Local directory
Electricians
Licensed electrical contractors for panel work, wiring, troubleshooting and code corrections.
- Metro areas
- 51
- Listings
- 1
- States
- 31
What electricians are licensed to do
Journeyman and master licenses are issued by states or municipalities; most require documented hours plus an exam.
Install and maintain the power, lighting and control systems in homes, businesses and industrial plants.
Verify before hiring
- Licence number, current and correctly classified
- Certificate of insurance sent by the insurer
- Written scope with exclusions stated
- Who pulls the permit, in writing
What this directory covers
Electrical work is one of the few trades where an unlicensed person doing the wrong thing can kill someone or burn a house down. Every state treats it seriously, but none of them regulate it the same way — some issue journeyman cards, some license the contracting company, and several large cities add their own layer on top of the state board.
This page is not a ranked list of contractors. It is the trade context worth having before you open a metro page or talk to anyone: what a licence actually authorizes, what commonly requires a permit, and the checks that cost nothing but prevent most bad outcomes.
Trade context reviewed September 2026. Licensing rules vary by state — verify on the board lookup for your metro.
Typically in licence scope
- Service upgrades, panel replacements and new circuits
- Troubleshooting tripped breakers, dead circuits and flickering lights
- EV charger circuits, generator interlocks and transfer switches
- Rewiring during remodels, knob-and-tube replacement and code corrections
- Commercial and industrial power, controls and motor circuits
Usually outside scope
- Work on the utility side of the meter — that is the power company's jurisdiction
- Low-voltage and fire-alarm work where your state requires a separate licence class
- Utility line work (linework) — a different trade with different credentials
- Structural engineering or load calculations for beam sizing — that is an engineer's scope
Common jobs and what they should cost
National planning ranges from our cost guides. Apply the labor index on each metro page before using them as a local benchmark.
Cost guides
- Electrical Panel UpgradeReplacing a main service panel, typically going from 100A to 200A, including service coordination.
- EV Charger InstallationInstalling a Level 2 home EV charger, including a dedicated circuit, wall mount, and permit.
- Whole-House Generator InstallationInstalling a permanently mounted standby generator with an automatic transfer switch for whole-home backup power.
- Whole-House RewiringReplacing obsolete or hazardous wiring throughout a home — knob-and-tube, aluminum branch, or ungrounded systems.
- Adding an Electrical CircuitRunning a new dedicated circuit from the panel to a receptacle, appliance, or equipment location.
- Ceiling Fan InstallationInstalling or replacing a ceiling fan, including mounting, wiring, and balancing on an existing or new circuit.
- Recessed Lighting InstallationInstalling can lights in a ceiling — new construction housings or retrofit kits in an existing ceiling.
- Hot Tub Electrical WiringRunning a dedicated 240V GFCI-protected circuit for a hot tub or spa, including conduit and disconnect.
Diagnose before you call
- Breaker Keeps TrippingUnderstand why a circuit breaker trips repeatedly and which causes are safe to investigate yourself.
- Outlet Not WorkingA dead outlet or one that stopped working — check these causes before calling an electrician for a simple fix.
- GFCI Won't ResetA GFCI outlet or breaker that will not stay reset — there is a ground fault somewhere on the circuit that must be found.
- Lights FlickeringLights that flicker or dim — determine whether it is a loose bulb, an overloaded circuit, or a problem at the panel.
- Breaker Won't ResetA circuit breaker that trips and will not stay on — the circuit has a fault that must be found before you reset again.
- Bathroom Fan Not VentingA bathroom exhaust fan that runs but does not move air — moisture stays in the room and mold follows within weeks.
- Half of Outlets Not WorkingWhen some outlets work and others do not, look for a tripped GFCI, tripped breaker, or a failed outlet feeding the chain.
- Burning Smell From OutletA burning or fishy smell at an outlet means overheating — shut the circuit off until the device is replaced or inspected.
Red flags before you sign
They ask you to pull the permit as the homeowner
On licensed electrical work, the licence holder should pull the permit. If they want you to pull it, they are often avoiding inspection or working outside their classification.
