A proper electrician always has the right electrical supplies to get the job done. A well-prepared electrician’s toolbox should have all of the most basic tools, as well as various electrical supplies that are less frequently used (but often very important). These things include:

A pair of insulated screwdrivers - one (or both) automated - and a minimum of two types of insulated pliers: needle (or long) nose and cutting/twisting. Also keep two crescent wrenches handy.

Nut drivers and wire nuts. There are great screwdriver and nut driver bundles out there; this makes purchasing and keeping up with them easier.

Plenty of electrical and duct tape, a good quality utility knife, a marker and coloured pencils, calculator, memo pad, level, and circuit tester.

Saws - mainly band, power, spiral, and reciprocating. Some electrical saws even come in multi-function form, but vary widely in quality and durability.

A flashlight and a small headlamp.

A voltage tester may or may not be required, depending on the job.

A wire cutter, wire stripper, cable stripper, and tie wraps

Locking tape measure plus a set of conduits (rigid plus flexible ones)

Power drill with drill bits in different sizes

An all-weather, durable extension cord

Two or four channel locks

Set of cable access tools (domed bullet, mini eye and hook, flex-lead)

Having these essential tools will prepare practically any electrician for virtually any job. Half of the time, screw drivers, pliers, strippers, and electrical tape will more than suffice. You’ll need more of the above tools (in addition to other highly specialised ones) with jobs that are either more complex or more involved - or both.

Things to Keep in Mind:

Many of these are included in the above electrician’s toolbox. Let’s expand a little bit, though. One power drill is often good for one type of job, and just horrible for another; it mainly depends on what is being drilled and the material it’s made of. For instance, drilling through concrete is most efficiently (and with fewer headaches!) done with a hammer drill. Jobs that mainly entail fastening and loosening, on the other hand, usually go off without a hitch with a good cordless drill.

These days, everything is available in kits as well. Drills and saws are no exception.

Another critical tool for any electrician is a saw. In addition to the previously mentioned ones, cut-off saws are good to have, and many electricians would never be found without a good quality, portable reciprocating saw.

Other crucial items to have on-hand are labelling and measuring devices. Most electricians always have one magnetic-tipped tape measure, as well as a non-magnetic one. Laser measures are great to have (and of course, pretty cool!), but always have a standard tape measure as a failsafe device. Also, make sure you have a portable labelling machine - complete with wire/cable markers, labels, and/or rack-and-frame ID’s.

Finally, don’t forget the tape and wire-pulling peripherals. The most prepared electrician will have ready access to fish, steel, and fibreglass tape. He also has lightweight fish poles for pulling wires through ceilings, floorboards, and walls.