The Tacoma Electrician

It depends!

Troubleshooting calls are charged by the hour:

• Residential Troubleshooting: $150 for the first hour and $105 for every additional hour

• Commercial Troubleshooting: $175 for the first hour and $125 for every additional hour

Because of the nature of troubleshooting it can be very difficult to give you a time estimate. Oftentimes issues can be resolved in the first hour, but sometimes it can take hours of extra detective work to find the true answer. I understand it can be difficult for homeowners to hear “it could be 20 minutes, it could be 6 hours”, and this requires your trust, but I do my best to communicate with you every step of the way and answer all your questions.

For many jobs, like running new circuits, panel changes, and new construction, we can do a walkthrough and I can give you a bid that will reflect very close to the final cost. To get a rough idea, for residential remodels there is a$9,000 minimum, and you can estimate $12-18/sq ft depending on the work and accessibility. For new residential construction, $8-12/sq ft depending on the scope of work.

You can send a submission form or call and we can schedule a walkthrough so I can give you a more accurate estimate.

I have been an electrician for over 10 years, working on big commercial jobs in Seattle to custom homes in Tacoma. Because I am a small business owner, my business depends entirely on your good experience, and there is no one else to point fingers at! This also means you get to communicate directly with the person doing the work so nothing can get lost in translation.

I do my best to leave your project completed to the highest standards, and my work always meets the current National Electric Code requirements. The permitting process is there to protect YOU. I work with inspectors from rough-in to final so you can be assured all of my work is safe and reliable.

For larger projects I can provide references from previous customers, or you can check out my reviews on google!

Knob and tube has worked flawlessly in homes in Tacoma for over 100 years, but the system was not designed for the way we use our homes today or to last that long. The short answer is, if your home is currently using K&T as part of its electrical system, you should work towards abandoning it.

Problems arise because homes today often require more power, a different range of power, and more branch circuits than they used to. Knob and tube becomes dangerous when homeowners or DIYers attempt to splice into K&T and add branches from it. Issues I frequently see are from DIYers putting oversized breakers on the system, or upgrading to a grounded panel and putting in 3-prong plugs believing their system is now grounded. K&T is an ungrounded system and must be rewired to be grounded. Knob and tube was not designed to carry the capacity that our homes do today, and splices and oversized breakers can be extremely dangerous with the potential to overheat and start fires.

Although knob and tube functioned well in its original form, because of the danger of knob and tube wiring, many insurers will not insure a home with knob and tube. If you are ready to update your home I can help you determine the a solution for a safe electrical system that meets the current National Electric Code standards.

I have a broad range of experience in commercial, new construction, remodels, and troubleshooting. I enjoy the variety of problem solving different types of work, and am happy to take a look at your project!

The quickest way to get a response is to fill out the submission form on my contact page. It can take me a couple days to respond, but I will get back to you!

I am an owner/operator business with a family at home, so it does take some time for me to respond, but I work hard to speak to everyone that inquires about work. Also, because more people are at home during the pandemic, there has been an influx of demand for improving workspaces and updating homes and the construction business has been overloaded. I appreciate your patience!