Directory
Electricians in Virginia
Panels, wiring, outlets, EV chargers. What the trade covers, what it costs, how to hire, and pros by city.
Whether it is a dead outlet, an old panel that trips, or wiring for a new addition, electrical work is one to leave to a licensed pro. An electrician handles the panel, the wiring, and the safety of it.
The work
What it covers
- Panel upgrades and replacements
- Outlet, switch, and fixture wiring and repair
- Whole-house and generator wiring
- EV charger installation
- Troubleshooting dead circuits and code corrections
- Ceiling fans, recessed lighting, and surge protection
The register
Electricians on Virginia Trusted Pros
Ballpark
What it costs in Virginia
| Service call to track down a problem | $150 to $400 |
| New outlet or switch installed | $130 to $300 |
| Light fixture swapped in or hung | $150 to $450 |
| Panel upgraded to 200 amp | $2,000 to $4,500 |
| Level 2 EV charger installed | $800 to $2,500 |
| Whole-house standby generator installed | $7,000 to $15,000 |
These are rough ranges, not quotes. What you actually pay swings with how far the wire has to run, whether your panel has room left for another breaker, and whether the walls have to get opened up to fish new cable. Older Virginia homes with a fuse box or aluminum wiring tend to run higher because that gets brought up to code before anything else happens. Get two or three written quotes before you decide.
Signs you might need to hire a pro
- Breakers that trip over and over, or a fuse that keeps blowing
- An outlet or switch plate that feels warm, or a faint burning smell near one
- Lights that dim or flicker when the AC or the microwave kicks on
- Two-prong outlets, a fuse box, or scorch marks around a receptacle
- Half the house goes dark after a storm but the power company says their line is fine
Before you sign
Licensing in Virginia
Any contracting job of 1,000 dollars or more has to go to a business licensed with the Virginia DPOR Board for Contractors, and under that none is required. The class on that license is a dollar ceiling, not a grade of quality. Class C covers single jobs under about 10,000 dollars, Class B under about 120,000, and Class A has no ceiling, so a small Class C outfit is not worse than a Class A, it just takes smaller work.
Electrical work in Virginia falls under the ELE electrical specialty, held as a Class A, B, or C contractor license depending on the size of the job, and the person running the wire usually carries a journeyman or master electrician card issued by DPOR. A Residential or Commercial Building Contractor, RBC or CBC, may also handle electrical as part of a larger remodel, and any job of $1,000 or more has to go to a licensed contractor.
Verify it yourself. Look up any license at the Virginia DPOR lookup and ask for proof of insurance before you hire.
Facts on the table. You do the hiring. -M.H.
Good to know
Common questions
How much does it cost to replace an electrical panel?
For a like-for-like swap or a jump to 200 amps, figure roughly $2,000 to $4,500 in most homes. It runs higher in Northern Virginia, or if the meter and the service line coming in have to move too. An old fuse box or a panel with no open slots left is usually what pushes people to do it.
How do I pick an electrician?
Check that the license is current on the Virginia DPOR site and ask for the actual license number. Make sure they pull a permit so the county inspector signs off on the work, since that inspection is what protects you if the house ever sells or catches fire. For anything past a single outlet, get two or three written quotes.
Does my electrician have to be licensed in Virginia?
Any job of $1,000 or more has to go to a licensed contractor. The business needs an ELE electrical contractor license, and the person doing the actual wiring should carry a journeyman or master electrician card. Anything that needs a permit needs the license no matter what it costs.
Can I do the wiring myself to save money?
You are allowed to work on your own home in Virginia, but the county still wants a permit and an inspection on most of it. Panel and service work is where people get shocked or start a slow fire behind the wall, so most folks hand that part off to someone with a card.
Do I really need a whole-house generator?
Depends on how often the power drops where you live and what you cannot go without. Rural stretches of Virginia lose power in ice storms and hurricanes, and a standby unit on natural gas or propane keeps the well pump and the fridge running through it. Figure roughly $7,000 to $15,000 installed, and know it needs its own transfer switch wired into the panel.
By city