Questions to ask
1. Are you licensed with the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) for electrical work — typically a C-10 — and can I see the license number?
Why it matters: In California, electrical contractors generally need an active CSLB license in a classification that covers the work — commonly the C-10 Electrical Contractor classification (placing, installing, or connecting wires, fixtures, appliances, apparatus, raceways, conduits, and solar photovoltaic cells or systems that use electrical energy). Ask for the exact license number and check license status, classification, and any complaint history on CSLB’s license check before anyone opens your panel. Ask separately for proof of the required contractor bond and workers’ compensation coverage (or a valid exemption), plus a current liability insurance certificate. A city business license or a truck wrap is not the same thing as a verified contractor license.
2. Which people on my job are California-certified electricians (or registered apprentices), and can I verify their DIR certification?
Why it matters: Separately from the company C-10 license, California generally requires people who perform electrician work for a C-10 contractor to hold DIR electrician certification (or to work as a registered apprentice under proper supervision). Categories include General Electrician, Residential Electrician, and others; a General Electrician certification covers required work in all categories. The C-10 license’s qualifying individual may perform and supervise work without a separate certificate, but other employees who make connections above the low-voltage exception typically need certification. Ask who will be on-site, which certification category they hold, and verify status on the DIR electrician certification search. Uncertified labor on a C-10 job is a red flag for you and a compliance risk for the contractor (DIR Electrician Certification FAQs; California Labor Code §108.2).
3. Do you pull the electrical permit with LADBS or my local building department, and who schedules the inspections?
Why it matters: Most new circuits, panel/service changes, rewiring, and EV-charger installs need an electrical permit and inspection. Inside City of Los Angeles limits, permits go through the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS). LADBS lists many non-engineered electrical jobs as express (no plan check) permits when they stay under 600 volts and up to 400 amps total load in existing residential, office, or retail buildings — including rewiring or adding devices on existing circuits, and electric-vehicle charging installations (with associated wiring/service work) up to that service size (LADBS Express Permits bulletin P/GI 2026-003). Larger or engineered work needs plan check. Other cities in LA County and unincorporated areas have their own building departments. Ask who pulls the permit, who meets the inspector, whether fees are in the quote, and confirm your exact jurisdiction. A contractor who offers a discount to “skip the permit” is handing you the risk at resale and in any insurance claim.
4. If this job touches the service or panel, how will you coordinate with LADWP (or my utility) for meter spot, disconnect, and reconnect?
Why it matters: In LADWP territory, a new or relocated residential service panel typically needs a free meter spot before install so the panel lands where LADWP and code allow. LADWP’s Guide to Electric Service notes that you must arrange a meter spot and that LADBS must inspect and electronically release the service before LADWP reconnects the meter; the release details must match the permit. Online meter-spot requests cover single-family / ADU services up to 320 amps; larger services go through LADWP’s Connection Center. Ask who requests the meter spot, how long disconnect/reconnect usually takes, what you should prepare (medical devices, refrigerators, home office), and whether SCE or another utility applies if you are outside LADWP. A bid that ignores utility coordination often stalls mid-job.
5. Which edition of the California Electrical Code (Title 24, Part 3) and energy rules (Title 24, Part 6) will this job be permitted under?
Why it matters: California’s building standards are in Title 24. The 2025 California Electrical Code (Title 24, Part 3) became the mandatory statewide electrical code for permits applied for on or after January 1, 2026 (it replaced the prior 2022 CEC cycle). Title 24, Part 6 (the Energy Code) can also affect lighting alterations, controls, and electrification-related work. Ask which code cycle your permit will use, whether AFCI/GFCI, tamper-resistant receptacles, or other device rules apply to your scope, and whether any Energy Code forms or acceptance tests are in the quote. “We always do it the old way” is not a plan — the permit date controls which edition applies.
6. If I want an EV charger, will you use the city’s streamlined (AB 1236) permitting path, and does my panel and service have capacity?
Why it matters: California requires cities and counties to offer an expedited, checklist-based permitting process for electric vehicle charging stations under AB 1236 and AB 970 (health-and-safety review only, administrative approval, posted checklists). In the City of Los Angeles, LADBS express electrical permits explicitly cover residential EVCS installs (including needed charging equipment, service upgrade, receptacle, and associated wiring) for services up to 400 amps; apartment/commercial sites may still need separate building plan check for accessibility. Ask for a load calculation on your existing panel, whether a panel or service upgrade is required, charger amperage and circuit design, and who submits the expedited package. A low bid that skips load math can leave you with a useless outlet — or a mid-job upgrade.
7. Given older LA housing stock, how will you assess knob-and-tube, aluminum branch circuits, or undersized panels before quoting a full fix?
