Questions to ask
1. Is your company a licensed Washington electrical contractor, who is your assigned administrator or master electrician, and do you have a Seattle business license?
Why it matters: In Washington, any business in the electrical construction trade needs an electrical contractor license from L&I. General (01) contractors can do all types of electrical work, while specialty contractors are limited to a specific category. To get the license, a company needs a UBI business number, a certified electrical administrator or master electrician assigned to it, a surety bond or savings assignment on file with the state, and a workers’ compensation account if it has employees (L&I electrical contractor licensing; RCW 19.28.041). L&I encourages general liability insurance but does not track it for electrical contractors, so ask for the certificate yourself. Seattle adds its own requirement: anyone applying for an electrical permit in the city must have both a Washington electrical contractor license and a Seattle business license (SDCI electrical permit). Ask for the L&I license number, whether it is a general or specialty license, and the name of the administrator, then look it up on the L&I Verify tool, which also shows bond status and any violations.
2. Who will actually work on my panel, what Washington certificate does each person hold, and how many trainees will one electrician be supervising?
Why it matters: Washington certifies individual electricians as well as contractors. No one may do electrical construction work without a master or journey level electrician certificate, or a specialty certificate such as residential, unless they hold an electrical training certificate and work under supervision (RCW 19.28.161). L&I says the trainee and the supervising electrician must be on the same jobsite, and in general one journey level electrician can supervise only one trainee on journey level work, or one specialty electrician two trainees on specialty work (L&I electrical trainees). Trainees must carry their certificate and photo ID on the job. Ask who will be on-site each day, what certificate each person holds, and who the certified electrician on your job is, then check the names on the same L&I Verify tool. Two trainees working alone in your basement while the electrician is at another job is outside the rules, whatever the company’s license says.
3. Will you pull the Seattle electrical permit in your company’s name, does my job need plan review, and who will schedule and meet the inspector?
Why it matters: Seattle is one of the cities that runs its own electrical program, so permits and inspections inside city limits come from the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI), not L&I. SDCI says you need an electrical permit any time wiring is installed, altered, extended, or connected to equipment; only a short list of items, such as dimmers, thermostats, water heaters, and baseboard heaters, can be replaced like-for-like without one (SDCI electrical permit; SDCI electrical permit FAQ). Most single-family work is a self-issued, over-the-counter permit, can be printed right after you apply when no plan review is needed, while larger jobs need plan review under Seattle Electrical Code sections 80.50 and 80.51 (Which electrical permit should I choose?). Most permits need three inspections (cover, service, and final), plus feeder inspections if there is a subpanel, and SDCI says the contractor or installer is responsible for scheduling them. Ask which permit your job needs, whether the fee is in the quote, and how long they expect to wait for inspections; SDCI warns that the next available slot can be several days out. Shoreline, Burien, and other nearby cities run their own permits, and outside a city program the permit usually comes from L&I, so confirm which office covers your address.
4. You aren’t asking me to pull the permit as the homeowner, are you?
Why it matters: Seattle lets property owners do their own electrical work when they own and occupy the property, and SDCI is clear that if you are not doing the work yourself, you must hire an electrical contractor (SDCI electrical permit FAQ). State law draws the same line: the owner exemption covers work on your own property, not a paid crew, and it does not apply to a new building meant for rent, sale, or lease, or to property offered for sale within 12 months after you got it (RCW 19.28.261). A friend or relative can help you, but only if no one involved holds themselves out as being in the electrical business. If an electrician suggests you pull a homeowner permit so they can do the job, you become the responsible party for code compliance and inspections, and you lose the protection of the contractor’s license and bond. Treat it as a reason to call someone else.
5. Which code will my permit be inspected under, and are you current on the Seattle amendments?
Why it matters: Inside the city, electrical work must meet the Seattle Electrical Code, which is the 2023 National Electrical Code plus Seattle’s own amendments and administrative rules, and as of October 2026 SDCI lists no proposed changes (SDCI electrical code; 2023 Seattle Electrical Code quick reference). Washington L&I has adopted the 2026 NEC statewide, effective December 31, 2026, for permits issued on or after that date (WAC 296-46B-010; WSR 25-23-069). Seattle has not yet published its 2026 update, so if your permit will be issued around the turn of the year, ask which edition applies. The edition affects details like where GFCI and AFCI protection, surge protection, and outdoor disconnects are required. Ask which code your bid is built on, which requirements add to your scope or price, and how they handle an inspector’s correction notice. SDCI offers free 20-minute video coaching sessions and an electrical technical support line, and a good contractor will not mind you checking.
