Berkeley Electric rewired much of or home in spring, 2026. Zalman Sher and crew were 100% professional and easy to deal with. They gave a clear and thorough estimate of the cost of the work and the length of time it would take. Zalman secured the necessary permit from Contra Costa County and followed the project through till the county signed off on a final inspection. The cost of the job came in as estimated, and the crew completed the work with no loose ends within the week they said the project would take. After the wiring was done Berkeley Electric patched our walls and thoroughly cleaned up. Zalman also suggested some upgrades we had not considered earlier. One, for example, was adding an electric car charger to the garage wiring. Another was installing safety lights, which we did. We cannot recommend Berkeley Electric highly enough. I would hire them again without hesitation. The good news, however, is that the job Berkeley Electric did was so satisfactory that we should never have to rewire again. There were no glitches or shortfalls. read more

I received a quote from Berkeley Electric for a large job to replace knob and tube upgrade to 200 amps. I found Zalman to be very knowledgeable, but I asked a lot of detailed questions, including about permitting and wall repairs, and I felt that he was a bit annoyed and impatient with me. For a job in the $50-60K range, I feel that questions should be expected. I think they would have done a good job, but other quotes were lower and I had a better working rapport with the company we eventually used. read more

Berkeley Electric did an excellent job of replacing the 100 yr old knob and tube in my home. It was a challenging project. They listen to their customer, work very well as a team, and did excellent clean up at the end of the day. read more

Berkeley Electric, (Zalman Sher, owner) converted my home service from 100-AMPs to 200-AMPS......and obtained City Inspection/approval for BOTH THAT JOB, and an e-vehicle charge station that I had installed-as-far-as-point-of-connection The 200-AMP installation was made quite difficult by a new PG&E requirement...!!!....of a three-foot-square platform.....directly beneath ANY NEW meter-installation.....AND...difficult because directly under my existing Meter the earthen slope would not ALLOW any-such platform.....AND....difficult because Original alignment of an Electrical Service MAST..!!.. is SET...!!!...as a legal matter of EASEMENT..!!!...from which even 16-inches of deviation....becomes IMPERMISSIBLE. Zalman Sher (Berkeley Electric) solved those difficulties by shifting the REQUIRED three-foot-square platform...to an area of lesser gradient, and THEN BENDING an offset into the new Mast Conduit, bringing its alignment into the same as the old mast....HURDLING all "Easement" requirements. Then finally....Zalman....without whining and balking....conformed to my desire that my new Circuit Breaker Panel, NOT be placed outside, as included-part of the exterior METER Panel, but rather inside...where I would have "dry access" to it, should a circuit breaker TRIP, and enabling FAR LESS-COSTLY..!!... "hookups" for down-the-road (Tankless water heater and possible Heat Pump) new circuits. Thus....Berkeley Electric was/is a problem-solver outfit that DID work with me...solving all problems that presented, and DID send a 5-man crew to execute the entire job in one day. Judd Smith read more

Berkeley Electric did an amazing job on a major rewiring, lighting, subpanel install, and main panel upgrade. We will definitely hire them the next time we have an electrical project! Zalman was a pleasure during the initial assessment. After a poor experience with another bigger company, I particularly appreciated his honesty, evidenced by some things he *didn't* do: he didn't try to scare me or overuse industry jargon, and he didn't try to oversell (he actually talked me down from 6 cans to 4 for overhead lighting in one room). The work itself took a team of ~6 about a week and a half to complete, working long days. They taped heavy duty paper to the floors and covered all furniture with painter's plastic every day, and removed it and vacuumed at the end of every day. When the work was completed, they also cleanly patched all the walls they opened at no additional expense. Larry and Ben were both communicative about the decisions I needed to make, not making any assumptions without clearing it with me. They let me know whenever changes from the original plan cropped up (e.g. when knob and tube was unexpectedly found in a room we thought was a more recent addition). The team adjusted working hours to be longer so that they could deliver on their original ETA, even when we increased the scope of the work. A few other things that make Berkeley Electric stand out: - They were willing to do dirty work, such as running wire through an attic with blown-in cellulose, which another company we talked to wouldn't do unless we hired an insulation contractor to remove it first. - Totally transparent pricing model, where each "unit" (light, switch, outlet, etc.) was a fixed price, so that when we inevitably decided to throw in additional work, we knew exactly how much our costs would increase by. - They handled city permitting and scheduling of inspections. read more

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This man did a great job. He actually was hired to clean up all that mess Guerrero's electric did. He actually charges the very fair price to do it and I totally wish I could have came here first instead of that other place I highly recommend Berkeley electric. read more

