25 Essential Electrician Tools to Amp Up Your Tool Belt

Workers rely on tools for accuracy, resiliency, craftsmanship, comfort, and safety. This includes electricians who keep our homes illuminated, connected, and energy efficient. Below, we review the must-have electrical maintenance tools for the modern electrician's tool belt.

Here’s what we’ll cover in this guide:

• Basic electrical maintenance tools

• Essential electrician tools

• Electrician tools for staying safe

• High-tech electrician tools

• Advantages of Electrical Contractor Software

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Basic Electrical Maintenance Tools

1. Pliers

Pliers—often referred to as cutting pliers or lineman pliers—are a staple on any electrical tools list. They are mainly used for cutting wire, or gripping, twisting, bending or straightening wires. Any prepared electrician stocks an array of pliers in their tool box or truck, including needle nose pliers, side-cutting pliers, and reaming pliers for tightening locknuts, fittings and caps.

2. Screwdrivers

Electricians use a variety of screwdrivers, another toolbox necessity, for loosening and fastening various pieces of hardware. Many professionals now carry versatile and adaptable screwdrivers with interchangeable bits, so they're never stuck without the proper electrical maintenance tool. 

3. Electrical Contractor Software

The days of hauling a clipboard around and burdening homeowners with crinkled, scribbled-on estimates and invoices are over. With a comprehensive, cloud-based residential and commercial services software solution, electricians arrive armed with the right digital tools to make customer service, estimates, sales, and invoicing simple and easy.

4. Tape Measure

When working with wiring, it's essential to know exact measurements when cutting and stripping. A simple retractable tape measure does the trick, but available models with magnetic tips, multi-step locks, and other features make this process easier.

5. Electrical Tape

Made from plastic, vinyl, or fiberglass cloth, this adhesive material is pressure sensitive and essential for insulating wires or other materials that conduct electricity. Electrical tape prevents the electrical current from accidentally passing to other wires, and possible electrocution when touching live wires.

6. Cable Ties

Also known as zip ties, these inexpensive fasteners are great at binding electrical cables or wires together. Keep your electrical space neat and organized with cable ties.

7. Electric Drill

Electricians regularly install new lighting fixtures or need to disassemble installed hardware to access wiring and other electrical components. A handheld electric drill with various bits helps expedite these tasks—and allows professionals to affix specialty bits (like the reaming bit, see below) for industry-specific purposes.

8. Level

When installing light fixtures, finding precise points for placement is key. An electrical tools list isn’t complete without a standard level, as it helps electricians ensure fixtures, screws, and other installations are placed exactly where they need to be.

Essential Electrician Tools

9. Wire/Cable Lugs

Similar to the features used on jumper cables and car batteries, wire and cable lugs connect wires to appliances, cables, and other devices in need of power.

10. Coax Connector

Coax connectors link cables to devices, while simultaneously protecting the cable from shredding. Multiple connectors exist, and keeping a variety on hand ensures you always meet your customers’ needs.

11. Wire Strippers

Professional electricians regularly strip the plastic coating on wires to expose the copper and make customized connections with other wiring or components. This essential electrical maintenance tool comes in a variety of models and types.

12. Fish Tape

Fish tape is one of many popular electrician tools. It’s used to run wiring between gang boxes (or other electrical components) through conduit piping. Fish tape is housed in a retractable coil and can be fed through installed conduit piping. Once the end of the fish tape appears on the opposite side, wiring can be hooked to the tape and the tape can be retracted—pulling the wire along the conduit.

13. Fishing Rods

Fishing rods are essential electrician tools when installing wire through walls, below carpets, or above ceilings. Rods are typically fiberglass and include hooks on the end for easy maneuvering. 

14. Terminal Block

These modular, insulated devices assist electricians when grouping multiple wires together. They’re used to connect wiring to a ground or connect electrical switches and outlets to mains.

15. Voltage Tester

To safely perform electrical work, electrical power must be cut off in key sections of the property (usually via the circuit breaker). A handheld voltage tester allows electricians to test outlets for power, so they know when they’re safe to work on. Electricians also use this tool to confirm power has been restored.

16. Reaming Bit

Installing new conduits (or replacing old ones) means connecting different segments of piping together to create a wiring route between electrical components. A reaming bit attaches to an electric drill and widens the opening on one end of the piping, allowing it to connect to another segment of piping and complete a secure conduit.

17. Conduit Bender

When determining a wiring route, electricians often run wiring along the corner of the wall or in other mostly hidden areas. Conduit benders are electrician tools used to curve conduit piping to accommodate these routes and ensure the conduits remain nonintrusive and efficiently placed in the customer’s home.

