Electricians — find a local pro, plus pricing & licensing
Panel upgrades, new outlets, ceiling fans, EV chargers — licensed help that keeps your home safe. Below: a plain-English guide to costs in 2026, what to ask before hiring, state-by-state licensing, and the towns where electricians are already listed on Great Local Pros.
What electricians actually do
The most common services electricians are hired for, with typical residential price ranges in 2026.
Panel upgrade
100A → 200A service upgrade: $1,800-$4,500 typical.
Outlet & switch replacement
$100-$250 per outlet; GFCI/AFCI replacement $150-$300.
Ceiling fan install
$200-$650 if junction box exists; more if new wiring needed.
EV charger install
Level 2 charger install: $700-$2,500 depending on panel capacity and run distance.
Whole-home rewire
$8,000-$25,000+ for a typical home; copper costs more than aluminum (which is now uncommon).
Generator install
Portable transfer switch: $400-$1,500. Whole-home standby: $5,000-$15,000+ with the unit.
Recessed lighting
$200-$400 per fixture installed with new wiring.
Smoke / CO detector hardwiring
$150-$300 per unit.
Hot tub / pool electrical
$800-$2,500 to bring power to outdoor equipment with proper GFCI protection.
Service call / troubleshooting
$100-$250 minimum for a diagnostic visit.
What does a electrician cost in 2026?
National median ranges for the most common residential jobs. Your local pricing will vary by region, season, and access — always get a written quote.
| Job | Typical price range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Service call / troubleshoot | $100 – $300 | Often credited toward repair. |
| Replace single outlet / switch | $100 – $250 | GFCI/AFCI: $150 – $300. |
| Install ceiling fan (existing box) | $200 – $650 | $650+ if new junction box needed. |
| Panel upgrade 100A → 200A | $1,800 – $4,500 | Includes permit and inspection. |
| Level 2 EV charger install | $700 – $2,500 | Higher if 100ft+ from panel. |
| Whole-home rewire (1,500 sq ft) | $8,000 – $20,000 | Includes drywall repair coordination. |
| Standby generator install | $5,000 – $15,000 | Includes 10-22kW unit + gas/pad work. |
| Emergency / after-hours surcharge | +50% to +100% | Industry-standard premium. |
Ranges sourced from public industry surveys, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics OES wage data, and homeowner-cost aggregators. Last reviewed 2026-05-26.
Is your electrician licensed? State-by-state lookup.
Electricians are state-licensed in most U.S. jurisdictions. Below is the official licensing body for each state plus a direct link to the public license-lookup tool. Always verify before any major project — it takes two minutes and is the single best fraud-prevention step a homeowner can take.
| State | Licensing status | Issuing body | Verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | State-licensed | Alabama Electrical Contractors Board | Verify → |
| Alaska | State-certified | Alaska Dept of Labor — Mechanical Inspection | Verify → |
| Arizona | State-licensed (ROC) | Arizona Registrar of Contractors | Verify → |
| Arkansas | State-licensed | Arkansas Department of Labor — Electrical Section | Verify → |
| California | State-licensed (CSLB C-10) | California Contractors State License Board | Verify → |
| Colorado | State-licensed | Colorado State Electrical Board | Verify → |
| Connecticut | State-licensed | CT Department of Consumer Protection | Verify → |
| Delaware | State-licensed | Delaware Board of Electrical Examiners | Verify → |
| Florida | State-certified or registered | Florida Electrical Contractors Licensing Board | Verify → |
| Georgia | State-licensed | Georgia State Construction Industry Licensing Board | Verify → |
| Idaho | State-licensed | Idaho Division of Building Safety — Electrical | Verify → |
| Illinois | Municipal license (no statewide) | Municipal — Chicago / county jurisdictions | Verify → |
| Indiana | Municipal license (no statewide) | Municipal — varies | Verify → |
| Iowa | State-licensed | Iowa Electrical Examining Board | Verify → |
| Kansas | Municipal — varies | Municipal — varies | Verify → |
| Kentucky | State-licensed | Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction — Electrical | Verify → |
| Louisiana | State-licensed | Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors | Verify → |
| Maine | State-licensed | Maine Electricians' Examining Board | Verify → |
| Maryland | State-licensed (Master Electrician) | Maryland State Board of Master Electricians | Verify → |
| Massachusetts | State-licensed | MA Board of State Examiners of Electricians | Verify → |
| Michigan | State-licensed | Michigan LARA Bureau of Construction Codes | Verify → |
| Minnesota | State-licensed | Minnesota Board of Electricity | Verify → |
| Mississippi | State-licensed (>$50,000) | Mississippi State Board of Contractors | Verify → |
| Missouri | Municipal — varies | Municipal — varies | Verify → |
| Montana | State-licensed | Montana Board of Electricians | Verify → |
| Nebraska | State-licensed | Nebraska State Electrical Division | Verify → |
| Nevada | State-licensed (NSCB) | Nevada State Contractors Board | Verify → |
| New Hampshire | State-licensed | NH OPLC — Electricians Board | Verify → |
| New Jersey | State-licensed (Electrical Contractor) | NJ Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors | Verify → |
