Hiring an electrician is not like hiring someone to mow your lawn. A bad electrical job can burn your house down, void your homeowner's insurance, or kill someone. That is not an exaggeration. The stakes are genuinely high, and spending thirty minutes vetting an electrician before you hire one is time well spent. Here is exactly what to check, what to ask, and what to walk away from.
Why Licensing Matters in South Carolina
South Carolina requires electricians to be licensed through the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (SC LLR). To earn a Journeyman license, an electrician must complete at least 8,000 hours of supervised on-the-job training and pass a written exam covering the National Electrical Code (NEC). A Master Electrician license requires additional experience and a separate exam. An Electrical Contractor license, which is what a company needs to legally pull permits and perform electrical work for hire, requires the business to have a Master Electrician on staff, carry insurance, and register with the state.
This matters because it means a licensed electrician has proven they understand the NEC, local building codes, and safe wiring practices. An unlicensed handyman who "does electrical on the side" has proven nothing. You can verify any South Carolina electrical license for free at llr.sc.gov. Search the contractor's name or license number and confirm it is active and in good standing. If someone tells you they are licensed but cannot give you a number to verify, that is your answer.
Licensed, Bonded, and Insured: What Each One Actually Means
These three words get thrown around together so often that most people treat them as a single phrase. They are three separate protections, and each one matters for a different reason.
Licensed means the electrician has met the state's training and testing requirements. It tells you they have demonstrated competence. Bonded means the contractor has purchased a surety bond, which is a financial guarantee that protects you if the contractor fails to complete the work or violates the terms of your agreement. If a bonded contractor takes your deposit and disappears, you can file a claim against the bond to recover your money. Insured means the contractor carries liability insurance and, critically, workers' compensation insurance.
Insurance is the one that protects you the most directly. If an uninsured electrician is injured while working in your home, you could be held liable for their medical bills. South Carolina law allows injured workers to sue the property owner if the contractor does not carry workers' compensation. General liability insurance protects you if the electrician damages your property during the job. Ask for a certificate of insurance and verify it is current. A legitimate contractor will hand it over without hesitation.
Get Everything in Writing
Before any work begins, you should have a written estimate or contract that includes the full scope of work, the total price, the payment schedule, the expected timeline, and any warranty on labor and materials. A verbal agreement is almost impossible to enforce if something goes wrong. A written scope of work protects both you and the electrician by making sure everyone agrees on exactly what is being done.
Pay close attention to what is not included. A good estimate will note exclusions clearly. For example, if you are having a panel upgrade, the estimate should specify whether the electrician is responsible for coordinating the utility disconnect with Aiken Electric Cooperative or Dominion Energy, or whether that falls on you. Details like drywall repair, painting, and permit fees should be addressed up front.
Flat-Rate Pricing vs. Hourly Pricing
Electricians typically charge one of two ways: a flat rate for the job, or an hourly rate plus materials. Both are legitimate, but they create very different experiences for the homeowner.
With hourly pricing, you are paying for the electrician's time regardless of how long the job takes. If a project runs into unexpected complications, the bill grows. This can make homeowners feel like they are "on the clock" and creates anxiety about every question or minor adjustment. Hourly rates in the Aiken area typically range from $75 to $150 per hour for a licensed electrician.
With flat-rate pricing, the electrician quotes a total price for the job before work begins. You know exactly what you will pay. If the job takes longer than expected, the price stays the same. The risk shifts from you to the contractor, which is why some electricians prefer hourly billing. From the homeowner's perspective, flat-rate pricing eliminates surprise bills and makes it easy to compare quotes between contractors.
Reading Reviews the Right Way
Online reviews are useful, but only if you read them carefully. A business with a hundred five-star reviews that all say "Great job!" tells you almost nothing. Look for reviews that describe specific work: "They upgraded our panel from 100 amps to 200 amps and finished in one day" or "They diagnosed a tripping breaker that two other electricians couldn't figure out." Specifics tell you the reviews are genuine and give you an idea of the contractor's strengths.
Also look at how the business responds to negative reviews. Every contractor gets a bad review eventually. What matters is whether they respond professionally and try to make it right, or whether they get defensive and blame the customer. That response tells you how they will treat you if something goes wrong with your job.
Red Flags That Should Make You Walk Away
Certain warning signs should end the conversation immediately:
- No license number on their website, truck, or invoice. Licensed contractors display their number because they earned it. If there is no number visible anywhere, ask why.
- They refuse to pull a permit. If the work requires a permit and they suggest skipping it to "save you money," they are putting your home at risk. Unpermitted electrical work can void your insurance coverage and become a serious problem when you sell your home.
- They want full payment before starting. A reasonable deposit of 25-50% for large projects is normal. Demanding 100% up front is not.
- No written estimate. If they will not put the price in writing, they are leaving room to change it later.
- "Cash only" discounts. This usually means they are avoiding a paper trail, which should make you wonder what else they are avoiding.
- Pressure to decide immediately. A legitimate electrician will give you time to compare quotes. If someone says the price is only good "right now," that is a sales tactic, not a business practice.
Permits and Inspections in Aiken
Electrical permits are required in Aiken County for most work beyond simple fixture replacements. Panel upgrades, new circuit installations, rewiring projects, and additions all require a permit and a subsequent inspection by the county building department. The electrician, not the homeowner, is responsible for pulling the permit and scheduling the inspection.
Skipping the permit might seem like it saves a few hundred dollars, but it creates two serious problems. First, if unpermitted electrical work causes a fire, your homeowner's insurance company may deny the claim. They will investigate, and unpermitted work gives them a reason to refuse payment. Second, when you sell your home, a buyer's inspection or title search may uncover unpermitted work, which can delay or kill the sale. The few hundred dollars you saved on the permit can cost you thousands later.
Ask About Warranty and Follow-Up
Good electricians stand behind their work. Ask what happens if something goes wrong after the job is complete. A reputable contractor will offer a workmanship warranty, typically one to two years, that covers any defects in their installation. This is separate from the manufacturer's warranty on the materials themselves.
More importantly, ask how responsive they are after the sale. Will they answer the phone if you have a question two months later? Will they come back to fix something without charging you a new service call fee? The willingness to stand behind completed work tells you a lot about a contractor's confidence in their own quality.
Why Local Experience Matters
An electrician based in Aiken who works in Aiken every day has advantages that a contractor driving in from Columbia or Augusta does not. They know the local building codes and any Aiken-specific amendments to the NEC. They have working relationships with the county inspectors, which means inspections get scheduled faster and go more smoothly. They understand the common electrical issues in Aiken homes, from the aluminum wiring found in many 1960s and 1970s ranch houses to the undersized panels in older homes near downtown.
Local also means faster response times. If you have an emergency at 10 PM on a Friday, a local electrician can be at your door in 30 to 45 minutes. A contractor two hours away cannot.
Choosing the right electrician comes down to doing a small amount of homework before you commit. Verify the license, confirm the insurance, get the estimate in writing, and trust your instincts about professionalism. The best electricians make this process easy because they have nothing to hide.