6. If the job touches my service or meter, will you file the Seattle City Light application, and what has to happen before power is reconnected?
Why it matters: City Light requires an electric service application for any alteration or removal of an existing service, new permanent or temporary service, or a solar interconnection, and says to allow 4 to 6 weeks for initial processing (Seattle City Light: apply for new or upgraded service). Service work needs two inspections: first the local permitting office (SDCI in Seattle) inspects and signs off that the equipment is safe to energize, and only then does City Light do its own inspection. City Light cannot do any work until the local service inspection has passed, and it requires payment for its part before completing the connection. City Light notes that this charge may or may not be included in your contractor’s price. City Light installs and owns the meter, while the meter socket, enclosures, conduit, and conductors on your side belong to you, and equipment must meet its Requirements for Electric Service Connection. Ask who files the application, whether City Light’s charges are in the quote, how long you will be without power, and what the schedule looks like if the inspection or the crew is delayed. City Light also serves some neighboring cities such as Shoreline and Burien, but much of the Eastside and other suburbs are served by Puget Sound Energy, which has its own rules.
7. For an EV charger or a heat pump, will you do a load study first, and what are my options if the service is too small?
Why it matters: SDCI says electrical permits are required for every EV charger installation; a typical 40-amp Level 2 charger at a single-family home needs no plan review and can be permitted online, though bigger systems fed from services or feeders of 400 amps or more may need review (SDCI Tip 132: EV chargers at home). The bigger question in an older Seattle house is capacity. City Light says to have a load study done before adding load such as EV charging or heat pumps, because it looks at your existing equipment, the new equipment, and the size of the home to decide whether your current service is enough (City Light: capacity, load, and electrical service). City Light does not do load studies itself, and it encourages energy management and other ways to reduce peak load that can avoid a service upgrade. Ask for a written load calculation, the charger’s amperage and circuit size, whether a load-management device or smart panel could avoid an upgrade, and what a City Light service upgrade would involve if one is needed. City Light’s current EV incentives are aimed at public, multifamily, and business charging rather than single-family homes (City Light: electric vehicles), so be skeptical of a quote that counts on a utility rebate for a house without naming the program. Condo owners need building approval before anything else.
8. For a generator, battery, or solar tie-in, what transfer switch or interconnection will you use, and will you get City Light’s approval before I buy equipment?
Why it matters: City Light says a standby generator connected to your home’s wiring needs a transfer switch installed by a licensed electrician and approved by City Light, that connecting a generator to household wiring without one creates a backfeed that endangers line crews, and that simply opening the main breaker to isolate the house is illegal and unsafe (City Light: generators). Solar and battery systems that can run in parallel with the grid follow City Light’s interconnection process: an online application with one-line diagrams and equipment specs, possible engineering review (for example for systems over 12 kW or with battery backup), a signed interconnection agreement, and a Permission to Construct letter before installation starts (City Light: installing a solar array). The system cannot be energized for regular use until City Light issues a Permission to Operate letter, and you pay for any upgrades needed only because of the system. Net metering is not available in City Light’s network areas, which cover most of downtown and parts of First Hill, South Lake Union, and the University District. Ask whether your address is in one of those areas, who files the paperwork, and whether the quote assumes approvals you do not have yet. For a portable generator, ask how the inlet and cord are rated and where the unit will sit relative to windows and vents.
9. Given Seattle’s older homes and winter windstorms, how will you assess the wiring, grounding, panel, and any storm damage before quoting a full fix?