No written scope or exclusions
Panel work frequently triggers code upgrades — AFCI protection, grounding, service capacity. A quote that does not state what is excluded will grow once the panel is open.
Cash-only with no company name on the quote
You cannot verify a licence number that is not on the paperwork, and you cannot reach the insurer if the business name on the policy does not match the name on the quote.
They cannot tell you which licence class covers your job
Residential, commercial and industrial are often separate classifications. A residential licence does not authorize commercial service equipment.
Verification checklist
- Confirm the licence number with the state or municipal board — not by trusting a business card.
- Match the name on the licence to the name on the quote and the insurance certificate.
- Ask who pulls the permit and request the permit number once it is issued.
- Have general liability and workers' comp sent directly by the insurance agent, not forwarded as a PDF.
- For panel or service work, ask whether AFCI, GFCI or grounding upgrades are included or excluded.
Common questions
Is a handyman allowed to change an outlet or install a light fixture?
What is the difference between a journeyman and a master electrician?
Do I need a permit for a panel upgrade?
Why do electricians in expensive metros cost more?
Largest metro areas
Percentages show local labor cost against the national median — the adjustment worth applying to any national estimate before you use it.
- Electricians in New YorkNew York · 8,258,035 residents+29%
- Electricians in Los AngelesCalifornia · 3,820,914 residents+22%
- Electricians in ChicagoIllinois · 2,664,452 residents+14%
- Electricians in HoustonTexas · 2,314,157 residents · 1 listed-4%
- Electricians in PhoenixArizona · 1,650,070 residents-2%
- Electricians in PhiladelphiaPennsylvania · 1,550,542 residents+11%
- Electricians in San AntonioTexas · 1,495,295 residents-8%
- Electricians in San DiegoCalifornia · 1,388,320 residents+19%
- Electricians in DallasTexas · 1,302,868 residents-3%
- Electricians in JacksonvilleFlorida · 985,843 residents-6%
- Electricians in AustinTexas · 979,882 residents+2%
- Electricians in Fort WorthTexas · 978,468 residents-4%
- Electricians in San JoseCalifornia · 969,655 residents+35%
- Electricians in ColumbusOhio · 913,175 residents-5%
- Electricians in CharlotteNorth Carolina · 911,311 residents-5%
- Electricians in IndianapolisIndiana · 879,293 residents-8%
- Electricians in San FranciscoCalifornia · 808,988 residents+38%
- Electricians in SeattleWashington · 755,078 residents+24%
- Electricians in DenverColorado · 715,522 residents+6%
- Electricians in Oklahoma CityOklahoma · 702,767 residents-12%
- Electricians in NashvilleTennessee · 687,788 residents-4%
- Electricians in WashingtonDistrict of Columbia · 678,972 residents+23%
- Electricians in El PasoTexas · 678,815 residents-13%
- Electricians in Las VegasNevada · 660,929 residents+1%
- Electricians in BostonMassachusetts · 653,833 residents+27%
- Electricians in PortlandOregon · 635,749 residents+12%
- Electricians in DetroitMichigan · 633,218 residents+3%
- Electricians in LouisvilleKentucky · 622,981 residents-10%
- Electricians in MemphisTennessee · 618,639 residents-12%
- Electricians in BaltimoreMaryland · 565,239 residents+9%
All metros
Colorado
District of Columbia
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Nebraska
Nevada
New Mexico
New York
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Utah
Virginia
Washington
Wisconsin
Other categories
- PlumbersLicensed plumbing contractors for water heaters, leaks, drains, fixtures and repiping.
- HVAC ContractorsHeating, cooling and refrigeration contractors for service, replacement and duct work.
- RoofersRoofing contractors for leak repair, replacement, storm damage and inspections.
- CarpentersFraming, finish carpentry, decks, stairs and structural repair contractors.
- Trade SchoolsAccredited trade and technical schools offering programs in the skilled trades.
- Apprenticeship ProgramsRegistered apprenticeship programs through union locals, contractor associations and employers.