How to Do Your Own Electrical Work

It’s easy to find people to replace your windows or install the siding. They practically fall out of the sky. But try finding an electrician when you need one. Along with plumbers, a good electrician—especially one who has time to take on contract work for a do-it-yourself renovator—can be hard to find.

If you’re intent on saving money on remodelling costs, the first place to start is with highly skilled trades like electricians. The downside of this, of course, is that “highly skilled” will come back to haunt you. There is a learning curve associated with electrical work that you don’t find in something like demolition work.

Compared to drywall installation or demolition—or any other type of renovation work—electrical work is clean. You get to work in a clean environment for the most part, unless you are in a crawlspace or attic. Compared to most DIY work, it’s breathtakingly neat. That said, there is the possibility of peripheral work that isn’t so clean: breaking into drywall to access cables; getting into messy ceiling cavities; crawling around in basements and crawlspaces.

There is nothing squishy about electrical work. It’s all based on tried and true rules and methods—all very logical. You have books and tables to guide you along, and if something isn’t working, there is a very real reason why it isn’t working. You can not—and should not—improvise your electrical work. There is no duct-taping, construction-glueing, tweaking, or fudging of electrical work. So, if you are a rule-follower, electrical work might suit your style.