18. Splicing Connector

These plastic clips help electricians make quick connections with multiple pieces of wire. They can be used with multiple cables, including device wires, telephone cables, and electrical cables. 

19. Flashlights

For an electrician, working in the dark is a potential hazard of the job. Keep essential electrician tools, like flashlights and other various work lights, handy and within reach. 

Electrician Tools for Staying Safe

20. Insulated Gloves

Electrocution poses real danger for electricians, so they need to take precautions. Wearing insulated gloves provides another layer of protection, so include them as one of your electrical maintenance tools. Insulated gloves come in various styles for fit and comfort, so choose the type that works best for you.

21. Flame Retardant Work Shirt

Skilled and trained electricians learn how to take precautions against dangerous arc flashes, electrocutions and fires. Part of this training includes making sure they wear work shirts made with fire-resistant material to prevent serious burn injuries.

22. Safety Glasses

Electricians need to protect their eyes when closely examining electrical wiring or operating power tools. Apprentices and seasoned veterans alike need a pair of safety glasses on hand at every job site, as part of their essential electrician tools.

23. Rescue Rod/Hook

Rescue rods (or hooks) are used to remove large items or unconscious people who have been electrocuted from a hazardous area. Because a dangerous electrical current may still be live, emergency first-responders must use the rescue rod to pull a victim away from the electrical source without getting electrocuted themselves.

High-Tech Electrician Tools

24. Circuit Analyzers

Circuit analyzers, a digital handheld electrician tool, provides virtually instant information about the circuit connected to an individual outlet. In seconds, these electrical maintenance tools measure voltage, polarity, line voltage, reversals, and more. 

25. Circuit Finders

Electricians often find it difficult to know which outlets are connected to which circuits in a house. Modern electricians use circuit finders with two main components incorporated into the device: a handheld digital transmitter and a small receiver that plug into outlets around the home. When an electrician holds up the transmitter to circuits in the breaker, the device sends a signal to the receiver to indicate which circuit the outlet belongs to.

26. Business Valuation Calculator 

Do you want to know the current value of your electrical service company? This free ServiceTitan Business Valuation Calculator can help you figure out key metrics to use for tracking growth and profitability, and show how much your local electrical business might be worth if you decide to sell it.  

27. Invoice Generator  

Allow your electricians to generate, save, and email or text customized invoices from a mobile device while working in the field with ServiceTitan’s free Invoice Generator Tool. Eliminate paperwork, streamline invoicing, and give your electrical customers a convenient digital invoice they can pay on the spot. 

28. Labor Rate Calculator   

Evaluate the true cost of employing electricians and determine how much your service company should charge customers for labor using the comprehensive ServiceTitan Labor Rate Calculator. Plug key metrics, such as overhead costs and ideal net profit, into this free business tool to tabulate the billable hourly rate required to cover the cost of doing business and maximize profitability.

29. ROI Calculator

Make sure your electric service company can capitalize on all of the features ServiceTitan’s field management platform offers and yield a positive return on investment with our complimentary ServiceTitan ROI Calculator. Discover your profit potential with higher average tickets and an increase in daily calls, booked appointments, estimates, and jobs sold by electricians on your team. 

30. Service Business Grader 

Gauge the performance of your electrical contracting company with ServiceTitan’s Service Business Grader Tool. In less than a minute, discover how your electricians and dispatchers stack up by evaluating average ticket sales, daily calls, booked jobs, and other key metrics.

31. Mobile App & Tablet

Make it easy for customers to order, buy, and pay for your company’s electrical services with a simple tap-click-or-swipe on a mobile tablet. Using ServiceTitan’s Mobile App, techs build tiered estimates out in the field with vibrant photos, manufacturer videos, and detailed product information, so customers can browse and buy at their own pace—just like shopping online.

Give your electrical customers the mobile-driven service they prefer by adding ServiceTitan’s Mobile App to your techs’ arsenal of tools. Other key features include:

• Data Access: Give techs access to all information collected by CSRs, such as customer names, addresses, contact information, outstanding estimates, job histories, property details, prior invoices, call recordings, notes, and more, with a few taps on their mobile tablet.

• Customization: Upload your own forms and pricebooks, and manage pricing and product updates easily across the entire ServiceTitan cloud-based system.

• Job Automation: Automatically trigger certain forms to appear as the job progresses, so techs know which steps to take at every stage—from diagnosis and repair to invoicing and asking for a review.

• Mobile Payments: Get paid faster by capturing checks and credit cards via the mobile tablet camera, or add a credit-card swiper. If customers prefer to pay with cash, techs can accept that, too, and automatically document payment in the field.

For other helpful guides, check out our favorite HVAC tools and plumbing tools.