Thanks to all the do-it-yourself tutorials on Youtube and TV, you might think you’re ready to wire up your house. However, before you dive headlong into the project, consider a couple very practical reasons why you should hire a real Redding electrician rather than braving the project yourself.

Electricians Have Training

There’s a reason they did—and the training didn’t just come from Youtube do-it-yourselfers either. It’s a skilled field. Electricians get trained and certified in several ways. They can go through a certificate or diploma program or work as an apprentice. Often, they do a combination of both. After they’ve obtained some work experience, they can then apply for a license, which is required in many states. Electricians are trained on electrical concepts, codes, standards, safety, first aid, and mechanical skills. To maintain their license, electricians typically are required to do a certain number of continuing education hours every year, as well as occasional examinations.

DIY Could Endanger Your Life

It’s a real fact that electrical work is dangerous. The National Safety Council estimates that about 4,400 injuries and 325 deaths occur every year due to electrical hazards. Additionally, they state that electricity is the sixth highest cause of occupational fatalities. Not only that, but the U.S. Fire Administration says that an estimated 25,900 residential electrical fires are reported in the United States every year. Those are frightening statistics. When you don’t understand electrical technology, it’s like playing with fire. Stay safe and call your local electrician.

DIY Could Endanger Other People’s Lives

Shoddy wiring and incorrectly installed electrical systems can cause fire hazards down the road. You may think that your low-cost DIY rewiring job is working out just fine, but there could problems developing in the dark corners of your breaker box or behind the walls of your water heater closet. Electricians are kept up-to-date with code requirements to keep homes safe from the potential of fire hazards and other problems.

DIY Could Cost More Down the Road

Fixing an electrical problem is much more complicated and expensive than doing it right the first time. If you’re a newbie, it’s highly likely that you’ll make a mistake or two. It may look simple in the beginning, but once you get into it deeper, you’ll start encountering circuit situations and system setup issues. It’s best to hire an electrician right at the beginning.

Doing it yourself may not be as cheap as you first thought. When you take into account that your Redding electrician can do the job in half—or even a fourth—of the time it takes you and that he can help you avoid zapped appliances, house fires, and electrocution, it’s well worth the investment.