We had the lights go out in our kitchen one night right while we were cooking dinner. We checked EVERYTHING! We checked the circuit breakers. We checked the GFIC outlets. All were working. So it was time to call up Berkeley Electric and get a pro on the scene. Berkeley Electric came out the next day. They debugged the issue over the course of an hour and discovered that some small animals had been eating out wires in the walls. They fixed it by running new wires through the wall and were done in about 2 hours. The charge is was reasonable for the service, especially given that they came out within the same day of us calling. I'd say they are a good outfit and recommend them. read more

Berkeley Electric upgraded our 100 amp main panel to 200 amps and relocated our subpanel to bring it up to code. Zalman was very thorough with all the initial project planning and everything was captured in the estimate. This ultimately resulted in no hidden costs or surprises during the project. During the day of the project the crew was a pleasure to work with. You could tell that each crew member cared about the quality of their work and they took care to make sure the job site was clean at the end of the day. They even finished everything ahead of schedule! After the work was complete, Zalman saw through all the final city inspections which made the project wrap up smoothly. We will definitely be using Berkeley Electric in the future for any of our electrical needs. Thank you! read more

Berkeley Electric completed an extensive rewiring, lighting, and panel upgrade project for us a few months ago. They provided a thorough initial quote and when some additional needs were identified, Zalman and team negotiated pricing fairly and were still able complete the project on schedule. So far, we have been very pleased with the results. We have also had several contractors come in to the house for other reasons and all have said they are very impressed with the quality of work done by the electrical team, including the clean installation and the attention to detail on labeling the panel and re-plastering open walls. Thanks Berkeley Electric! read more

I reached out to Berkeley Electric in May asking if I could have my electrical outlet replaced. The previous owner had installed it improperly. Jen, their scheduler, responded right away and asked some clarifying questions. From there, we were able to get the appointment set up. Every message I received from Jen was timely, clear, and very friendly. My appointment was today (June 11th). Beth, the electrician, called me in the morning to let me know that her previous appointment had ended ahead of schedule and asked if she could come by early. That worked out well for me. Beth was efficient, friendly, and now my receptacle looks great and is up to code! I'm very grateful for the great service I received from both Jen and Beth. Thanks so much! read more

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I recently purchased a small Craftsman home for my mother. It had been well maintained and had several upgrades but had old knob-and-tube wiring in the unrenovated areas. I could not find home insurance that would cover the home until I replaced all the wiring. Zalman and his teams are experts in this work and quickly guided me to understand what was involved. The other contractors I talked to were much less comprehensive. He was very clear in how the process would go and how everything would be when he was done. He finished ahead of schedule and came back to redo a small mistake without any prompting on my part or asking for any additional fee. read more

A team of eight skilled electricians rewired the entire electrical systems on my two hundred year old houses. Their work included new electrical services, all new plugs, light switches, and many new LED lighting fixtures. It was a big job, four days on one house and three days on the smaller house. But the electricians crawled through attics and crawl spaces and punched holes in walls and ceiling and patched the holes they created. It was a big messy job but they cleaned up and left the houses clean and vastly improved. read more

Over the past three weeks, Berkeley Electric and a team of four came in and decommissioned ALL the knob and tube electrical wiring in our house. In addition to that, they upgraded our service, added two separate panels so our in-law unit and the main house are separate. They organized the circuits so we can later add battery back up. They replaced all of our light switches with app controlled Lutron and Buster and Punch in our formal living spaces and installed new light fixtures throughout the house. On top of being superlative in their craft, they embody a stupendous work ethic and can-do attitude. Each problem was treated as an opportunity to find a solution. These guys work HARD! They crawl in tight spaces, dig ditches to underground lines, and work around schedules to minimize disruption. On the last day of the project, I realized I should have added a second outlet in our upstairs hall and Larry the foreman gazed up and said "Would you like us to put that in now?" They unpacked all of their supplies, worked furiously for two hours, and then cleaned up all the plaster and old electrical before bidding us farewell. Finding a team like this has felt like finding family. This project all started when we called Zalman, owner of Berkeley Electric, to ask about adding two outlets in our breakfast room. He replied "Well, if it were me, this is what I would do..." And the rest is history. Thank you for being part of ours - with gratitude, The Micco Liptons read more

I've been using Berkeley Electric since we moved to Berkeley and I can't say enough good things. The main office is helpful and responsive, the technicians are masters at their craft, and we've always been happy with their work. I recommended them to my brother who needed to replace his knob and tube system, and he similarly has great things to say. read more