Why it matters: Many Los Angeles neighborhoods still have homes with original knob-and-tube, aging Federal Pacific or Zinsco panels, aluminum branch wiring from later decades, or panels too small for modern loads (heat pumps, EV chargers, home offices). A low bid that only swaps the failed device can miss the larger condition. Ask whether they will inspect accessible wiring methods, panel brand/age, grounding/bonding, and available capacity; whether they recommend repair vs. partial rewire vs. service upgrade; and how they price exploratory work if walls or attics must open. Require a stop-and-call process before extra work begins.
8. Will the written agreement be a California home-improvement contract — with cancellation rights, down-payment limits, and a mechanics-lien warning?
Why it matters: California requires a written home-improvement contract for projects above a low statutory labor-and-materials threshold, with required notices about your rights (CSLB: contracts and binding agreements). Ask whether the contract includes the three-business-day cancellation notice (longer for some older buyers on qualifying solicitations), the mechanics-lien warning, and payment terms that respect CSLB’s down-payment limit (the lesser of ten percent of the contract price or a fixed statutory dollar cap — unless the rare blanket performance-and-payment bond exception applies). Progress payments should track completed work and delivered materials. Get change orders in writing. Verbal “we’ll figure it out” is not a contract.
9. What does the written estimate include — circuits, breaker sizes, wire type, device brands, panel work, disposal, and labor warranty?
Why it matters: “Fix the outlets” is not a scope. A good quote lists circuits affected, breaker sizes, wire type and gauge, device brands (for example GFCI/AFCI breakers or receptacles), any panel or service work, permit and inspection fees, utility coordination, debris disposal, and cleanup. Ask how they handle surprises (hidden damage, aluminum pigtails, full boxes), and require a stop-and-call change-order process. Get the manufacturer warranty and the contractor’s labor warranty in writing separately, and confirm who registers equipment when that matters.
10. Do you carry workers’ compensation and liability insurance, and is your CSLB bond active — and how do you handle Cal/OSHA-safe practices on my property?
Why it matters: Electrical work involves shock, arc-flash, and fall risks. Use CSLB’s license check to confirm the license is active and the classification covers the work, then ask separately for proof of the required contractor bond and workers’ compensation coverage (or a valid exemption), plus a current certificate of liability insurance naming your address on larger jobs. Crews should follow safe work practices consistent with Cal/OSHA expectations (lockout/tagout, PPE, ladder and attic safety). Ask who is covered if a helper is injured on your property, and whether subcontractors bring their own insurance. “We’re bonded” alone is not a substitute for verifying the license and getting bond, workers’ compensation, and liability certificates in hand.
11. How do you handle after-hours or no-power emergencies, and can you give me recent Los Angeles–area references?
Why it matters: When a main breaker fails on a Friday night or a heat wave coincides with a panel problem, response time and pricing matter. Ask what after-hours or weekend rates apply, what the minimum call-out and diagnosis fees are, and whether a prior customer gets priority. Then ask for two or three recent local references for similar jobs — ideally in a similar part of town and housing type (bungalow rewire, condo panel, EV circuit, service upgrade). References tell you about punctuality, permit follow-through, cleanup, and whether the work passed inspection the first time.
Red flags
- Cannot give you a CSLB license number you can verify, or the license classification does not cover electrical work (look for C-10 or another classification that legally covers the scope).
- Employees who will open circuits cannot show DIR electrician certification (and are not registered apprentices under proper supervision), while the company is operating under a C-10.
- Offers a lower price to skip the permit, the inspection, or LADWP/utility coordination on service or panel work.
- Quotes a full panel or service upgrade after a five-minute glance with no load discussion or written options.
- Pushes a large down payment beyond CSLB’s statutory limit, or wants full cash before materials arrive, without a rare blanket-bond exception you can verify on the license.
- No written home-improvement contract, no cancellation notice, and no mechanics-lien warning on a job that requires them.
- “Tonight only” scare pricing (“your house will burn down”) before you can get a second quote or verify the license.
Next-step checklist
- Verify each contractor’s CSLB license status and C-10 (or other) classification on CSLB’s license check, and ask separately for proof of bond and workers’ compensation coverage.
- Ask who will be on-site and verify DIR electrician certification (or apprentice registration) on the DIR certification search.
- Get at least two written quotes for the same scope, with circuits, breaker sizes, wire type, device brands, and any panel/service work listed.
- Confirm your jurisdiction (City of LA through LADBS, or another city or county) and who pulls the permit and meets the inspector.
- If the job touches the service or meter, confirm LADWP (or your utility) meter-spot / disconnect / reconnect steps and timing in writing.
- For EV chargers, ask about the AB 1236 streamlined checklist path and a panel load calculation before you buy equipment.
- Use a proper home-improvement contract: cancellation rights, down-payment limits, mechanics-lien warning, and a stop-and-call change-order process.
- Keep the permit record, inspection sign-offs, warranty paperwork, and final invoice for resale and future service.
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