Why it matters: Many Seattle neighborhoods are full of early-1900s Craftsman houses, foursquares, and postwar homes with knob-and-tube remnants, ungrounded two-wire circuits, small services, aging panel brands, and basements and attics finished over old wiring. Big trees and winter windstorms also pull down service drops and damage meter masts. A low bid that only swaps the failed part can miss the larger condition, and a high bid that recommends a full rewire after five minutes may not be justified either. Ask whether they will inspect accessible wiring methods, grounding and bonding, panel brand and condition, and available capacity; whether they recommend repair, a partial rewire, or a service upgrade, and why; and, after a storm, which damaged parts belong to City Light and which are yours to repair. If you are filing an insurance claim, ask whether they will document the damage with photos and a written description. Require a stop-and-call process before extra work begins.
10. Will you give me a written contract and lien releases from your suppliers and subcontractors as I pay?
Why it matters: Get the company name, L&I license number, scope, payment schedule, start and finish dates, change-order process, and warranty in writing before work starts. Under Washington’s lien law, suppliers and subcontractors who are not paid can file a lien against your property. For the repair, alteration, or remodel of an existing owner-occupied single-family home, a supplier or subcontractor who did not contract with you directly must send you a notice of its right to claim a lien, and its lien can only be paid from amounts you had not yet paid your contractor when you received that notice (RCW 60.04.031). L&I advises taking any lien notice seriously, asking your contractor for lien release documents when one arrives and holding further payments until it is resolved, paying with joint checks to the contractor and the subcontractor or supplier, and getting signed lien releases before final payment; it also notes a lien against a consumer must be filed within 90 days after work stops or materials are delivered (L&I: about liens). On larger jobs, ask for releases with each progress payment, and talk with a Washington attorney if a lien notice arrives.
11. What does the written estimate include, how do you handle no-power emergencies, and can you give me recent Seattle-area references?
Why it matters: “Fix the outlets” is not a scope. A good quote lists the circuits affected, breaker sizes, wire type and gauge, device and panel brands (including GFCI and AFCI devices), any service or meter work, permit and inspection fees, City Light coordination and charges, patching of plaster or drywall, debris disposal, and cleanup. Ask how they handle surprises such as hidden knob-and-tube, overfilled boxes, or aluminum branch wiring, and get the manufacturer warranty and the contractor’s labor warranty in writing separately. For emergencies, ask what after-hours and weekend rates apply, what the minimum call-out and diagnosis charges are, and how fast they typically respond when a main breaker fails during a winter storm. Then ask for two or three recent local references for similar jobs, ideally in a similar type of house, and ask those customers whether the work passed inspection the first time.
Red flags
- Cannot give you a Washington L&I electrical contractor license number and the name of its administrator or master electrician that you can verify, or has no Seattle business license.
- Asks you to pull a homeowner permit in your own name, or offers a lower price to skip the permit or inspection.
- Sends trainees to work on your panel with no certified electrician on the same jobsite.
- Promises power back on before the SDCI service inspection and City Light’s own inspection, or has not mentioned City Light’s application at all for a service upgrade.
- Wires a generator into an outlet, or tells you to just flip the main breaker off when running one.
- Sells you solar or batteries and starts installation before City Light has issued a Permission to Construct.
- Quotes a full rewire or service upgrade after a five-minute look with no load calculation or written options.
- Wants cash, full payment up front, or a large deposit with no written contract, change-order process, or lien releases.
Next-step checklist
- Verify the company’s electrical contractor license and each electrician’s certificate on the L&I Verify tool, and ask for the Seattle business license.
- Ask who will be on-site, what certificate each person holds, and how trainees will be supervised.
- Get at least two written quotes for the same scope, listing circuits, breaker sizes, wire type, device and panel brands, and any service or meter work.
- Confirm the contractor will pull the SDCI permit (or your city’s or L&I’s) in their own name, whether plan review is needed, and who schedules and meets the inspector.
- If the service or meter is involved, get the City Light application, charges, outage length, and reconnect steps in writing.
- For EV chargers, heat pumps, generators, batteries, or solar, ask for a load study and confirm any City Light approvals before you buy equipment.
- Use a written contract with a payment schedule and change-order process; collect lien releases with payments; hold final payment until inspections pass.
- Keep the permit record, inspection results, warranty paperwork, and final invoice for resale and future service.
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