Working as a Master Electrician

This is the electrician that will generally oversee a staff of journeymen electricians, laborers, and electrician apprentices when working on residential, commercial, and industrial jobs. They will normally schedule each phase of the job in order to meet predetermined deadlines. They also order all the components, materials, and necessary parts for the job they are working on. On each stage of completion of the job before they can move to the next stage the master electrician will check the work to make sure it is in compliance with industry standards and codes and for quality.

When the project they will be working on is for new construction they will review the blueprints with the general contractor or with the crew. They will examine each wiring diagram and sketch to make sure that the correct specifications are in place. Next the master electrician will confirm all the electrical terms and symbols on the plans are correct and clear. By making sure that everything is correct before starting the job can greatly decrease incidents of error once the job has started.

With remodels the master electrician may approach them a little differently. They will still review the plans carefully but their focus will also include reviewing the current existing electrical and wiring systems to see what can and cannot be used again. Once they have this information then they will order all if the necessary materials for the remodeling job. They will also let their crew know what electrical and wiring systems are to be left intact to prevent any problems as the job proceeds

In addition to supervising his crew, they are usually required to be education on the maintenance, repair, safe removal of anything that is electrical, and installation. This can include switches, circuits, appliances, controls, systems, and outlets. They are also expected to know how to work around things like underground public utility systems or plumbing. If they need assistant or approval to do something they will need to know who to contact.

To be a successful master electrician they are usually required to have good managerial skills. This includes effectively project manpower requirements, how to negotiate the best prices for materials and supplies, and how to communicate with other contractors to identify any problems and be able to resolve the problem. On some industrial or commercial jobs they may also have to do progress reports. When working on a job the master electrician will frequently interact with the business owners or project manage if non-compliance issues come up they cannot resolve independently or the job is falling behind schedule.

In order to become a master electrician they will need have journeyman level experience and a license to work as a master electrician.