A bad electrical sub costs more than the line item. It costs schedule, inspection delays, and callbacks after the certificate of occupancy. Whether you're a GC building a sub list, a property manager replacing a vendor, or a business owner fitting out your first space, here is what to verify before you sign anything.
Verify the license class, not just "licensed"
Virginia issues contractor licenses in three classes. Class C caps projects at $10,000, Class B at $120,000, and Class A has no cap. A contractor bidding your $200,000 build-out on a Class B license can't legally hold that contract. Ask for the license number and check it on the DPOR website; it takes two minutes. Also confirm a master electrician is on staff and named on the license, because the master's card is what the locality checks when permits get pulled.
Insurance that matches commercial exposure
Ask for a certificate of insurance naming your company as certificate holder, with general liability at minimums your project requires (most GCs require $1M per occurrence, $2M aggregate) and active workers' comp. A sub working without comp coverage puts the injury liability on the GC or the property owner. Legitimate commercial contractors send a COI the same day you ask. Hesitation is an answer.
Ask how they handle inspections and AHJ relationships
Commercial work in Roanoke City, Roanoke County, and Salem runs through different building departments, each with its own plan review timelines and inspector preferences. A contractor who works these jurisdictions regularly knows how long rough-in inspections book out, which submittals each office wants, and how to keep your inspection from becoming the critical path. Ask directly: when did you last close a commercial permit in this jurisdiction?
Look at how they bid
A commercial bid should itemize: fixture counts, panel and gear specs, feeder runs, low-voltage scope or its exclusion, and what happens at unforeseen conditions. One-line bids ("electrical: $48,000") leave every disagreement for later, and later is when you have a tenant waiting on a move-in date. We quote flat-rate with the scope written out, and changes get priced in writing before the work happens.
Schedule honesty beats schedule optimism
Every GC has heard "we'll be there Monday" from a sub who meant a different Monday. Ask how many crews the contractor runs, what they have in progress, and how they handle the rough-in to trim-out gap when other trades slip. A contractor who answers with specifics is managing a real schedule. A contractor who promises everything immediately is telling you what you want to hear.
The questions worth asking on every commercial hire
What's your license class and number? Who is the master electrician on the job? Can you send a COI today? What's your current backlog? Have you done work like this, and can I call that client? How do you price change orders? Five honest answers tell you more than any brochure.
Where Covenant fits
We're licensed master electricians based in Roanoke, set up for commercial build-outs, service upgrades, and ongoing facility work across the Valley. We know GC timelines because we work them. Send a scope or plans or call (540) 597-4964 and we'll give you a number and a schedule you can hold us to.
Have a project to bid?
Send plans or a scope of work and we'll return a flat-rate bid with a realistic schedule. Licensed, insured, and built for GC timelines.
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