At Electrification Power Xperts, we know there are hundreds of electrical contractors and electricians you can choose from to get your electrical project done! We also know that the less experience an electrician knows, the cheaper it’s going to cost.
Here are the levels of electricians out in the field.
Apprentice License: The candidate must be 16 years old or older and submit the required form.
Residential Wireman: As an apprentice, acquire 4,000 hours of on-the-job training (That’s equivalent to 2 years) under the supervision of a Master electrician or residential wireman and pass a residential wireman certification test and record a passing score.
Journeyman License: As an apprentice, acquire 8,000 hours of on-the-job training (That’s equivalent to 4 years) under the supervision of a Master electrician to then apply for and take the Journeyman certification test and record a passing score.
Master Electrician: As a Journeyman, acquire 12,000 hours of work (That’s equivalent to 6 years total) under a master electrician, hold a Journeyman license for 2 years, then apply for and take the Master test and record a passing score.
Simply put-
- an apprentice electrician is not authorized to work without the supervision of a master or journeyman electrician.
- a residential wireman is not authorized to work without the supervision of a master electrician or residential wireman.
- a journeyman electrician is not authorized to work without the supervision of the master electrician.
- Ultimately, the master electrician is liable and responsible for the apprentice, wireman and journeyman electricians.
The question I would like for you to ponder on is this- which kind of electrician is working on your home or business? Do you know? If you don’t, you are taking on a big risk! Without knowing, you might just have an apprentice with only 2 years of experience, maybe even just 1 year working on some critical electrical components, that if done wrong or incorrectly, can cause major problems that will cost you twice as much to repair.
You have the RIGHT to ask what license your electrician has and to show proof of that license. It should be active and current to be valid. You can always check that license by visiting texas.gov
To answer the question, is cheaper always better? In many cases the answer is NO-
- No, if you have an apprentice or residential wireman without the supervision of a master or journeyman electrician.
- Yes, if you have a master electrician supervising the journeyman, residential wireman and apprentice.
We want you to be informed and knowledgeable in order to make the best decision for you and your family or business.
