Short answer
An electrical bill comes down to finding the problem and the parts and labor to fix it. Bigger jobs like panel upgrades, generators and lighting retrofits depend on the size of the job, the distances involved and what's already in the building. Ask for prices before work starts, and get bigger jobs quoted in writing with everything included.
Select Electric's Prices
Ask what a service call costs when you call. Once we've found the cause, we'll tell you what the fix involves and what it costs before the work starts. For what drives the price of electrical work, see what electrical work costs.
Our guarantee: we employ only well-trained, licensed electricians and guarantee every job that we do.
The Service Call
A service call covers the trip and the time to find out what's wrong. Finding an electrical fault is real work: testing circuits, tracing where a wire runs, checking connections at the panel and at the device. Two things are worth asking any electrician before they come out: what the service call costs, and what happens to that cost if you go ahead with the repair.
What Drives a Repair Price
- How long the fault takes to find. A bad outlet is quick. An intermittent fault behind plaster or in an underground feed takes longer.
- The part. An outlet, switch or breaker is a small part. A meter base, a ballast bank or a length of underground cable is not.
- Access. An open basement ceiling is easy. A finished basement, a crawlspace, a high warehouse ceiling or a wall that has to be opened adds time.
- What else turns up. Scorched connections or old wiring that isn't safe to leave as it is.
What Drives a Panel or Service Upgrade Price
- The new service size. Many homes go to 200 amps; businesses are sized by a load calculation.
- What comes with the panel. The meter base, mast, weatherhead and service cable may need replacing too.
- Moving versus replacing in place. Relocating a panel means extending every circuit to it.
- Circuits. How many need reconnecting, and whether any need correcting along the way.
- Utility coordination. Your utility (Consumers Energy in most of the area, Bay City Electric Light & Power inside Bay City) disconnects and reconnects the service.
- Permits and inspection where your city, township or the State requires them.
Generators, Lighting and Design-Build
These are priced per job. For a standby generator, it's the generator size, how much of the building it backs up, the transfer switch and the distance to the panel and fuel source. For lighting upgrades and parking lot lighting, it's the fixture count, mounting heights and lift access. For new construction and remodels, it's the plans.
What Can Change a Price After the Work Starts
- Hidden damage. Scorched wiring, rodent damage or a failed splice buried in a wall.
- Old work done wrong. Circuits that were extended or patched in ways that aren't safe to reconnect as they are.
- A second fault. Fixing the first problem reveals another one on the same circuit.
When something like that comes up, you should hear about it, and the new price, before the extra work is done. To get a price on your project, call (989) 835-3587.
Common Questions
How much does an electrician's service call cost?
It varies by company. Ask before anyone comes out, and ask what the service call covers: usually the trip and the time to find the problem, with the repair priced once the cause is known.
What makes a panel upgrade cost more or less?
The size of the new service (for example 100 to 200 amps), whether the meter base, mast or service cable also need replacing, whether the panel is moving, how many circuits need to be reconnected or corrected, coordinating the disconnect and reconnect with the utility, and permits and inspection where required.
What does a standby generator installation include?
The generator and its pad, a transfer switch, the wiring between the generator, the switch and your panel, the fuel connection (natural gas or propane, run by a licensed fuel installer where required), permits and inspection, and start-up. The size of the generator and how much of the building it backs up drive most of the price.
Do commercial lighting upgrades pay for themselves?
Often they help, because LED fixtures use less power and last longer than fluorescent or metal halide. How fast depends on hours of use, the fixtures you have now, and your electric rate. Consumers Energy customers may be able to get rebates on qualifying upgrades; the program sets eligibility and amounts.
Can a price change after the work starts?
Sometimes. Opening a wall or a panel can turn up damaged wiring, a second fault, or work that was done wrong years ago. When that happens you should hear about it, and the new price, before the extra work is done.