Please note: this page contains reviews and opinions sent in by Berkeley Parents Net subscribers. Your own experience may be different. Please always check references before hiring!

2011 - 2012 Recommendations

Electrician experienced with cable internet

I'm looking for an electrician who is experienced in working with cable internet. We have a cable jack in our office that is not getting a signal strong enough for cable internet; we've had Comcast come out and they can't solve the problem and recommended we get an electrician to do it. I'm in the Oakland Hills. Erin

Electrician for recessed lighting in old house

We'd like to do have some recessed lighting installed in various rooms of our two-story house. The house was built in the 1930s, so it's old lathe and plaster, not new sheetrock. I'd love a recommendation for an electrician who is familiar with old houses/wiring/needs so we can do it with a minimum of mess and expense. Thanks! Let there be light

New review for electrician

I have been trying to hire an electrician for months now. I have searched BPN archives and Yelp for reviews and contacted a few people, but have found them to be unresponsive or just flaky- not showing up when they said they would, not sending me an estimate etc. So I am looking for a new review from people who have a really good, reliable and responsive electrician. Thank you. ks

Want Electrician to replace 2 smart meters

I bought 2 refurbished old PG&E smart meters from Real Goods and now need an electrician who will switch them. Does anyone know of one?

Affordable electrician to run wires & install ceiling fan

I'm looking for a recommendation for an affordable electrician to run wires and install a ceiling fan in my daughter's room. We live in Pleasant Hill. Thanks in advance. k

Electrician Reccommendation for recessed lighting

We're looking to have recessed lighting installed in the majority of our house and I'd like a recommendation for a professional electrician who can take appropriate precautions while working in our 100+ year-old home. I want to make sure appropriate steps are taken to contain/cleanup ceiling dust as we've got two kids under the age of 5 and I am pregnant. Don't know what is in our ceiling, but we can't take any chances. We'd prefer to live here while the work is being done if that is feasible. Thanks! N

Licensed electrician for small jobs

Hi, we're looking for recommendations for a licensed and bonded electrician who is willing to work on small jobs - replacing a ceiling vent and possible partially updating the electrical system in our kitchen. If you have someone reliable who might take on a minor project, please let me know! Berkeley Resident

Electrician for Lamorinda home

I am looking for a relaible electrician that is willing to work in Lamorinda. I have a few small jobs for now such as fixing one of the recessed lights on the ceiling of the kitchen and fixing the plug for the hair drier in one of the bathrooms (wires burned and electrical had to be totally turned off in this bathroom). I also will be remodeling another bathroom this May and will need an electrician to redo the electrical work in this small bathroom, including installation of recessed lights, new over the sink lighting and rewiring the plugs. Thank you. Lisa

2009 - 2010 Recommendations

Electrician to install standby generator

We seek a recommendation for an electrician to install a natural gas standby generator. We are also looking for advice on which brand to purchase (e.g., Kohler, Briggs and Stratton, Generac, etc.). Has anyone experience with such an install and advice to share? Has anyone used AAAA Generator and associated contractor from Hayward? InAlbany

Our lights are dimming; electrician is stumped

Our lights have been dimming intermittently for 2 months. In the last month electronics (especially when the TV and game console is on) will turn off as the lights dim, and it will happen often. Our usual electrician (who is very good) is stumped. PG&E checked the wires, and don't have a clue either. Anybody know a genius electrician? Stumped in Berkeley

What you are describing is very dangerous. Get this looked at immediately as it can/will cause an electrical fire. (My opinion ? Your electrician is an idiot ? fire him/her for not protecting you.) If the lights are dimming or flickering it means there is a faulty connection that is overheating. It could be caused by faulty material, crummy workmanship or animals eating the wires. Overheating is what causes electrical fires. You did not post if this is for your entire house, part of the house or specific outlets.

You could actually figure this out yourself safely, and it's easy to do. For $20-$25 buy a Kill-a-watt at Fry's or from Amazon. Plug it into a wall outlet and measure the voltage. (It should be 119-121) When the lights flicker see if the number has decreased. If it has that means you have a voltage drop and something is else (that should not be) is heating up which is causing the voltage drop. Try it in different outlets throughout your house. If it's one outlet, it's probably the circuit breaker/fuse). If it's several outlets but not the entire house a sub-panel circuit breaker or fuse. If it's the entire house then it's the main breaker or a problem with PG&E.