| New Mexico | State-licensed (CID) | New Mexico Construction Industries Division | Verify → |
| New York | Municipal — varies (NYC requires Master Electrician license) | Municipal — varies | Verify → |
| North Carolina | State-licensed | NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors | Verify → |
| North Dakota | State-licensed | ND State Electrical Board | Verify → |
| Ohio | State-licensed (Commercial); residential municipal | Ohio Construction Industry Licensing Board | Verify → |
| Oklahoma | State-licensed (CIB) | Oklahoma Construction Industries Board | Verify → |
| Pennsylvania | Municipal — varies | Municipal — varies | Verify → |
| Rhode Island | State-licensed | RI Department of Labor and Training — Electrical | Verify → |
| South Carolina | State-licensed (LLR) | SC Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation | Verify → |
| South Dakota | State-licensed | SD State Electrical Commission | Verify → |
| Tennessee | State-licensed (>$25,000) | TN Board for Licensing Contractors | Verify → |
| Texas | State-licensed (TDLR) | Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation | Verify → |
| Utah | State-licensed (DOPL) | Utah DOPL | Verify → |
| Vermont | State-licensed | Vermont Department of Public Safety — Electrical Licensing | Verify → |
| Virginia | State-licensed (DPOR) | Virginia DPOR | Verify → |
| Washington | State-certified | WA Department of Labor and Industries — Electrical | Verify → |
| West Virginia | State-licensed | WV State Fire Marshal — Electrical Section | Verify → |
| Wisconsin | State-licensed | Wisconsin DSPS | Verify → |
| Wyoming | State-licensed | Wyoming Department of Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety | Verify → |
Information sourced from each state's public licensing agency. Always confirm on the state's official .gov site before hiring. Last reviewed 2026-05-26.
Questions to ask a electrician before you hire
Bring this list with you on the call or to the on-site estimate. A reputable pro answers every one of these without hesitation.
- Are you a licensed master or journeyman electrician in this state? May I see the license number?
- Do you carry general-liability and workers' comp insurance? May I see current certificates?
- Will you pull the required permit, and is the cost included in your quote?
- Is the work code-compliant to the current NEC adoption in this state?
- What's your warranty on labor and materials in writing?
- Is this a flat-quote or hourly job, and what's the hourly rate if it goes over?
- How long has the apprentice (if applicable) been working with you?
- Will an inspector visit, and do I need to be home for it?
Want the full checklist plus 25 more questions covering 29 trades? Download the free 58-page consumer guide (PDF) — no email required.
Red flags: common scam patterns in the electricians trade
A short list of warning signs we compiled from public Better Business Bureau complaint patterns and state attorney general consumer-protection bulletins.
- Quotes that skip the permit — uninspected electrical work can void your home insurance.
- Pressure to begin work without a written contract.
- Unlicensed handyman doing panel or service work — state licensed in most U.S. states.
- After-storm door-to-door 'free electrical inspections.'
- Cash-only with no receipt.
- Reluctance to share license number or insurance certificate.
- Unusually low quotes that don't include permit and inspection fees.
If you experience contractor fraud, report it to your state attorney general's consumer-protection office and file a complaint with the licensing board. The FTC also tracks these under reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Towns where electricians are already listed
These pilot cities have verified electricians you can call today.
Browse electricians by state
Pick a state to see electricians listings — and to claim the top spot in your town.
Why use Great Local Pros to find electricians?
Hyper-local match
We list electricians by the towns they actually serve — not a 60-mile zip-code radius like the national lead-gen platforms.
Zero per-lead fees
Electricians on this site aren't paying $30 to $120 per click to reach you. That cost isn't built into their quote.
Independent local shops
Most electricians here are 1 to 5 person businesses based in your town, not national chains routing work to subcontractors.
Built for small towns
Angi, Thumbtack, and HomeAdvisor optimize for big metros. We optimize for the 13,700+ towns under 60,000 population.
Run a electricians business?
Most towns on Great Local Pros don't have anyone listed yet for electricians. Claim your spot and be the first name local searchers find.
Five questions to ask any Electricians pro — and 53 more pages of advice.
This guide includes a full page on hiring Electricians: the right questions, the warranties to insist on, what's a fair price, and the red flags that mean keep looking. Plus 56 more pages covering 28 other local trades.
Every Electricians listing on this site is paired with the guide so you can hire with confidence.
- 25-question master list to bring on every call
- 20 red flags that mean walk away (one page)
- One full page on each of the 29 trades
- What's fair to pay — by trade and by region
- What to do if the job goes wrong (with court-ready steps)