One of the things that we feel is extremely important about our company and our technicians that sets us apart from a vast majority of our competitors in the State of Washington is that we are licensed electricians as required by State Law. Is your Service Technician properly licensed? When you think about it, it makes a lot of sense to be licensed electricians in our industry since we are dealing with 240 volts and water…….we should know something about electrical safety.
In a letter recently to a customer, I explained why it might be wise to ensure that the contractor they were using was licensed as required by Washington State Law. The customer insisted that the companies he had received bids from were licensed because in his business (apartment complexes), they check out their contractors thoroughly before hiring them. Evidently, he was unaware of the licensing requirements! This is an excerpt from the letter:
“Why are so many of the technicians in our industry unlicensed? The licensing is difficult to obtain and expensive to maintain. Therefore, a large percentage of our industry in the State of Washington (approximately 70 percent) are performing services for consumers (and businesses) without the appropriate State required licensing. I have enclosed the printouts from the Department of Labor & Industries so that you can see that both of the companies you mentioned in our phone call are not appropriately licensed to install or repair swimming pool or spa equipment. I have also provided the printout for our company showing that we are appropriately licensed. You can certainly contact L&I to inquire further on this requirement.
What does this mean to you as a homeowner, or more importantly perhaps, as a business? If you were to have an incident that involved an electrical issue on one of your properties (or in your home) relating to the swimming pool or spa, your insurance company could discover that you were not using appropriately licensed contractors and could invalidate any insurance claims leaving you individually responsible for any injury, death, or fire that may have occurred as a result of said incident.
Is it worth it for us to remain licensed when a vast majority of our competitors do not? We think so. We believe that it is in the best interest of our customers to follow the requirements of the State for our industry. Why do many of our competitors fail to obtain the appropriate licensing? The answer to that question is simple, because it is costly and many of them don’t have the knowledge or competency to be able to pass the exams.”
It’s easy to check to see if the company you are using is properly licensed. They should possess an active Contractor’s License as well as an active Electrical Contractor’s License. In addition, any technician performing work on any electrical component of a swimming pool or spa should be a licensed electrician.
To find out if a contractor is appropriately licensed and in good standing go here.
Please don’t leave the safety of your friends and family in the hands of unlicensed repair technicians. It may cost you a little bit more but they’re worth it.