Residential Electrician

A residential electrician works on the wiring that runs from the utility meter to every outlet, switch and light in the house. Most calls fall into a few groups.

Panels and service

Fuse boxes, full breaker panels and services too small for today's loads are the most common upgrades we see. Our electrical panel upgrade page covers the box in your basement or garage. The 200 amp service upgrade page covers the meter base, mast and service entrance.

Circuits, outlets and switches

New appliances, home offices, workshops and finished basements often want circuits of their own. We add dedicated circuits, move and add outlets, and replace worn switches and receptacles.

Lighting and ceiling fans

Recessed LED lights, pendants over a kitchen island, chandeliers, exterior lights and fans are all routine. See our indoor and outdoor lighting installation page for details.

Chargers, surge protection and generators

A Level 2 EV charger needs its own circuit and room in the panel. A whole house surge protector mounts at the panel and guards every circuit at once. And when you want power during outages, our home standby generator installation work starts with the same panel check.

Repairs and Troubleshooting

Some calls start with a problem rather than a project. A breaker that keeps tripping, lights that flicker, a dead outlet or a warm switch plate all have a cause. Our electricians trace it with a meter and a methodical check, then explain what they found before they fix it.

• Breakers that trip when the microwave and toaster run together

• Outlets or a whole room that lost power

• Flickering or dimming lights when a motor starts

• Buzzing, a burning smell or scorch marks at a device

• Bathroom, kitchen or garage outlets without ground-fault protection

A burning smell, heat or scorch marks are a reason to call right away. Turn off the breaker for that circuit if you can do it safely. Our electrical troubleshooting and repair page goes deeper on common faults.

Older Homes, Basements and Additions

Many houses in this part of Michigan were built decades ago. Their wiring can still be sound, but a few things tend to turn up.

What we check in an older house

• A screw-in fuse box, or a breaker panel with no free spaces

• Two-prong outlets with no ground wire

• Too few outlets, with extension cords running across rooms

• Circuits added over the years by tapping into other wiring

None of these means the whole house needs rewiring. A visit sorts out which items are safety concerns and which are conveniences. We then put them in order so you can plan the work.

Finished basements and remodels

Finishing a basement can mean new circuits, recessed lights, a bathroom fan and sometimes a subpanel. An addition may need its own subpanel fed from the main. We size the load for the whole project at once, so the panel is not full before the last room is done.

The right time to call is at framing, before insulation and drywall. That is when an island outlet, an office circuit or a switch by the back door costs the least to add.