You need to get this figured out. Every time the lights flicker the insulation on the wires gets hot and breaks off. Eventually enough insulation will have burned off it will cause a fire. You should know how to flip the breakers or pull the fuse for your house. If a fire should occur it will be in the wall don't use water you get a shock. Instead flip the breaker or pull the fuse then put the fire out. Sad to say something like this just happened 3 months ago and 2 men in our neighborhood suffered third degree burns. PLEASE GET THIS TAKEN CARE OF IMMEDIATELY. ANON

Electrician who has re-wired old houses

My house needs to have all the old knob and tube wiring removed and new wiring put in. There is also some more recent electrical work that I have been told may be unsafe. Can anyone recommend an electrician who has rewired old houses? Thank you! LL

Someone to add an electrical outlet

We've upgraded our living room TV set-up so we now have a wall-mounted flat screen set-up with surround-sound speakers. We're looking for someone who can help us get all the wires into the walls and leave it all looking neat and clean. Suggestions? I'm not sure we need an electrician, since the wiring is all low voltage, but we're not sure. diana

Electrical contractor to design/install solar

Any recommendations for an electrical contractor who can also design and install solar on our home? We want to go solar and also need a panel upgrade and would like the project all done at once if possible. carly

Soneone to hook up hot tub

We are located in El Cerrito. We just got a used Tiger River Bengal hot tub. We are looking for someone to install the electrical outlet for the tub and to see if it works. Any recommendations for an electrical contractor and hot tub repair person? Von

Need a good and reliable electrician

Hello, We are relocating to Berkeley at the end of the month and will need to have some basic electrical work done at the place we are moving to. Can anyone recommend an electrician that is professional, reliable, and reasonably priced? Thanks. Greg

Electrician to install new outlets and cable hookups

We need an experienced electrician who can install a couple new outlets and cable hookups (for satellite TV) on interior walls in our home. We want someone who will do the job to code. lm

Our 1904 bungalow was wired with very old knob and tube. Needless to say, the circuits and wiring were woefully inadequate for our plugged-in 21st century lives, not to mention a serious fire hazard. High power appliances like toasters, laser printers and microwaves would dim the lights, or sometimes trip a breaker. Jeff and his partner put in a new service panel, rewired the main circuits and added lots of new outlets. In addition, they installed a ventilation fan in the bathroom and motion-activated ceiling lights in three bedroom closets (a great idea that saved us the cost of opening the walls to wiring a switch). From the start, Jeff was great at understanding our goals and tastes and giving us options to choose from. He was very good at helping us find ways to stay within our budget.

Though we spent quite a bit, we could afford to replace all the knob and tube wiring. Just the electrical work was beyond our budget, not to mention the carpentry to repair a lot of lath-and-plaster walls. The important thing from a safety standpoint was to take the load off the old wires by adding new outlets. For the original outlets that are still connected with knob and tube, you can avoid overloading them by replacing the old outlets with ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs). Ceiling lights throughout the house are also still wired with knob and tube, but they draw very little current, especially since they now have florescent bulbs.

As the the EarthFirst name suggests, Jeff is passionate energy conservation and loves to intall solar system. We regret that we couldn't afford to install a solar system this time around, but he has plenty of expertise we would not hesitate to hire him when we're ready. In addition to being very reliable and personable, Jeff bonded with our dog and kept him happy while we were at work. maryann

Gill's Electric for a large electrical job?

We're considering Gill's Electric for a large electrical job, but their rates seem pretty high compared to other companies. Any experience with them? Knowledgeable? Professional? anon

When we first bought our 1911 craftsman we hired a contractor who used Gil's as a sub-contractor. One of the many projects Rick (of Gil's) did for us was double the electrical service and ground the house.

One day I arrived at the house and the lead on the job informed me that Rick had his son and son's friend doing work on the house. They were definitely NOT employees of Gil's and I couldn't get an answer as to whether or not either of them was a trained or licensed electrician.

One of the features of our house that inspired our purchase was all the old craftsman wood - wainscoting, beamed ceilings, baseboards, doorways, etc... was still wood and had NOT been painted. The same day I discovered son and friend working in my house, I found very sloppy holes had been drilled in the baseboards to put in the grounding wires for the outlets. New holes are necessary, but these holes were OUTSIDE of the cover plate on the outlets. My beautiful old growth wood baseboards and walls had sloppy holes with wires showing. Rick told me I could patch and paint all the wood and NEVER apologized.

We had Cat-5 wiring installed throughout the house (it still had the original phone wiring, no cable, and we needed a second phone line and to use new fangled things like computers, internet, televisions, etc..). One of the twisted pairs in the Cat-5 cabling was punched down backwards at the box, so the whole system failed to work until each outlet had to be trouble shot individually and rewired in a non- standard manner to make it work. My husband led the technician through the correction process, outlet by outlet.

We needed power to be extended to the back of the house for an irrigation system (there were no outside outlets). Instead of Rick, Kris was sent out. Due to previous experience and advice of contractor, I asked Kris to show me any and all drilling and cutting in wood he wanted to do and have it cleared by me first. He completely ignored my request. (Who's house is this?) While I was in the house playing with my daughter, he started drilling and sawing under the house. Then Kris announced he had to rush off to another job and didn't care how long I believed his appointment to be. This did not please me as I had dirt being moved and rock walls being built in the back yard by contractors on the scene. He set an appointment for the next working day (I think we were on a Friday) and promised he would be there to finish the work. I started calling Gil's an hour after Kris's appointment time came and went - Kris was on another job and wouldn't be free all day. They could send someone out in two days. I had contractors waiting on the work. I went to the mailbox and in the mail there was a bill for Kris's work for the Friday before AND FOR LABOR DONE THE DAY I RECEIVED THE BILL.

