Within the construction industry is a continued need for highly qualified specialists in many areas, including carpentry, plumbing, and electricity. All are well-paying fields, but in particular the trade of master electrician can give a person a good standard of living and considerable career flexibility. The path to earning the title of master electrician is somewhat long and requires many hours of trade school or college coursework but is very well-marked with the apprenticeship experience required. Of course, as with any profession, the level of education and practical experience needed depends upon the state or territory within which you wish to learn such a valuable trade.

High school courses rich in math and science are a must if you wish to do well in your path to master electrician certification. These courses will give you a great background in which to be able to successfully complete trade school or junior college courses in physics (electricity) as well as safety and industrial maintenance. Most states require some up-front training in a trade school or college before beginning your on-the-job training as an electrician. Checking with your particular state or territory is necessary in order to assess the exact requirements for certification.

In addition to any classroom work, you will be required in most cases to fulfill at least two years of apprenticeship work with a licensed master electrician. It is during this time that you begin to learn this profession fully and gain a proper understanding of the responsibilities involved. The International Brotherhood of Electricians supports all apprenticeship activities, including helping potential apprentices find qualified master electricians with whom to learn. You should expect any master electrician you work with to be highly knowledgeable as well as very demanding as to what he or she expects from you. Be prepared both physically and mentally for a challenging two year period as you complete your apprenticeship.

After a total of four years between trade school and apprenticeship training, you should be prepared to take the licensing exam for journeyman electrician. If you pass this exam, you will be certified as a competent journeyman electrician. However, in many states, a journeyman electrician must still work under the direction of a master electrician. It will take on average another three to four years to gain enough experience before applying for the license of master journeyman electrician, or more simply, a master electrician.

In the United States, most licensed master electricians can expect between $40,000 and $70,000 per year as an average wage. Though pay is currently lower on average than over the past few years, this is expected to improve as the economy recovers and homebuilding rebounds. Also, some master electricians decide to open their own electrical business or consulting firm and can expect in many cases to out-earn the average expectation in most states. With such a certification, you are only limited by your willingness to work on both residential and commercial sites.

For many people the basement is a place of escape and for others it is simply a place for storage. With all the room underneath you, you don’t want it to go to waste. Renovating your basement can greatly increase the value of your home if it is unfinished or in need of an update. One important point to remember is the electrical wiring hiding behind the walls.

If you bought your home and it was already finished, that work could have been done many years ago and you might be thinking it is time to update fixtures, paint, and maybe evening moving a wall. When you begin pulling things apart, be careful for loose or old wires. If the electrical work was not done right, there could be loose electrical wires that were not tied in properly.  The wiring can also be old and out of date. If you are moving walls or replacing fixtures and you are worried about the age of the wiring, have a licenced electrician come to inspect your wiring. If you are going to go through the effort of redoing your basement you want to make sure it is done right.

For those who have an unfinished basement you have a clean slate to work from. Once you start putting up the framing for rooms, you can start on the electrical rough in. This is the foundation for the electrical wires, which includes drilling holes in the framing and running the wires to where they need to go. If this is not done correctly it could leave you with a significant headache once your drywall is up and you have to punch a hole in the brand new wall.

When you are planning out your new layout, make not of where each outlet, light switch, and light fixture will be placed. This will help you plan out the electrical rough-in. If you have reached this point in your basement renovation and don’t know where to go from there – contact Expert Electric. Our electricians can help you with the planning and running the wires through your basement.

Most electrical panels are located in the basement. Prior to your renovation, you probably could easily access the panel. When you are putting up framing and drywall, be sure to leave enough room around the panel for it to easily open. You also want to make sure not to cover it with furniture that could prevent you from accessing it quickly. In the event that you need to turn on a tripped breaker or even turn off a circuit in an emergency, you don’t want to be struggling with furniture to get the panel open.

Before you renovate your basement, have a plan and be prepared.

If You Do, We’ve Got The Cure!

We’re Custom Electrical Services, experts and experienced at “finishing up” those do-it-yourself or handyman projects that didn’t quite turn out the way you’d hoped.

Don’t get me wrong.  I understand the motivation for wanting to do it yourself or have a handyman friend hang a ceiling fan, move a chandelier or add an outlet.  You were probably trying to save money and avoid the aggravation of finding a reputable electrician who’ll show up on time, do the job on the first trip and do if for the price quoted!

But now your stuck.  The fan is wobbling.  The outlet doesn’t work.  The chandelier project is half done or maybe never got started because you didn’t have the right tools or parts.

Have no fear!

Call 515-669-3418.  My technicians are trained professionals experienced at “stepping in” and finish up electrical projects, large and small, to your complete satisfaction.  And you’ll be relieved to know:

So, don’t despair!  The cure for your projects hangover is one call away.

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