Find an electrician for a panel, an EV charger or a new circuit

Which license does an electrical contractor need?

In California, electrical work belongs to the C-10, Electrical classification at the Contractors State License Board. CSLB's C-10 description covers installing or connecting wires, fixtures, appliances, raceways, conduit and solar photovoltaic cells, anything that carries or uses electrical energy.

The dollar line is the same as for other trades: $1,000 or more in labor and materials, or any work that needs a permit, calls for a licensed contractor (CSLB bulletin on AB 2622). See our page on checking a contractor's license for how to look one up.

In Dallas–Fort Worth the license comes from a different place. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation says on its electricians page that electrical work must be done by licensed people through a licensed electrical contractor, and you can confirm an electrician or the contracting company on TDLR's license search. More on Texas trades is in our Texas section.

Do the people doing the wiring need their own certification?

Yes, in most cases. The Department of Industrial Relations runs California's electrician certification program, and its Electrician Certification FAQ says electricians who make connections over 100 volt-amperes while working for a C-10 contractor must hold state certification. A trainee may do the work when registered and supervised.

The same FAQ lists exceptions. A sole owner working under a license in their own name does not need it, nor does the person who qualified the C-10 license. Work for C-7 low voltage or C-45 sign contractors, kept within those licenses, is also outside the rule. You can ask to see the electrician's card, and DIR's FAQ explains how to check a certification number online.

Do I need a panel upgrade or a service upgrade?

The panel is the box of breakers; the service is the size of the connection from the utility, set by the meter, the wires coming in and the main breaker. A panel replacement swaps an old or unsafe box for a new one of the same size. A service upgrade raises how much power the house can draw, and it usually involves the utility as well as the city.

People start asking about it when they add an EV charger, a heat pump, an induction range or an electric water heater, or when breakers trip often. An electrician should do a load calculation, adding up what the house uses and what you plan to add, before telling you a bigger service is needed. Sometimes it is; sometimes a load management device or a smaller change does the job.

Some older panels are worth a closer look even without new appliances: ones with fuses, scorch marks, a burning smell, breakers that feel warm, or a brand an inspector has flagged. Ask the electrician what they see in yours and why.

What does an EV charger install involve?

Charging from a regular outlet needs no new work, but it is slow. A faster Level 2 charger needs a 240-volt circuit of its own from the panel to the parking spot, either hardwired to the charger or ending in a matching outlet. The electrician checks whether the panel has room and capacity, how far the wire has to run, and whether it goes through a garage wall, under a driveway or overhead.

Questions that change the job: where you park, whether you may add a second car later, whether you have solar or batteries, and whether the charger can be set to draw less power. Have the charger's model in mind, since its installation manual lists the circuit it needs.

New circuits, outlets and lighting

Many requests are smaller: a dedicated circuit for a microwave or a home office, outlets in a garage or yard, recessed lights, a ceiling fan where there was only a light. Each still needs a circuit that can carry the load and the right wire size. Ask whether the new work needs ground-fault or arc-fault protection, and where.

An electrician can also trace why a group of outlets went dead, often a tripped ground-fault outlet in another room or a loose connection. Ask them to label any new breakers in the panel when they finish.

What to do when an outlet or panel seems unsafe

If an outlet or switch is hot to the touch, sparks, smells like burning or buzzes, stop using it and switch off its breaker if you can do so safely. If you smell burning from the panel or see smoke, leave the house and call 911. Stay away from any downed line outside and report it to the utility. Do not reset a breaker that trips again right away; that is a sign the circuit needs an electrician.

Does electrical work need a permit?

New circuits, panel and service changes, EV chargers and most rewiring commonly need an electrical permit and an inspection from the city. Replacing a switch or a light fixture on an existing box may not. The rules are set city by city, so check with the building department, or make the permit part of the contract. In Bay Area cities that is each city's permit center. In Fort Worth, whoever pulls an electrical permit must have a contractor registration on file with the city, and Dallas keeps its own registration as well. A service upgrade also needs the utility to disconnect and reconnect power, so the electrician will coordinate a date with them.

What to have ready before you call

• What you want to add or fix, and in which rooms.
• A photo of the panel with its door open, and a photo of the label inside the door or the main breaker, which shows its size.
• For an EV charger: where you park, the distance from the panel to that spot, and the charger model if you have picked one.
• Any large electric appliances you plan to add soon, such as a heat pump, an induction range or a second charger.
• Whether you have solar panels or a home battery.
• What happens when something fails: which breaker trips, how often and what was running at the time.

Questions to ask an electrician

• What is your CSLB license number, and does it show C-10 Electrical?
• Will the people doing the wiring hold DIR electrician certification, or be registered trainees under supervision?
• Did you do a load calculation, and can I see it?
• Who pulls the permit, and does the price include the inspection and any patching of walls?
• If the utility has to be involved, who schedules it?

Get the scope in a written contract and any changes in written change orders. Our page on the home improvement contract in California lists what it has to contain and the limit on the down payment.

What we do, and what we don't

Our part is the request. You send it free, and we call or email to talk about the electrical work you have in mind, the kind of licensed contractor it calls for and what to ask them. Contractor Near Me is not an electrical contractor, holds no contractor's license and does no wiring or installation. We do not quote prices or schedules and we do not vouch for any electrician. Look up the license on CSLB's Check A License page before you sign.

Sources: TDLR, Electricians; TDLR, License Search; City of Fort Worth, Contractor Registration; CSLB, C-10 Electrical Contractor; CSLB, AB 2622 minor work exemption bulletin (2024); California Department of Industrial Relations, Electrician Certification FAQs; CSLB, Check A License.