Then, I'm guessing 9 months later on a Sunday, I am home with my toddler and taking care of a friend's toddler - and the power goes out. I can't figure out anything in the circuit box. I put the girl's down for a nap and ask the girl next door to come over while I ran to Home Depot. I replaced ALL of the breakers in the box. Still no power. I call Gil's. They tell me they will call back. Neighbor brings over this little electric checker pen thingie, and we discover that there is no power after where the PG&E lines connect to the house. I call PG&E. They arrive, request the cherry picker truck, it arrives and they fix it ALL BEFORE Gil's calls me back.

Turns out that Gil's had never requested and/or dealt with getting the new system inspected and signed off by PG&E - our new box and meter did not have the PG&E sticker on it. ITs some big green sticker. This is usually done in a more timely and quick manner because the connecter between the PG&E lines and the house need to be weatherized, but PG&E has to check the connection first. PG&E never came, so the connector rusted out and we could not receive electricity.

Gil's admitted their failure in getting PG&E approval to happen. Rick showed up for the inspection. He didn't believe that there was any fault with his work, the failure was our problem. I showed him the connector that had rusted out. He threw it on the ground, yelled ''That was a $25 part!'' and proceeded to have a tantrum and then left. The system did pass the PG&E inspection.

There is more, but I think you get the picture.
Julia

Electrician for bathroom remodel

We are remodeling our bathroom and looking for a good and reasonably priced electrician who works in the east bay. anon

He is very knowledgeable, a walking title 24 encyclopedia, and did not mind presenting alternatives and explaining pros and cons. He was willing to get city permits and work with inspectors. We also liked that he was very good at communicating with us by either telephone or email. Both times, we have hired Iosif we noticed that he is punctual, responsible, professional and very easy to work with.

We are very satisfied with the quality of his work and would hire him again for electrical work. The city inspector was also very impressed with Iosif's work and told us it was excellent. We hope you find this helpful as we know that it is very hard to find a trustworthy contractor. We believe Iosif works all over the East Bay. If you need an electrician; we would highly recommend Iosif. His business name is Danios Electric; he is the owner and he does the work himself. Lic #874914. Cell (510) 828-6570 or Business (510) 889-7114. Lamorinda mom

Electrician to hook up doorbell

I need an electrician to hook up a new door bell Jonathan

2007 - 2008 Recommendations

Electrician to install bathroom fixtures

We are in need of an electrician to install a fan/overhead light, bathroom fan, and sconce. Just some small around-the- house jobs. Could someone recommend an electrician, ideally who won't break the bank, that they have used before? Thanks! Sarah

Electrician in the Lamorinda area

I am looking for a reasonably priced, competent electrician for a (hopefully) small job in Lamorinda. The archives don't show much for the Lamorinda area, but if anyone knows of someone who is either local or willing to cross the tunnel, I would so appreciate it! Many thanks!! les

Electrician to install ceiling fans

I am looking for a good but not too expensive electrician to install ceiling fans in my home. I am in the Dublin/Pleasanton area. Any referrals much appreciated. thanks! Tina

Electrician to replace knob & tube

We have a home built in the 1940s that still has some knob and tube wiring. We've updated the main panel and parts of the house as we've remodeled, but need to replace the the rest of the knob and tube.

We're looking for a competent, reasonably-priced electrician (the estimages we've gotten are sky high) who can replace the rest of the knob and tube so that we're completely up-to-date.

Also looking for some advice on whether to permit the job or go without. We've updated a couple areas of our house without permits and are now unsure whether we can/should permit the rest or if we're better off just getting it done without permits. The main panel was replaced with permits, so we have done some of updating via the permit process. Thanks! KB

I urge you to do major work, especially electrical, with a permit! I've heard too many horror stories about people having to tear out everything their first contractor did, or getting caught by an inspector in the neighborhood and having to suspend work, pay fines, start over, etc. In the case of electrical work, the risk is way too high to mess with.

I've pulled several permits in Berkeley and found the people at the Permit Office to be incredibly helpful and the process to be relatively straightforward. That being said, using the low end of an estimate rather than the top will help mitigate the permit cost.

I also worried that one previously un-permitted project would be ''discovered'' but found the inspectors to be very focused on what they came to look at. Maybe I was just lucky, but I also haven't heard of other people running into problems like this. In any case, I'm now convinced that pulling permits is a safeguard against oversight or incompetence . . . and worth paying for. Anon

The job means crawling around in tight spaces, fishing Romex wire where once were single wires, sometimes drilling through walls and occasionally opening small holes in plaster walls. Lots of time in the crawlspace and attic.

The Oakland electrical building inspectors mainly checked the work that was easy to get to - the boxes that he could see. He didn't crawl around the attic to make sure that I'd done a good job there!

The job expanded somewhat, as I installed more electrical outlets around the house, and put light switches next to most doors. Along the way, I also replaced the old steel pipes in the house with copper, and insulated the joist spaces. Grungy work, but it's finally finished. Whew!

