Electrician FAQ: Costs, Safety, Permits and Upgrades

We serve cities and towns throughout California, from the Bay Area and Sacramento Valley to Los Angeles, Orange County, the Inland Empire and San Diego. See the full list on our locations page.

Yes. Our phone line is answered 24 hours a day, every day of the year. For power loss, sparking, burning smells or anything that cannot wait, see our emergency electrician page or call now.

Yes. Our residential electricians work in houses, condos and apartments, and our commercial electricians handle offices, retail, restaurants, warehouses and industrial sites.

Call us and describe the job. Many projects can be estimated by phone with a couple of photos. Larger jobs such as rewiring and panel upgrades are quoted after a site visit.

Repairs are quoted after a short diagnostic. Installations and upgrades are quoted as a fixed, written price for the defined scope. You approve the price before we begin.

New circuits, panel and service changes, rewiring, EV chargers, generators and most installation work require a permit and inspection. Like-for-like replacement of a switch, outlet or light fixture generally does not. We tell you which applies and handle the paperwork.

A straightforward 200 amp upgrade commonly falls between about $2,500 and $5,000 in California, with relocations and underground services costing more. Read our guide to panel upgrade costs.

The breaker is protecting the circuit from an overload or a fault. Occasional trips under heavy use point to an overloaded circuit; repeated or instant trips point to a fault. See why breakers trip or book troubleshooting.

One flickering bulb is rarely serious. Flicker in several rooms, or lights that brighten and dim, can signal a loose neutral and should be checked promptly. More in our flickering lights guide.

Age alone is not the issue; design and condition are. Certain older panel brands have a record of breakers that do not trip, and any panel with heat damage, rust or overcrowding deserves attention. An electrical inspection will give you a clear answer.

Yes, anywhere water is nearby: kitchens, bathrooms, laundry, garages and outdoors. See GFCI outlet installation and our explainer on GFCI vs AFCI.

For most homes it is an inexpensive way to protect appliances and electronics. Details on our surge protection page.

Often yes, sometimes at a reduced charging rate or with a load management device. We run a load calculation first. See EV charger installation and Tesla charger installation.

Generators run as long as there is fuel and carry large loads. Batteries are silent and pair with solar but store a limited amount of energy. Compare them in generator vs battery backup, or see generators and battery backup.

You can make targeted safety repairs, rewire in phases or rewire the whole house. Read our knob and tube guide and the rewiring page.

In most homes, yes. We fish cable through attics, crawl spaces and wall cavities. See outlet installation and recessed lighting.

Yes. Smart switches, thermostats, video doorbells, panels and network cabling are covered on our smart home wiring page.

We do the electrical side: solar-ready panel upgrades, interconnection wiring, battery tie-ins and repairs. See solar electrician.

Yes. Most commercial repairs and installations are scheduled outside your operating hours.

Yes. See electrical maintenance for scheduled inspections, thermal imaging and priority repair service.

Yes. With fluorescent lamps no longer sold in California, many businesses are converting now. See LED lighting retrofit.