Electric Company of Seattle

I am not a novice to contractors, have worked with dozens over the years with generally positive results. This is my first negative review of one. Engaged the Electric Company to get a quote for several small repair & installation projects. I was provided a bid that appeared reasonable so we called back to schedule the repairs. Repairs themselves appeared to proceed OK, they arrived on time on schedule. Halfway through the job, the electrician said he needed additional parts that were in his truck, but the truck load shifted blocking his door so he would have to come back because he couldn't get to it. Also had one part on order for two weeks after an initial estimate of a couple days. Ended up making three visits total to complete the jobs. The main problem arrived in billing - took two months to get an invoice. When it arrived, the invoice was for more than double the initial quote. Two items were billed at a different higher amount than quoted. Two items were added that I authorized as additional charges during the repairs. One item was added to the invoice for $160 that he clearly stated during the walk-through was part of the initial bid price. I called Stephen to resolve the issue - he gave a story that the initial quote was just an "estimate" and not a hard quote so he could change at will to match the job done. He accused me of being dishonest and trying to skirt paying the bill. Also claimed never to have said what he said initially. When I stated that I expected any additional charges beyond the initial bid would be cleared with me in advance of incurring them (and in the same manner that he asked me to clear the two other additional charges) he said something like fine, you're right you did not authorize that, I'll just come on down and tear it out and you can get someone else to repair it. When I replied that he said was supposed to be part of the initial bid he denied ever saying that. Bottom line, you cannot trust their word or even their written bid - avoid at all costs. more

We've used them throughout the years without any issues. More recently they put in a new panel box. more

Used them several times for small business and my residence. Stephen provides great service, always gets permits that pass, and charges a fair price. Highly recommended. more

My husband and I have had a real estate develpment company for over 30 years. We have used The Electric Company many times for our projects since we learned about them 16 years ago. Stephen and his team of electricians are very knowledgeable, have an excellent response time. They know what they are doing and they do it on time and for a very reasonable price. more

I called them to look at a panel board problem I had. They gave me a detailed quote in good time. They did the work quickly and professionally. I am happy with their service. more

I had power shutoff and then turned on. My main power switch would not close and it would not reset. The panel was powered so no way was I going to pull the main switch out. Searched for affordable electricians in Seattle and Electric Company of Seattle was one of two that I chose to call. The lady at the Electric Company office said Steve would call me back. The other company said they would send someone right away but they took their time. However they got their first to look at the switch. They said the switch was old and obsolete, that I would need a new panel. Estimate of cost was well over $3000. Steve arrived later and muttered that he could find a replacement switch, that it would cost about $300 and then the labor. But first he said he would see if he could get the switch to reset properly. He managed to close the switch and bring power back into the house. Total cost was $100 plus $9.50 tax. Total time was about 20 minutes. Most of the time was spent getting his tool bag out of his truck. Steve was very professional, very honest and efficient. I would recommend him for any electrical job you have. more

Brian was my electrician and he did a great job, I liked his attitude. It was a long road with my remodel, about three visits, but Stephen came through for me in the end, and I would use them again. The fact that they are sometimes very busy speaks for itself. more

Steve came out and looked at my project. He was able to start right away. they did what needed to be done in a timely manor. The price was very fair. I would recommend this company to everyone who needs electrical work done. more

The electrician who came to my house, Brian, was on time and very fast. I like doing home improvement projects, so I stayed nearby to watch and help out. Brian disconnected the old service, wired up a new meter on the side of my house, installed a 200 amp panel at the new meter location, and ran a feeder to a 125 amp sub-panel at the old panel location to supply the original circuits. This would have easily taken me several days to complete and going without power that long would have been a real pain. Brian was very friendly and gave me advice on finishing up some smaller electrical projects I was working on. more

I found The Electric Company through ServiceMagic and have been incredibly pleased with the work done on my home. The first time I met Steve, I needed a circuit installed for an over-the-stove microwave and the wire had to be run from a circuit box on the complete opposite side of the house. The work took quite a while, since the route to the microwave was complex--through the garage and the attached garden shed, and then along the siding--but I was very pleased with the result. The final cost was better than other bids I had received. Recently The Electric Company responded to my call for help with a GFI circuit. Steve was really committed to taking care of the problem--even coming out at 9:00 pm the next day. Within the one-hour service call, Steve explained the current code for GFIs and installed FIVE new outlets in my out-of-code house. My cost was reasonable since all the work was done within an hour. My house is now upgraded with safer circuits at a reasonable cost and Steve was able to correct a problem I didn't even know I had (one of my old circuits didn't have a grounding wire). more

I had Steve come out to install some heaters at my condo and they were done in a flash! The price was right. They fit me in on a Sunday! They were no-nonsense and plain speaking... I didn't feel as if I had to discipher what they were going to do or whether or not it was necessary. I plan on having them come out for more work around my new place soon. more

I had them install a new ceiling fan, in a room that had no ceiling light so it required them to run new wiring, cut a hole in my ceiling, rewire an existing light switch and they also installed the fan itself. The fan is installed and working great—there was only a slight amount of “cosmetic” damage done to the dry wall on ceiling and wall around the light switch that I will have to fill in with putty and repaint. They seem to be a small company so when the electrician assigned to come out the first day was sick, they needed to cancel and the second day we rescheduled to do the work he was an hour late due to traffic. However, they seem to be a great value compared to the other bids I received. I’d definitely use them again and recommend them to others for electrical work….in hind sight I should have just installed the fan myself—since I didn’t clearly indicate that I wanted the fan “flush” mounted to the ceiling he installed it with the down rod. So if you have them install a ceiling fan just give very clear instructions up front about where and how you want it installed and if you do want it flush mounted show him the instruction book so he understands that it can be installed flush with the ceiling! more

The Electric Company of Seattle has given us prompt and quality service. They are a local Seattle based business (which I like) and get the job done right and don't overcharge. more

Working with the Electric Company of Seattle on my home remodel projects has been a great experience. Steve took the time to understand my project, his crew fixed all the problems left by my previous electrician, and completed the installation flawlessly. They arrive on time are very knowledgeable and the workmanship is great. I highly recommend them more