Worked until it was completed even though we were in need of additional components. Our electrician not only went to get the part needed but also installed it at no additional labor cost! read more

Similar to reviewer Megan M. below, our project (a top-to-bottom rewiring of our entire 3-story 1911 home) was a total success. I would echo her comments. From point-of-first contact Jen, to owner Zalman, to project manager Larry, to the half dozen professionals who occupied our house for weeks, everybody was great to work with. We are grateful for their participation in all of the brainstorming that this project required...from the 3-4 initial big picture choices, to the dozens of details that needed to be worked-out as the project went forward. In addition to being talented electricians, all crew members were friendly, respectful of our property, and -- not expecting this trait -- very funny. They clearly respect each other's individual talents/specialties and enjoy working together. Undertaking a whole-house project like this was a huge commitment in terms of both time and money. But -- so far -- everything works and looks good. Thanks guys! read more

Super pros - everyone on the team exceeded expectations - they were right on time every day, super friendly, very efficient, cleaned up before we got home from work, and finished everything on time. Even helped fix some random tiny things around the house that weren't in the contract. Handled all the permitting and were flexible when issues on my end arose that created minor delays. They did a whole new main panel, new 220v outlets around the house for my conversion off of gas to all-electric, installed an EV charging station, and advised on some other work that needs to get done in the future. The bid was accurate. Having "Berkeley" in your name is setting a high bar for yourself. As a proud Berkeley native and a graduate from U.C. Berkeley, I officially bestow b-town props upon this team. You won't be disappointed if you work with them. read more

I worked with Berkeley Electric on the commercial side of things for many years and I can't express how fortunate I was to ensure my electrical projects were done so to code, on time, and on budget. Very professional, efficient, honest, dependable, and most of all flexible. One thing I admired about Zalman is his professionalism, workmanship (attention to detail), vast experience, and the ability to think outside the box and provide me, the customer with options. You get what you pay for so if knowledge, quality, and good workmanship is part of your agenda, Berkeley Electric is the go to for your electrical needs. An excellent team to work with! read more

Holy smokes! I needed a second opinion / estimate on some work for my very old house. Zalman was incredible - knowledgable, helpful, thorough. He has tremendous experience and wisdom about previous work quality, standards, pragmatic solutions...it was great. Thank you Zalman and Berkeley Electric! You gave me great ideas and a path forward out of a challenge thrown at me by my old home. read more

The whole crew at Berkeley Electric is the best. Responsive scheduling, friendly and best of all amazing at what they do. They rewired our whole house to upgrade from knob and tube. They have also addressed innumerable other fixes expertly over the years. Quality work that should last years. read more

I needed a consultation from an electrician who was familiar with the Berkeley nuances and would meet with me to talk over a project. The scheduling process was absolutely painless, and that's an early indicator to me of how the rest of the process will go. I received a text message when Zalman was on his way, then he was able to evaluate the state of the house and provide excellent guidance. I would definitely use them again, and just like everyone else here I suggest you call them first in order to get the best outcomes for your project read more

No free estimates. $225/hour with a 1 hour minimum. Jen told me over the phone that they do NOT give free estimates. She told me that they only offer someone to come out to your place with a minimum $225 (1 hour) charge. Almost everybody else offers free estimates. Use them instead. Berkeley Electric responded to my review with this fiction: "We hope that our recommendation of other electrical companies helped you in your search." Berkeley Electric made no recommendations of other electrical companies. Berkeley Electric also claims: "When we spoke on the phone, we gave you an idea of how much time we would need, our rate and availability." How could anyone give you an idea of how much time would be needed without looking at the job first. Of course for Berkeley Electric to look at the job, they would charge a minimum of $225 (their hourly rate). Almost everybody else offers free onsite estimate. Use them instead. read more

I was so appreciative of the kindness, concern and care that I received from Berkeley Electric. Zalman was positively wonderful.

