So you're looking for information about Residential Electrical Contractor? Most non-union electricians start off learning their trade in the residential area.
It is the
most common work available, the simplest the learn, and the least expensive to
get into.
Now for the not so good news. Because of the sheer number of residential
electricians out there, it is also the most competitive, and hence the least
profitable type of electrical work to perform.
The fact that most of the work
isn't very technically difficult, means that the field is also flooded by
non-licensed handymen doing the work. This is another factor that contributes to
the lower profit margins in the residential electrical sector.
In any case, all is
not lost, because it is probably the best area to start learning your trade and
if you distinguish yourself from your competition, you can still make plenty of
money as a residential electrical contractor.
Residential electricians will usually do most of their wiring using Romex,
and the most common type of voltage they will encounter is 120 / 240 Volt single
Phase.
They will learn how to perform electrical service upgrades, wire
receptacles (outlets), switches, lights and all types of troubleshooting and
repairs.
All in all, a good residential apprentice electrician should be able to
perform all of this work on their own within 2-4 years. Also during this time,
they will have learned how to read electrical blueprints and have gained a deep
understanding of the National Electrical Codes (NEC).
Eventually, when you become a licensed electrical contractor, you will have
done most of these types of jobs, hundreds of times and it will no longer
present any type of technical challenge. In fact, the only challenge remaining,
would be to learn how to earn a good living doing residential work.
The good
point about residential type of work, is that you can now apply a
Flat Rate type of pricing system, and not only earn much more money than
your competition, but also get paid COD.
This means that you won't have to spend
valuable time chasing the money and worrying about getting paid, which is
probably the most common area of concern for residential electricians.