Make the right choice!
There's no shortage of electricians to choose from in this area, and most websites (including this one) will tell you they're the best choice. Instead, here's what to actually check before you hire anyone — us included.
1. Confirm they're actually licensed, not just "insured"
Any electrical contractor in BC should be able to point you to their license on Technical Safety BC's public contractor search. This is free, takes thirty seconds, and shows you their license status, scope of work, and whether they have any enforcement actions on record. "Licensed and insured" as a phrase on a website means nothing without a way to verify it — ask for the license number, or look them up yourself.
2. Ask specifically who's coming to your house
Some companies dispatch whoever's available; others have you working with a specific electrician throughout. Neither approach is inherently wrong, but it's worth knowing which one you're getting, especially for a multi-day job where consistency matters.
3. Get a real quote, not just an hourly rate
An hourly rate alone doesn't tell you what a job will actually cost. A good electrician will walk your specific job through a load calculation or assessment and give you a realistic range — and should be upfront if the final number depends on things they can't know until they open a wall or a panel.
4. Ask what happens with permits
Permits aren't optional paperwork — they're what makes electrical work inspectable, insurable, and safe. If a quote is unusually low, it's worth directly asking whether permits and inspection are included, since skipping them is one of the easiest ways to cut a price artificially.
5. Check reviews for specifics, not just star ratings
A five-star average with vague reviews ("great service!") tells you less than a handful of reviews describing actual jobs — a panel upgrade, a specific fix, a real interaction. Specific reviews are harder to fake and tell you more about what to actually expect.
Real Customer Reviews
What People Say About Royle West Electrical
Awesome service and super friendly! Would definitely use them again for anything big or small. 10/10
Josh is excellent and I would recommend him to anyone looking for an electrician. Josh has completed three jobs for us at our home in Coquitlam, including adding outlets to our new coffee bar, and hardwiring cameras for our home. His work was excellent and completed efficiently. I was very impressed and my husband and I will continue to work with Josh for any electrical work needed in our home.
We highly recommend Josh. He is extremely professional and knowledgable. He came out to our home and answered all of our questions. His price was great and he did an outstanding job. Highly recommend! Thank you Josh.
Josh will brighten your day no pun intended. We have used on many occasions. I really should have posted before and to be fair , each and every interaction has exceeded expectations. Quality work, always on time and just very easy to work with. He can answer all your questions and make great suggestions
We hired Royle West to install new smoke detectors at our home in Maple Ridge. Josh completed the installation professionally, efficiently, and with friendly service. Highly recommend Royle West Electrical Ltd for any electrical work.
We’ve had the pleasure of working with Royle West Electrical on several of our projects, and their professionalism, reliability, and attention to detail are unmatched. They are responsive, knowledgeable, and consistently go above and beyond to ensure everything runs smoothly on site. It’s always a great experience having them on our team and we highly recommend Royle West Electrical!
An excellent experience. We hired Josh to install an EV Charging outlet at our home. He was reliable, honest and went above and beyond. We were so pleased with our experience that we hired him to install a charging outlet for our forklift at our warehouse. Again, prompt and knowledgeable. We will definitely be using Josh for all future electrical jobs.
Josh installed a level two EV charger in our house. He was fast, professional and affordable. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for electrical work
Royle West Electrical has helped me replace multiple lights in my apartment and other electrical work. Josh is reliable and kind, and makes sure you are happy with the end work.
Josh at Royle West Electrical provided excellent service from start to finish. His communication was outstanding - clear, timely, and professional. He installed a new chandelier and dimmer in our primary bedroom with 15-foot ceilings, and the job was done efficiently, safely, and beautifully. It’s clear he takes pride in his work and pays close attention to detail. We couldn’t be happier...
Josh helped us at my salon with some electrical needs! Service was quick, efficient and well communicated.
Reviews as published on Google. Hover or touch to pause.
6. Ask about their credentials, and what they mean
"Red Seal Certified" and "FSR B Master Electrician" are specific, verifiable credentials in BC's system — not just marketing language. If a company lists certifications you don't recognize, it's fair to ask what they mean and how to verify them. No electrical contractor should be shy to show you their credentials!
7. Notice how they handle the small stuff
How quickly they return a call, whether they show up when they say they will, whether they explain things in plain language rather than jargon — these are hard to fake over the course of even a single interaction, and they're often a genuine preview of what the actual job will be like.
Our honest take
We'd rather you make an informed choice than assume you'll pick us just because we wrote this. If you go through this checklist with any electrician — including us — and you're satisfied with the answers, you're in reasonably good hands.
Royle West Electrical Ltd is a Red Seal Certified, CleanBC-registered electrical contractor serving Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Langley, Port Coquitlam, and the surrounding Lower Mainland.