Electrical Contractor

ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR magazine focuses on the electrical construction industry, covering a wide range of topics such as inside and line work, lighting, maintenance, control systems, voice/data solutions, security, fire and life safety, fiber optics, as well as home and building automation systems. Although it is affiliated with the National Electrical Contractors Association, the magazine caters to the entire electrical construction sector. With over 85,000 readers, its audience includes business owners, partners, company presidents, engineers, estimators, purchasing agents, project managers, supervisors, foremen, electricians, and more. ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR Magazine is recognized as the official publication of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). Meanwhile, ECmag.com is rapidly becoming the most popular online destination for electrical contractors, providing an extensive range of digital resources that are easy to search. The site features archives dating back to 2000 and offers a wealth of content, including videos, webinars, white papers, and much more.

National, Trade/B2B

English

Magazine

Outlet metrics

Domain Authority

Ranking

Global

#916789

United States

#296859

Computers Electronics and Technology/Computers Electronics and Technology

#5399

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Monthly visitors

Articles

Construction Employment Sees Gains in 32 States and DC in April

4 days ago | ecmag.com | Andrea Klee |Gregg Voss

General concerns about the direction of the economy since the turn of the year, including the effect of tariffs, has affected construction employment at the state level, according to an analysis of federal employment data by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC). According to AGC, between April 2024 and April 2025, 32 states and the District of Columbia saw increased construction employment.
Recyclable Circuits Offer a Smarter Approach to E-Waste

5 days ago | ecmag.com | Andrea Klee |Jim Romeo

A 2024 United Nations report highlights a troubling trend: global electronic waste has nearly doubled over the past 12 years, growing from 34 billion to 62 billion kilograms, with projections reaching 82 billion kilograms by 2030. Yet only about 20% of that—roughly 13.8 billion kilograms—is expected to be recycled, which is a figure that shows little sign of improvement. As the volume of discarded electronics increases, traditional recycling efforts are failing to keep pace.
New York Invests in Efficiency and Electrification

1 week ago | ecmag.com | Andrea Klee |Rick Laezman

Energy efficiency and building electrification have emerged as two of the most effective tools in the effort to cut carbon emissions. Recently, the state of New York made a major investment in both. On May 15, 2025, the New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) authorized $5 billion over five years to be spent on programs that will increase access to energy efficiency and clean energy solutions across the state’s buildings sector.
Construction Tech and the Tools Powering Our Future | Kirk Davis

1 week ago | ecmag.com | Andrea Klee |Kirk Davis

Nationwide investments in our infrastructure are finally hitting the ground. We’re seeing progress on energy grids, transportation systems and broadband expansion—all of which require skilled electrical professionals to lead the way. These upgrades not only bring opportunities for growth, but also reinforce our continued focus on workforce development, safety and innovation. From digital layout tools to integrated project delivery platforms, construction technology is reshaping job sites.
Change Is a Given: Questions remain, but several possible scenarios could result

1 week ago | ecmag.com | Andrea Klee |Chris Kuehl

Heraclitus is credited with the quote, “the only constant in life is change.“ This has rarely been as true as it is now, given the nearly constant stream of changes to tariff and trade policy. Despite this constant shifting, electrical contractors, their vendors and their clients have to plan and set strategic and tactical goals. What can be expected in the months to come? The best that can be done at this point is to look at scenarios to determine which are more or less likely.
Successful Bidding: It's not just about the estimator

1 week ago | ecmag.com | Andrea Klee |Stephen Carr

Have you ever analyzed how you go about bringing a bid together? Estimators should never feel as if they are the only one responsible for preparing a bid. Successful estimators should keep in mind they are part of a team, which includes co-workers, vendors, manufacturers and many others. Even when you are the owner, chief estimator, data manager and bookkeeper at your company, you still have to work with others.
Uncertainty Is the New Norm: Tariff confusion creates unpredictability for electrical construction

1 week ago | ecmag.com | Andrea Klee |Chuck Ross

The cliche opening for a story like this is often, “We are living in uncertain times.” And, like many cliches, this one is rooted in truth. In April, the Trump administration imposed tariffs on all its trading partners; this has left manufacturers and importers around the globe questioning their own economic futures. These tariffs shifted over the course of April. By mid-May, fees stood at 10% on most products coming into the country.
Looking Good! Guidelines for aerial fiber optic cable installation

1 week ago | ecmag.com | Andrea Klee |Jim Hayes

Workmanship in aerial cable networks can affect the performance and reliability of the network, of course, but it can also make or break the aesthetics of the visible aerial cable plant. Aerial cables should be installed “in a neat and workmanlike manner,” which can be interpreted as “what is correctly done also looks good.” Discussions with the Fiber Optic Association’s (FOA) worldwide network of technical advisers has helped create some guidelines for aerial installations.
Stinging Insects

1 week ago | ecmag.com | Andrea Klee |Colleen Beaty

Stinging insects such as honey bees, wasps and hornets can pose a risk to lineworkers in outdoor settings. These insects are most active in the summer and fall, and may become more aggressive if work occurs near or disrupts their hive.
Stick to the Fundamentals: Winning the game against PQ phenomena

1 week ago | ecmag.com | Andrea Klee |Richard Bingham

The TV announcer for an MLB game attributed a team’s losing streak to a failure in implementing the fundamentals. The pitchers weren’t getting the ball in the strike zone, the infielders weren’t getting in front of the ground balls, the outfielders weren’t watching the ball off the bat to start running in the right direction and the batters weren’t picking up the spin on the ball and following it to the bat.