Our Services

Yes — either a transfer switch or an interlock kit on your panel. Both make it physically impossible for generator power to reach the utility lines. Running a generator into a wall outlet through a double-ended cord can electrocute a lineman working on your street and will damage your own equipment when power returns.

Most installations are a half day. A long run to a detached garage, trenching under a driveway, or a panel that needs upgrading first will take longer — we will tell you which of those applies when we quote, not on the day.

Most residential panel replacements are a single day. A full service upgrade that also involves the meter base, weatherhead and service entrance cable can run into a second day, and we will tell you which one you are looking at when we quote.

We are a local company focused on doing the job right and treating your home with respect. You get clear pricing, clean work and a team that stands behind what it installs.

It depends on what has to stay running. A 13–16 kW unit covers the essentials in most homes — heating and cooling, refrigeration, well and sump pumps, lights and outlets. Whole-house coverage for a typical Richmond-area home is usually 17–20 kW. We do the load planning before recommending a size, because oversizing is expensive and undersizing is worse.

Sometimes, and only a load calculation will tell you. A 200-amp service with spare capacity usually takes a charger without difficulty. A 100-amp service already running central air and an electric range often cannot. We run the calculation before quoting, so you are not told halfway through the job.

Yes, for most of the working day. Dominion Energy disconnects at the meter before we start and reconnects once the work has passed inspection. We schedule the outage with you in advance so you can plan around it — people who work from home usually pick a day they can be out.

A general check every few years is a good habit, and it is especially smart when buying or selling a home. Call sooner if you notice flickering lights, buzzing, warm outlets or a burning smell.

Whichever your address can actually get. Richmond Gas Works serves the City of Richmond, Henrico and northern Chesterfield; if you are in that area and already have gas, natural gas is simpler — no tank and no deliveries. Everywhere else means propane, with a tank sized for the run time you want. We check availability at your address before quoting.

No. The federal 30C credit applied to equipment placed in service on or before 30 June 2026 and is no longer available. Dominion Energy’s off-peak rate plan is now the main ongoing saving for EV owners in this area, and some carmakers still include a charger or installation credit with a new vehicle.

Yes. Panel and service work is permitted and inspected in every jurisdiction we work in. We pull the permit and schedule the inspection as part of the job, so there is nothing for you to file. An unpermitted panel tends to resurface as a problem when the house is sold.

Yes. Our electricians are licensed and insured, and all work is completed to current electrical code.

Two to three days of work once the permit, pad, electrical and gas connection are counted, spread over a longer calendar window because of permit timing and weather. A portable generator inlet with an interlock kit is usually a half day.

Hardwired is required above 40 amps of continuous draw and is the better result outdoors. A NEMA 14-50 outlet lets you take the unit with you if you move. Under the 2020 code a receptacle feeding an EV charger must be GFCI protected, so a correct outlet installation is not simply a matter of fitting a socket.

The brand name is usually printed on the panel door or on the label inside it. Federal Pacific panels often say "Stab-Lok" on the breakers themselves. If you are not sure, take a photo of the open panel door and send it to us — we can almost always identify it from the picture.

Changing a light bulb, yes — but repairs inside boxes and panels can be dangerous and may not pass inspection. A licensed electrician keeps you safe and your insurance valid.

No — not even with the door open. Carbon monoxide from portable generators kills roughly 100 people a year in the United States. A portable generator runs outdoors, well clear of doors, windows and vents, and anyone relying on one should have working carbon monoxide alarms in the house.

Typically twenty-five to forty miles of range per hour, against three or four on a standard 120-volt outlet. The exact figure depends on the car — its onboard charger sets the ceiling, so a 48-amp unit will not charge a car faster than the car can accept.

Not necessarily. A Level 2 charger is a large continuous load, but whether your existing service can carry it depends on what else is in the house and how it is used. We run a load calculation first. Where the service is genuinely too small, a panel upgrade and the charger installation are best done together as one job.

We install durable, commercial-grade devices and materials that are built to last longer than builder-grade parts.

A standby generator will. It monitors the utility supply and starts within seconds of an outage, transfers the load automatically and shuts down when power returns — which is the main reason people choose one over a portable. A portable generator has to be wheeled out, started and connected by hand.

Yes. It needs a run from the panel, sometimes in trenched conduit under a driveway, and a pedestal mount where there is no wall. It costs more than a charger on the wall beside the panel, and we will price it properly rather than quoting a garage-wall figure and adjusting later.

Sometimes. If the panel itself is sound, current and has spare capacity, replacing a faulty breaker is the right repair and we will do that. It is not the answer for a Federal Pacific or Zinsco panel, for a panel that is full, or for one showing heat damage — in those cases replacing breakers only leaves the real problem in place.

Yes. Materials carry the manufacturer’s warranty, and we will explain the coverage for your specific job.

Yes. Ask us about a membership plan tailored to your home and family.

We sure do — we bring the parts needed for your job, or we can install fixtures you have already purchased.