Hiring a local electrician in Camp Hill: what to ask before you book

Picking the right sparky in Camp Hill (or anywhere in SE Brisbane) is mostly about asking the right questions on the phone. Here's the filter.

The 9 questions

Ring them. Ask:

1. "Do you have a current QLD electrical contractor's licence?" They should answer with a number, not just "yes".
2. "Are you insured? Public liability and workers' comp?" Should be $20M PL minimum.
3. "Do you give written, fixed-price quotes?" "Time and materials" is a red flag for non-trivial jobs.
4. "What's your call-out fee for standard quotes?" Free during business hours is standard.
5. "Will it be you on the job, or someone else?" For a one-man shop, this should be straightforward.
6. "Will you handle Energex paperwork?" A good sparky does this for you.
7. "What's your warranty on workmanship?" Lifetime is best, 5 years is acceptable, less than that is a flag.
8. "Will you supply a Form 16 / Certificate of Test on completion?" It's legally required, they should say yes immediately.
9. "Can I see a recent photo of similar work?" Quality shows in the labels and the cable management.

Red flags

• "Cash only, mate." (You won't get a CES, you won't have warranty, the work probably isn't certified.)
• "We're actually based on the Gold Coast but we'll come up." (Local matters for follow-up.)
• "Just rough it in, the certification can be sorted later." (No.)
• "The tester's out of battery, I'll come back tomorrow." (Always test before leaving.)
• Won't commit to a written quote.
• Shows up in an unmarked car or generic uniform.
• Asks for full payment up-front for a non-supply job.

Green flags

• Marked van, branded uniform, named electrician
• Will email you a copy of the licence and insurance before the job
• Quotes in writing within 24 to 48 hours of the visit
• Willing to walk you through the switchboard before they leave
• Provides photos of every label and the certificate via email
• Has Google reviews from your local suburb

How Voltech answers each

For full transparency:

1. QLD Electrical Contractor Licence: on file (we email it on request)
2. $20M PL, workers' comp current
3. Yes, every Voltech quote is fixed-price, written, valid 30 days
4. No call-out fee for standard quotes during business hours; $165 fixed for after-hours emergencies
5. John (the owner) on every single job. Always.
6. Yes, we lodge every Energex application and pay the network fee on your behalf
7. Lifetime workmanship warranty on installs
8. Yes. Form 16 + CES emailed before we leave
9. Yes, happy to send recent photos before the job

Ring 0411 054 811. Ask all 9 questions. We'll answer every one of them happily.

, John