To do this job right is quite challenging, especially when you don't want to open up walls. And there are plenty of places where you're tempted to take shortcuts: After spending four hours to fish a wire into a living room wallswitch - you say to yourself, ''Why not just leave this one old wire or put up a length of ugly surface wiremold?'').

So I'm not surprised that your quotes are so expensive; the electrician will be performing minor surgery on your home. Cliff

Good independent electrician

We need a good independent electrician and a plumber. When we lived in Washington DC we were horrified to see that 1/2 hour of one of these might cost two hours of company time with overhead, while independents were both cheaper and more reliable. North Berkeley Lee

Affordable electrician that will get the job done

i need an electrician that will get the job done up to the code and for an affordable price. can anyone recommend a good one? rebecca

we have used clay bartley, 510-325-7462,for various electrical projects in our home in berkeley: replacing light fixtures, rewiring circuits he is personable, efficient, clean, well-priced he seems to be a popular contractor but he has always manages to fit us into his schedule and works to fit himself into ours... i highly recommend him for electrical work... lr

Any recommendations for an electrician? I want to install some outdoor lighting (motion sensor, pathway, etc.) and some other small electrical work in the house. Erik

The short version of the story below is: Call Leo, he's great! 510-393-4038 - tell him Alec and Heather sent you. We had leo replace all the Knob & Tube in the house. During and at the end of the job, Leo was very communicative about progress and the problems he encountered. If I wasn't around on a given day, he usually called me that afternoon to give me a status update. He was very friendly, easy to deal with, and accommodated our 2 kids' nap schedules easily for the 5 days of the job. He was also very firm about adhering to the contract, and called me before beginning additional work. I always felt like he was being very honest upfront with me about all issues he encountered. A month after the job was complete, one overhead light started flickering on and off. I called Leo and he was there a day later. He found a loose wire in the switch and fixed it with no charge. While he was there he offered to send me the RECO paperwork for if/when we want to sell the house... Alec

We are in search of a reliable, cost efficient, knowledgeable electrician to upgrade the wiring in our old home. We called one who was highly recommended and he turned out to be a flake (lacked basic communication/follow-up). It's a basic job, but we want someone who is a professional--not some electrician who and talks too much about his personal life and then takes a month to return a call. Also if anyone has used Plaza Electric in Albany or Blue Electric would appreciate your comments. anon

I got the name of an Electrician, Iosif Adamache, from the BPN website and was so happy I did! He and his team were amazing. I even found him sweeping my kitchen one day! His number is 820 6570 and iosifadamache[at]sbcglobal.net don't hesitate! He was very reasonable as well! Diane

Can anyone recommend a good, honest, reliable (I know I'm asking alot) electrician that they have used in the Oakland area? I have a small and possible medium level job. I contacted Iosif Adamache who was highly recommended here on BPN, but after several emails and Phone calls, he has not responded. Thanks DM

I'm looking to upgrade my fuse box to a circuit breaker panel. I expect it may be expensive, since the electrical system is antiquated, and am looking for an honest and competent electrician to recommend and perform the necessary work. Thanks Aaron

I would like to add a glowing recommendation for Iosif Adamache at Danios Electric. He and his small crew were cordial, punctual, professional, and worked very fast in replacing the main breaker panel, adding new circuits, grounding, and light fixtures. Peter

Daan , worked on my kitchen and it was a pleasure to work with him. He was on time, within budget and told me where I could save money and where not to. He worked well with me and my wife, which is saying a lot because my wife is tough on contractors. I will be calling Daan for my main panel upgrade, spa install and any other electrical work I need. He has been gracious in informing me of errors I have made in my own attempts at wiring projects that I'd done. I thought I knew what I was doing. Anyway I can't say enough good things about him and his brother. Daan (Don) Rottger 510-847-5577 Contractors license #: 836134
Mike

Great Electrician!! Donmar Electric 510-710-4537
Great service, fast, dependable and the project passed inspection. Donmar Electric 510-710-4537 Ann

I would like to recommend El Cerrito Electric, specifically James, for anything electrical. James put in a new main panel at our house that we had just bought. We had a time limit because the seller was paying. He did it in a day with no hassle. But the best part was that when the inspector came for the inspection and he saw who had done the work, he barely looked at it!! He said, ''Oh, El Cerrito Electric? I know they did it right.'' And he signed off on it! If that's not a recommendation, I don't know what is! --Still have power

I would like to recommend my wonderful electrician, Iosif Adamache, and add this updated review from February 2007 to the others that have appeared on the BPN website. Iosif completely rewired my 1926 North Berkeley home, completed the job in a timely fashion, completely explained everything that he was doing, and priced the job very reasonably. He prefers to be contacted by e-mail, and his e-mail address is iosifadamache[at]sbcglobal.net. If you have any trouble reaching him through e-mail, you can contact him at his phone 510-828-6570. Not only is Iosif a fine electrician (and I am continuing to use his services for additional electrical work I need) he is also a good guitarist--if you are lucky you may be able to persuade him to play some of his Romanian songs for you. Signed: Julie

I want to recommend our Electrician we used for redoing the wiring in our old house. His name is Carlos Guerrero, 510-409-3627. He did a fantastic job. Great at recommending and designing new lighting; and knowledgeable of energy efficient products. He was punctual, clean, very courteous, fast and affordable. No complaints! He showed up on the first day and we went over my plan. He had many suggestions and improvments to my ideas. He finished it all on time and on budget. I love what he suggested and the new fixtures he put in. He is an independent contractor, sweet, and family oriented guy. I really enjoyed working with him and would like to see him succeed. Signed: patrick

NEED A GOOD, HONEST ELECTRICIAN, FAST? Call Tim Wright! We found his name here, on BPN. His was the lowest of 3 estimates, and he started working within 3 days of our first phone call. He did creative ''troubleshooting'' for us, in an attempt to find the cause of flickering lights in our 1951 home. He worked his way through the wiring, replacing dangerous outlets, wires that had melted together inside the wall (!), and updating switches. Our house is now flicker-free, has updated, safe wiring, and we were VERY happy with Tim's work. He's licensed, and has a small team of workers, and all of them were courteous, friendly, and prompt. We highly recommend Tim Wright for any electrical work you might need. Tim's numbers: office: 547-8286, cell: 459-8438. heidi

I just had a great experience with an electrician, and want to highly recommend the services of Iosif Adamache (LIC. #874914). Iosef was truly a pleasure to work with on this small job (adding a few circuits to increase the electrical capacity of my cottage). He was prompt, professional, clearly very skilled, and just a really nice guy. And he was also the most reasonably priced quote I got. Not only that, but he came up with an creative and affordable solution which enabled me to get twice as much extra capacity as I had hoped for. Once inside the circuit box, he identified a wiring problem which was a potential fire hazard, and I know this could have been an opportunity to charge me a lot more. He offered to add on that work at a very nominal fee, mostly just cost of the parts. I felt very comfortable with him and really respect his integrity. I also appreciated his willingness to explain things to me and how he didn't leave a mess. His number is (510) 889-7114 or (510) 828-6570 (cell), or you can email him at iosifadamache[at]sbcglobal.net.
Rachel Z.

Can anybody recommend a decent electrician either in or serving Alameda please? This shouldn't be so difficult. Cheers!! John

2005 - 2006 Recommendations

My husband and I highly recommend Iosif Adamache from Danios Electric whom I found in the Berkeley Parents Network listing. He did some work for us 2 weeks ago. We have an old house that needed new grounded wiring and he and his team did an excellent job. They also installed new circuit breakers and they even helped us install a new hood and power outlet. Iosif is very affordable, very efficient and professional. His phone number is 510-828-6570 lial3

I'd like to recommend Jake Nelson, electrician. He responded quickly to my call, and was able to show up in a few days. He did a nice job installing lights and was more than willing to do small jobs. He also worked on a holiday to get something done I needed right away. Overall hems very reasonably priced, straightforward, and easy to talk to and work with. Jake can be reached at (510) 712-1224. Ted

Feb 2007

I'm forced to withdraw my previous positive comments on Jake Nelson, electrician. After performing some work to my satisfaction, he started a second job and has not returned after several MONTHS to finish the work. He claimed to be out of the Country and to have had family emergencies, but he has yet to show up despite his many promises that he would arrive on a certain day. He is out of touch for long periods and doesn't inform us that he won't be around. I'd move on except he still has the broken equipment with him that he took to be fixed. Obviously I'd never use him again. Ted

Our neighborhood group needed some repairs for some outdoor pathway lighting. On the Berkeley Parents Network, we found strong recommendations for IOSIF ADAMACHE iosifadamache[at]sbcglobal.net Cell phone 510-828-6570. Message (925) 932-4838. We were very pleased with his services. Prompt communication. It was a small job that was done well for a reasonable fee. So here is another happy-customer adding another endorsement for Iosif.
Ian

I want to suggest you hire Jeff Bloomfield as an electrician. We found him through a recommendation on the Berkeley Parents Network. The first job he did for us wasn't a carefully planned upgrade or a room addition, but one of those times when, for no apparent reason, suddenly a large portion of our house lost power. Jeff made room in a busy schedule to trouble shoot and resolve the frustrating situation, while ensuring our needs were balanced with existing client commitments. Shortly afterward, we also hired him to run power to our garage, and he did a fine job, even saving us money by ordering and arranging for delivery of a part his usual supplier didn't carry. He seems willing to do both large and small jobs, is very capable, goes for cost-effective and safe installations...and he cleans up after himself. Jeff is located in Berkeley, and can be reached either on his office line, (510)649-7628, or his cell phone (510)541-4778. Happy wiring, Donna

We recommend Daan and Inder Rottger (brothers) who own Fighting Amish electrical services. For us, they installed beautiful recessed can lighting, a bathroom fan, and new light switch/dimmer controls. They also did some DSL, computer wiring, and cable work. For acquaintances, they've done hot tub installs (very "safety first" oriented!), complete rewiring jobs, radiant floor heating, and tricky "must pass inspection" jobs. They have a common sense approach--smart, professional, organized--and they're super nice guys. Daan's been doing construction, electrical, and home spa work for over a decade, but they just launched their own business last year so they are still affordable. Their number is (510) 847-5577, and you can usually find their ad on Craig's List under licensed electricians.
J&K

I recently finished a big addition and was my own contractor, and would like to make following recommendations - I spent considerable time finding good and sometimes inexpensive people. Electrician - Jeff Cohen 234-4903. Cheap! and completely competent.

We recently hired Joel Baron of ELM Electric to do a service change on our house and rewire our kitchen. He was very easy to work with and did a neat and prompt job at a fair price. We are having him back this summer to do some landscape lighting. I recommend him whole-heartedly. His number is 510-206-0073. Serena

Nicholas Arroyos of Electric Restoration recently did an electrical upgrade for me at my home in Berkeley. He's great because he really knows his stuff and had the patience to explain things to me. Not only that, but he is professional, yet isn't overpriced. He works out of Emeryville. His number is 415-370-2332. Nader

About 10 months ago, I turned my garage into an office (with permits), and needed serious help upgrading the electrical. Most bids were way too high--I needed to replace my main box, add a box in the old garage, run four circuits, and have lights and outlets all to Albany code. Not a huge job, but not trivial. I was delighted to find Jeff Bloomfield's ''Eclectic Electric'' recommended by others here on the board. Jeff is great to work with, his prices are quite reasonable, and the work is excellent. Indeed, the building inspector looked around at the electrical, chuckled and said, ''wow, finally someone who really knows what he's doing''--and signed off immediately. I can't recommend Jeff highly enough--he is personable, prompt, and fast. His contact info is:

Jeff Bloomfield
Eclectic Electric
jeffb[at]lmi.net
510.541.4778 (cell)
510.649.7628 (office)

Andrew Vogt is a great electrician. He's very thorough and experienced and is extremely pleasant to work with. He can be reached on his cell at 415/793-0213.
A & S

After calling several electricians (including one from BPN) I found a fantastic Electrical company that I would love to recommend. The company is called Northern Lights and the president is Rich Gobbell (925) 833-7662. He returned my calls promptly, was courteous, professional, and had reasonable rates. His workers came out on time (imagine that!) and finished the job efficiently. Rich even sent a guy out to do some cosmetic patchwork which we hadn't even noticed. We were so pleased with their work. I have some cards and coupons he sent me for 15% discount on all electrical work, so if you're interested, e-mail me your address and I can send them to you. Or, if you mention that Sandra Franklin in Moraga recommended him he might just apply the discount - as he did for us, even without the coupon. Sandra

I am very pleased with the work done by Jake Nelson (510-712-1224). He replaced the broken overhead wiring from our 1930-ish house to our detached garage with a new underground line and updated the wiring & lights in our garage and back yard. He also fixed two problems (caused by prior electricians) in our basement. Jake is thorough, flexible, reliable, and honest. In addition his rates are reasonable. I wish all service people were like Jake! I highly recommend that you call Jake to get an estimate. Hal

I would highly recommend Amir Jalilvand for small or big electrical jobs. He rewired a new addition for me and did an excellent job. He us licensed and insured. his number is 510)381-0658 sarah

We recently employed Jeff Bloomfield of Eclectic Electric to wire a backyard office for us: He not only installed the power wiring, but also wired telephone, ethernet, cable, and configured our wireless internet router. He also made the time to clean up some nagging electrical odds & ends for us. In short, we found Jeff flexible in scheduling and easy to communicate with. We heartily recommend him. His contact information is: Jeff Bloomfield, Eclectic Electric 510-649-7628 (office); 510-541-4778 (cell); jeffb[at]lmi.net (email).
Doug M.

I called them on a recommendation from this site. He quoted me over the phone approx. $300 to add a 220 dryer outlet in the laundry room. After performing the work (4.5hrs) the bill was $783! Of that about $100 was materials...so doing the math, this is likely the highest hourly rate for an electrican anywhere. He brings a co-worker... so $150/hr for both. Nice enough guy, pleasant conversation and willingness to discuss and explain, but bottom line is if a contractor cannot stick to a bid within reason, and makes no attempt to indicate the job is harder then he first thought or bid on... that's not good in my book. For what it's worth, I had another electrician recommended from this site look at the same job and he indicated I paid 2x the normal cost for that project. casar

I want to recommend Jeff Bloomfield from Eclectic Electric. Jeff did a project for us recently and he did a great job. His work was excellent and his estimate was very fair. What was also nice is that some of the work we needed done was small items that Jeff handled along with the larger projects. We have found in the past that some electricians won't handle the smaller work so it was great that Jeff was willing to do so. he can be reached at 510 649 7628 or on his cell phone at 510 541 4778. Malia

I wanted to recommend a good electrician my husband and I found. Last September,when we called around looking for electricians, all of them were either too busy to return our calls or our job was too small for someone to come out. Finally one of the electricians we called gave us Jake Nelson's # and he's been doing a great job working for us on our rentals since September. He charge's us 35/hr(which we think is reasonable) and he never seems too busy to return a call or get the job done to our satisfaction. Jake's # is (510)712-1224 celeste

2003 - 2004 Recommendations

On the recommendation of several writers, we called Josif Adamache (510 828-6570) to do our recent electrical installations and repairs. We had put off having two wall heaters fixed because of the projected hassel and expense of buying new equipment. But Josif's knowledge, ingenuity and investigative spirit solved these problems quickly without requiring new appliances. He is very safety conscious and a delight to work with. We're grateful for coming across previous recommendations for Josif--he's a real find. Linda

I recently had the great fortune and pleasure of finding an electrician through recommendations on this list and I feel compelled to echo a strong recommendation for Iosif Adamache. I've also updated contact info below. The job included removal of knob & tube wiring; extensive new wiring; a new panel; new grounding; telephone, cable & computer wiring. Iosif does large and small jobs. We had a detailed discussion of the job & plans before he made a bid, so it was clear exactly what would be done. His rates were very competitive and his work is excellent. He is flexible, reliable, patient with many questions & details, and easy to work with. He works fast (in fact, he finished ahead of schedule) and is competent, thorough and skilled. It's truly been a pleasure to know and work with Iosif. His new contact number is 510-828-6570--this is his most recent number and updated from the numbers John and Naomi gave previous Nina

Daniel Sinotte of Earth Star Electric (510) 547-7848, did a wonderful job with our house, and we couldn't be happier. His crew, in particular, Sola, were very thorough, conscientious, and careful. The great thing about Daniel is that he is very concerned with both the safety issues as well as the aesthetic ones. He SAVED us from making some foolish mistakes, and really updated our ancient wiring system. His prices are very reasonable, and he was very attentive to our needs. His email address is daniel AT earthstardesign.com
Allison and Adam

I found Iosif Adamache's name in Naomi's June 2003 recommendation of his work in this list. He did two electrical remodeling jobs for me, both superb, and is about to do a third. All the good things Naomi said about him are true, but let me add a few others. He's a wizard at tricky stuff like fishing cable through joists and bending aluminum conduit. When he needs to cut a hole in a wall or ceiling to wire a new outlet, the patching and mudding he does to repair the hole is as good as anything I've seen a good drywall guy do. He loves the sort of challenges that a remodel in an old house presents, and he's very creative with solutions. His English is only OK, but his communications skills are first rate and he and I always understood each other perfectly. I consider myself lucky to have found him. His new number is 925/932-4838 (the number Naomi gave in 2003 no longer works). John

This is Clay Bartley posting a message that I've moved. Years ago someone gave me a glowing recommendation and that has lead to many Berkeley parents hiring me. Whomever you are, Thank you. Ohmega II still recommends me for electrical work. I'm licensed as both an electrical contractor and a general contractor and I'm bonded and insured. What's changed is my wife Lisa and I have two children now, Jack 2.5 years and Sophia who is just 14 weeks. We're very pleased to have moved to a larger home in Kensington. My new numbers are Hm. 510-527-5090 and my cell 510-325-7462. If you would like a free estimate for electrical work on your home or if you have any questions, please feel free to call. Clay Bartley l.bartley AT lycos.com

I am looking for an electrician that can help get new power service to our 1923 home in Maxwell Park area of Oakland. Currently we still have th 110v 30amp service and are looking to upgrade. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. I am hoping to have someone come out in the next month or two if possible. We are going to begin a remodel of our kitchen and would like to have the power upgraded before we begin that. Thank you!! Lisa

we have a lovely old house and need some advice and electrical work. looking for someone who has the patience and expertise for small jobs (hopefully it's small!) on old homes. luna

I got Jeff Bloomfield's name from another recommendation. His business is called Eclectic Electric. He is efficient, quick, skilled, and easy to work with, and his price was reasonable for a small job that other electricians were not interested in. His phone is 649 7628. Bernard

My electrician recently told me that he is looking for more work. He's an interesting fellow. A fine artist whose work is selling, a former dot-commer UI person, experience with construction, and experience doing electrical work. I've been extremely happy with him, since we bought our home in 2000 and were kicked back and forth by a lot of the TERRIBLE people who were available for work back then. As a matter of fact, Guy's helped to fix a lot of problems caused by our previous people. Guy is bright, articulate, a perfectionist, easy to work with, and just a gem. Enjoy. Oh, he's also got some of the best rates around.

to discuss your project, repair, upgrade or to arrange for an estimate please call Guy at: 415.652.2939

We need an electrician for some simple jobs - wiring in our new garage door opener, installing a fan in our bathroom, and grounding a couple of outlets. We had work done by a local company when we moved in and were not pleased with the quality of their finish work, so we are looking for someone with an eye to quality and detail. Kelly

I just wanted to send out a recommendation for Richard at Dyno Electric. He's an electrical contractor that has been doing work at our house, everything from changing out light fixtures to upgrading our service and installing new circuits. He has a great aesthetic sense (knows to balance switches on either side of a sink, great recommendations on kitchen lighting, etc.), is very down to earth (he'll tell you his honest opinion about what will work and won't), and he has so far been extremely conscientious. As one example, we had discussed when he first came to look at the house putting in lighting inside some of the kitchen cabinets. When he later gave us a bid, he detailed out all of the tasks with prices broken down for each. He had forgotten to include a price for that work, and feeling bad that he hadn't, he was willing to do that work for a very reduced additional price even though we would have been happy to pay him for the full cost of the extra work. He also found some work that wound up not needing to be done and immediately credited us (I'm sure some contractors would have just never mentioned it or pretended that they had done the work, and we would never have been the wiser). He has a whole crew of people, so he can get work done to meet your deadlines, and he was able to help us on very short notice and work with our move- in date. He also has a great sense of humor and is just a very nice person. I can't say enough good things about him! You can reach him at 655-1696. Please let him know that Jenny Jonak recommended you - I want him to know how pleased we were with his work! Jenny

Hi, Friends of mine highly recommend Kurt Abrams. His # is in the phone book. He's been doing phone jack and lighting, and other electrical work for 20 years, and charges a very reasonable $20/hour. Although I've not used him, for full disclosure, he is currently subletting my apartment and is a good, honest, detail oriented guy. betsy

I wanted to post a recommendation for a journeyman electrician who recently fixed the wiring for my dishwasher. Ray Fikiri has several years of experience and is familiar with the current codes. He was prompt, courteous, and took the trouble to try to educate me about what he was doing. He urged me to contact him if there was any problem with the work (there hasn't been). I would definitely hire him again. He's also a Berkeley resident with a toddler of his own. At $30 per hour, Ray's rate is extremely reasonable. I recommend him highly. He'll do jobs large and small. His home telephone number is (510) 883-0150, and his email address is kasallah AT hotmail.com

I'd like to recommend Vladimir Bazanov for small electrical wiring jobs. On various occasions, he has done rewiring and new wiring to install fixtures in our home, as well as trouble-shooting of electrical problems. He is available weekends and evenings (he has a day job as an electrician with a local institution), and is very reasonably priced. He can be reached directly at (510) 234-5215. I can be reached evenings/weekends at (510) 528-4408. Nancy

2002 & Earlier

Could anyone recommend an electrician? The most recent postings are from 2001. One mentions Joe Metz positively but thats it. thanks in advance, LSG

He upgraded our 1940's electric system to bring our house up to code as required right after we bought it. We also had him do a couple extra projects around the house (and plan to have him back for some more soon!). He did great work, was reliable and efficient, and cost almost half the rate of some others. He charged $45/hr but that was two years ago, not sure of his rate now.

He worked for one of the big firms, but went out on his own and doesn't need to charge the overhead that they do. He was very pleasant, and willing to help us prioritize our needs within a limited budget. (See April 2004 note for current contact info)

Kent Salisbury, 510-523-2065, did terrific electrical work for us at very reasonable rates. I couldn't recommend him more highly.

I would confidentally recommend Steve Nunn, who does small and large electrician jobs, and seems to be priced very fairly, from what little comparison shopping I've done. His number is: 510-612-4096. Lael

I am behind in my reading of the list, but for the person looking for a recommendation of an electrician in the Walnut Creek area, I can recommend Jeff Daykin, Daykin Electric. He's at (925) 778-5816. We used him recently for the first time on the recommendation of our realtor, who has been in Walnut Creek for many many years and has great contacts. We were very happy with Jeff's work and are planning to use him again for another project soon. He's very laid back and easy to work with. May 1999

They were also agreeable to an arrangement with our kitchen where they "roughed in" the electrical (i.e., installing new fuses in the box and running the cables to the right spots), and we did the "finish" electrical (wiring the outlets, switches, and fixtures, which is easy work for the moderately handy person). That little innovation saved us ~$500 in labor.

I recommend Electric Bill's Company, he is out of San Rafael but has done work for us, including re-wiring telephones and outlets, installing lighting fixtures and is very competent. We will be using him later this year when we change our main electrical panel. His number is 415-491-1881. Alice (8/98)

I recently went through a search for an electrician and found a company called Roberts Electric Company (RECO) in Oakland. Their phone number is 834-6161. My daycare provider's brother-in-law has worked for them for many years which isn't much of a technical recommendation but it met my honesty/integrity/legitimate business criteria. They did a very small job for me which I was quite pleased with and I plan to use them for a larger job soon. My only criticism was that they had so much work it was difficult to get my job scheduled. Harlan Family (8/98)

Gill's Electric is an old Berkeley company that I've used once. I didn't have any complaints. They had installed the switch box on my house so I called them when I needed a repair. They charge $78/hour though. Ginger (8/98)

Electrician Peter Bogdan has requested not to be reviewed on the Berkeley Parents Network.