commercial kitchen with multiple appliances running at once, the electrical service and panels must be able to handle the increased load.

A professional will make sure the circuits supplying power to the kitchen can handle the load. While this may raise the bill for the job, it ultimately saves the business owner money by avoiding a fire or other hazard.

Code Compliance

Many areas in Maryland have specific, strict electrical codes to follow in order to pass inspections. A licensed electrician will know which codes apply to your commercial property and will make sure the electrical work being done is up to code.

By hiring a professional, you avoid having to worry about the permitting process and save time by having your electrical work approved the first time it's inspected. Code compliance is important to avoid fines and delays to a commercial build. Having a commercial property that is up to code is also important if you end up selling or renting the building, as many potential buyers or renters will want to see that the property has been inspected and is code compliant.

Installation Services

A professional can help to ensure your commercial electrical installation services are done right the first time.
When planning your installation, it's important to think about your current and future electrical needs. An experienced commercial electrician in Maryland can help you plan so that your electrical service, panels and circuits can accommodate future expansions or renovations to your business.

Common commercial electrical installation services include:

• New construction or build-outs
• Panel and service upgrades
• Lighting installation and repairs
• Equipment, machinery and server room power
• EV charging station installation

Having a professional installation avoids unnecessary power outages and flickering, dimming or faulty lights that can be a nuisance to employees and customers.

Energy Savings

A large portion of a business's operating costs go towards electricity, and there are many ways a licensed commercial electrician can help reduce these costs. By using more energy efficient lighting, such as LEDs and occupancy sensors, upgrading your power distribution, and balancing out loads an electrician can reduce your energy costs.

A professional can also help detect and fix issues that may unnecessarily increase a business's electricity bill. By eliminating these issues, a commercial electrician can help a business save money on its energy costs.

Cost Savings

While hiring a licensed commercial electrician may seem like it will cost more money than hiring an unlicensed contractor, a professional can actually end up saving a business owner money in the long run. If a business hires an unlicensed and inexperienced electrician, they run the risk of having to return to pay to have an electrical issue fixed if the initial repair ends up causing or contributing to another issue.

A professional avoids this issue by providing high-quality electrical work, which also helps to avoid problems with code compliance, insurance claims and equipment damage. Electrical issues can also cause a business to close for a period of time, which results in the owner losing sales. Having a commercial property with well-done electrical work helps to ensure these situations don't happen.

Proper commercial electrical maintenance can also save a business money in the long run. By doing regular electrical maintenance instead of waiting for an emergency to occur, a licensed electrician can help prevent potential issues from arising.

A maintenance plan also allows a business to budget for electrical maintenance and inspections and helps to keep costs down by avoiding emergency service fees. A professional can also detect and address problems earlier, helping to prevent costly repairs or replacements.

Troubleshooting

When electrical issues occur, it's important that they're addressed as soon as possible. Licensed commercial electricians have the proper tools and expertise to troubleshoot and fix issues without causing additional problems. A professional can identify faults like faulty breakers, loose connections, and overloads and repair or replace them.

This avoids the need for additional troubleshooting later on and helps to keep your electrical service and equipment running smoothly. Many commercial electrical services companies offer emergency service, which means a qualified electrician can come out and address the issue. Emergency service can be especially useful if an issue results in a power outage that affects essential equipment.

Commercial Battery Storage Installation Services

Many businesses in Maryland are looking to reduce their costs and ensure a steady electricity supply, and commercial battery storage installation services can help provide both.
A battery storage system holds electricity and can be used in a variety of situations, including storing electricity from the commercial solar power system during off-peak hours to be used later when rates are higher.

Reduces Downtime and Increases Reliability

Having a battery storage system means that if there is a power outage or interruption, your business can continue to operate.

Many businesses, especially those with essential equipment or life-support devices, can't afford to lose power for an extended period of time. A battery storage system ensures that the business can keep operating until the electricity is restored or until a backup generator can come online.

Reduces Demand and Energy Costs

Many businesses in Maryland have electrical bills that include demand charges, which are based on the business's peak electricity usage throughout the month. By using a commercial battery storage system during these peak times, businesses can reduce the amount they're charged for demand.
Pairing a commercial battery storage system with a solar power system can also help ensure that a business gets more use out of the electricity it produces, instead of sending it back to the grid.

Why Proper Installation Is Important

Commercial energy storage systems are high-voltage equipment and should be installed by a qualified, licensed commercial electrician. The proper installation should take into account the specific needs of the business, including how much power is needed and how it will be used. A licensed electrician can make sure the system is sized correctly in order to get the most use out of the battery storage system.

What to Look for in a Commercial Electrical Contractor

Not every commercial electrician is right for every job, and it's important to shop around and ask questions before hiring anyone. When looking for a commercial electrical contractor, it's important to ask about their licensing and insurance, experience with similar projects, written estimates, references and commercial electrical maintenance services, and availability for future service and maintenance.

A contractor who communicates well and can explain the electrical work and options in detail is likely to be more qualified and care about how the job impacts your business.

Conclusion

Hiring a licensed commercial electrician can provide a variety of benefits to a business, including electrical work that is safe, code-compliant, and reliable, energy efficient installations that lower operating costs and efficient troubleshooting services that minimize downtime. With many different electrical needs, a commercial property owner can also benefit from hiring a professional who can handle any electrical work, from simple repairs to new electrical installations. Companies such as Got Electric, LLC provide a wide range of commercial electrical services, including maintenance, installation and repair, and commercial battery storage installation services for clients in Maryland. If you're considering a commercial electrical upgrade or want assistance with electrical maintenance, contact Got Electric, LLC for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions