Service area
Hire a Licensed Electrician in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Planning a rewire, a new panel or a repair for your Philadelphia home? Describe it on the phone, and we'll set a time for a licensed electrician.
- Line answered
- 24/7
- Electrician
- Licensed
- Price
- Quoted first
- ZIP prefixes
- 190 / 191 / 192
Electrical work in Philadelphia
Philadelphia's rows are old, narrow and joined at the walls, and that shapes almost every electrical job in the city. Shared party walls, narrow lots, basements that flood and services extended by generations of owners are normal conditions, not exceptions.
Party walls cause problems you won't see in a detached house. Old work, much of it unpermitted, has left circuits that cross into the house next door and neutrals shared between two homes, and untangling that is a routine part of rewiring a row. Narrow fronts also limit where a new service mast can go.
Most rows keep the panel in a damp basement, often right where storm water comes in. Moving or raising the panel is a common recommendation on the low blocks near the Schuylkill and the Delaware River. Philadelphia licenses electrical contractors through the Department of Licenses and Inspections, which also issues the permits.
In a house wired before 1950, the usual jobs are home rewiring, an electrical panel upgrade to retire the fuse box, and grounded outlet installation where two-prong receptacles are still in use. If you've just bought one, start with an electrical inspection.
When to call urgently
- A burning smell near outlets, switches or the panel
- Visible sparking, arcing or scorch marks
- A shock from an appliance, switch, faucet or fixture
- Water reaching outlets, the panel or wiring
- A breaker that will not stay reset, or a panel that is hot to the touch
Local conditions
What do electricians get called for in Philadelphia?
We cover South Philadelphia, Fishtown, West Philadelphia, Kensington, Point Breeze and Germantown, along with the rest of the ZIP codes listed below.
A row still on its first service
A row that started with a few circuits now runs a modern kitchen, air conditioning and a finished basement off the same service. Replacing it is usually the first thing on the estimate.
Knob-and-tube in the older rows
Pre-war wire survives in walls and ceilings and fails at splices and boxes. Insurers increasingly ask whether it's still there.
A circuit that feeds next door
Party walls and old unpermitted work mean an electrician sometimes finds a circuit serving the neighbor or a neutral shared between two houses.
Panel at the bottom of the stairs
The panel is usually the first thing water reaches when the basement floods. Raising or moving it is common advice near the rivers.
Roof decks and rear additions
Roof decks and additions need weather-rated wiring, correct protection and a permit. Work done without one usually surfaces at a sale inspection and has to be fixed then.
ZIP codes
Which ZIP codes do you cover here?
The Philadelphia ZIP codes we cover run across the 190, 191 and 192 prefixes, so they reach past the city's own postal district. Type your ZIP into the checker to be sure. Don't see your ZIP? Call anyway and we'll check your address.
- 19019
- 19092
- 19093
- 19101
- 19102
- 19103
- 19104
- 19105
- 19106
- 19107
- 19108
- 19109
- 19110
- 19111
- 19112
- 19113
- 19114
- 19115
- 19116
- 19118
- 19119
- 19120
- 19121
- 19122
- 19123
- 19124
- 19125
- 19126
- 19127
- 19128
- 19129
- 19130
- 19131
- 19132
- 19133
- 19134
- 19135
- 19136
- 19137
- 19138
- 19139
- 19140
- 19141
- 19142
- 19143
- 19144
- 19145
- 19146
- 19147
- 19148
- 19149
- 19150
- 19151
- 19152
- 19153
- 19154
- 19155
- 19160
- 19161
- 19162
- 19170
- 19171
- 19172
- 19173
- 19175
- 19176
- 19177
- 19178
- 19179
- 19181
- 19182
- 19183
- 19184
- 19185
- 19187
- 19188
- 19190
- 19191
- 19192
- 19193
- 19194
- 19195
- 19196
- 19197
- 19244
- 19255
Available in Philadelphia
Which electrical service do you need?
Is the old wiring in my Philadelphia house safe?
It depends on its condition more than its age. A licensed electrician checks the splices, the grounding and the panel, tells you which circuits need replacing and which can stay, and you'll have an estimate first.
What does electrical work cost in Philadelphia?
It depends on what the house needs. In a pre-1950 home the big jobs are a rewire and a service upgrade, priced on how many circuits there are and how much wall and ceiling has to be opened. A single repair costs far less. You'll know the price first, and you only pay for work you agreed to.
Can I get an electrician in Philadelphia at night or on a weekend?
Yes, for anything urgent. Our line is answered 24 hours a day. Tell us what's happening and we'll get a licensed electrician out who takes after-hours calls. Nights and weekends usually cost more than a weekday visit.
Talk to us
Need an electrician in Philadelphia?
Tell us roughly when the house was built and what it's doing. We'll get a licensed electrician out to look at the wiring and the panel.
We'll get a licensed electrician out to you, and you only pay for work you agreed to.