Electricians

What electricians do

Residential electricians repair faults (dead outlets, tripping breakers, flickering lights), add and replace circuits, outlets, switches and fixtures, upgrade panels and service, install GFCI and AFCI protection, wire for EV chargers, generators and new appliances, and wire additions and remodels.

Electrical work is one of the most consistently licensed trades. Most states license electricians, many at journeyman and master levels, and most non-trivial work needs a permit and an inspection.

Warning signs — and what cannot wait

Call an electrician soon for:

• Breakers that trip or fuses that blow repeatedly.
• Lights that flicker or dim when an appliance starts.
• Outlets or switch plates that are warm, discoloured or buzzing.
• Outlets that spark, or plugs that fall out of worn outlets.
• No GFCI protection in kitchens, bathrooms, garages or outdoors.

Treat as urgent: a burning smell or smoke from an outlet, panel or fixture; sparks; or any electrical equipment that has been in water. Turn off power at the main breaker if you can do it safely, and call 911 if there is fire or smoke. Stay well away from downed power lines and call the utility.

How to choose an electrician

• Check the licence number with your state (or city) licensing board, and that it covers the kind of work you need.
• Ask whether the job needs a permit and who pulls it. Work done without one can cause trouble with insurers and when you sell.
• Ask for proof of liability insurance.
• Get a written quote with the scope, materials and the inspection included.
• For panel upgrades and EV chargers, ask whether they will check your service capacity (a load calculation) and handle any utility paperwork.

What affects the cost

• Type of job: a fixture swap, a new circuit and a panel upgrade are different scales.
• Access: open framing or an unfinished basement is quicker than fishing wire through finished walls.
• Permits and inspection fees.
• The age of the existing wiring — older systems can need updating before new work is allowed.
• Materials: panel, breakers, fixtures, wire.
• Time of day: emergency calls cost more.

Electrical cost guide: the factors pros price on →

DIY or pro?

Resetting a breaker, testing GFCI outlets with their test button, and changing a bulb are owner jobs. Anything in the panel, new circuits, and most wiring is not — and in many places it requires a licence and a permit regardless of skill. The Electrical Safety Foundation International advises contacting a qualified electrician immediately for dim or flickering lights, sizzling or buzzing sounds, and breakers that trip repeatedly (ESFI).

Common questions

Why does my breaker keep tripping?

Usually an overloaded circuit, a short, or a ground fault. The breaker is doing its job; if it keeps happening, an electrician should find out why rather than replace the breaker with a bigger one.

Do I need a permit for electrical work?

Most work beyond like-for-like replacements does, but the rules are local. Your electrician should know and pull it; ask.

Is a warm outlet dangerous?

It can be — it may mean a loose connection or an overloaded circuit. Stop using it and have it checked.

What is a GFCI outlet and where do I need one?

An outlet that cuts power when it detects current leaking to ground, protecting against shock. Codes call for them where water is present — kitchens, bathrooms, garages, outdoors. An electrician can tell you what your local code requires.

Can a handyman do electrical work?

In most states only minor work, if any. Where your state licenses electrical work, hire a licensed electrician for anything beyond replacing a fixture or device like for like.

Do electricians charge more for emergency calls?

Usually. Ask for the after-hours rate before they come out.

Sources

Safety and standards advice on this page comes from these publishers. Dates are the ones each page shows.

• Electrical Safety Foundation International, Home Electrical Fires (no date shown; read October 2026)