Zalman and his entire team were terrific. They walked us through everything carefully and delivered on time and to specifications. Our house, built in 1941, had knob and tube wiring; they repaired all the wiring and the plug sockets. They set us up perfectly for Tesla to come in and give us solar panels and powerwalls. Even their choices of overhead fixtures were a big improvement. And in the time since they finished, if I call Zalman on something that doesn't seem to work, he comes right over or sends someone. We're very happy customers! If you hire them you will be too. read more

Wonderful electrician and company! I called Berkeley Electric because my outdoor porch light was flickering (turns out the socket was badly corroded and needed to be replaced). The scheduler was very communicative, friendly and professional. Beth, the electrician, showed up right on the scheduled time, let us know when she was on the way that morning which I really appreciated, and did a wonderful job replacing the socket and getting our light working again. Hard to find friendly, professional, highly skilled, and honest folks like this. So glad to have found Beth and Berkeley Electric-- will use for all our future electrical needs! read more

We bought a retirement home that had hazardous old wiring. Zalman at Berkeley Electric did a thorough investigation, gave us a detailed plan and explained it very clearly. The work was done in good time, very professional and the price was reasonable. Zalman kept us up to date whilie the work took place and even returned a call on the 4th of July to walk us through an adjustment on the control panel needed after PG&E has reset our power. Very highly recommended: reasonable and reliable. read more

I had bought a bright LED ceiling light fixture, and needed an electrician to install it in a previously unwired dark walk-in closet in an old house. I contacted several well-reviewed local companies and only three responded. One was booked up for weeks, another gave a crazy high quote, and the third was Berkeley Electric who quoted a sensible hourly rate and had a time slot available. Their guy Fran arrived as promised, and we talked through how to connect the new light to our mixed new/old electrical system (it's a half-remodelled old house). He was experienced with both kinds of wiring so knew all the ways to connect it safely. He also made sure the new fixture was going in exactly the spot I wanted on the closet ceiling. After the job was efficiently done, I asked Fran about what would be involved when we eventually decide to replace the old wiring in the house and he talked me through it honestly and expertly. The whole process was efficient and professional and I would recommend Berkeley Electric. read more

I found Berkeley Electric on a local online forum and I'm so glad I did. After getting a couple different quotes and feedback from contractors and other electricians, we decided to move forward with Berkeley Electric. They did 2 jobs for us: 1.) upgrade our main service panel to 200 amps, from the original 1924 fuse box and 2.) upgrade the knob and tube fixtures in our upper floor. They did both efficiently and were very communicative and more than happy to answer all my questions along the way. They also dealt with the city permitting, inspection and with PG and E. Larry and Zalman were very professional and helpful. I felt the pricing was also fair and honest. I'll be using them as my go to moving forward. Thanks for the great service and for helping give me piece of mind for the safety of my family. read more

Our electrical box needed to be replaced, and later we had to have most of the wiring in our house replaced. Zalman and his crew did a fantastic job, both for the work and ensuring the permit and inspection processes went smoothly. The crew was courteous, clean, and very flexible. I'd definitely have them back for future work. read more

We have a very rambling, complicated old house with multiple generations of add-ons and remodels, and really weird wiring where one circuit sometimes serves entirely different parts of the house. (I won't name names, but some of the strange wiring was done by outfits reviewed on Yelp...) Anyway, bringing the whole house into the 21st century was just a huge bear of a job requiring a LOT of troubleshooting and analysis. Zalman & co really put in the work to "learn the house" and make everything safe, smooth and rational. The whole team are nice people, especially Larry the project manager. They do a wonderful job of cleaning up afterwards. As a bonus, when we later installed solar + battery, Zalman came over to check over that contractors work, and fixed some stuff, at no extra cost. We really couldn't keep up this house without these guys. read more

Called this company. The owner gave me some song and dance that the reason I would best go with American Electrical is that I would "feel safe giving him the keys to my house." Fee starts at $150 -- which it is implied, gets you an hour because that's what he charges for an hour. Well, this owner guy shows up for my problem (an awry 240v outlet) and I ask him if in the hour if he could also put up some lights I've purchased. He flatly says no and that he'll only fix the original problem -- that he needs to get to some business "mixer". Bad sign from the get-go. Well, he does indeed fix the 240v problem. Now its bill time. The guy screws around on his phone for a good 10min. Takes another 10min to fill out his darn form. THEN, he charges me for an extra 15min (@ $150/hr) plus $20 for the part (which is $6 retail). The bill comes to $208. Now, its not really the extra $$ -- rather the fact this guy nickle-and-dimed me. Heck, he didn't even bring his tools the first trip up to my condo. Great, he got me for an extra $60 -- but he'll never get another cent from me. The proper term for this behavior is "skimming" the market. read more

I had a Service Panel upgrade done. I own a house built in 1946 with a Federal Republic panel that had been warned by home inspection to replace due to recall. Zalman explained not only why the panel was recalled, but how the panel would be replaced and the whole process. The bid I got was not the lowest, but it was the most competitive. Prior to the electrical bids, I did check licenses of each company. When I put this out to bid, I received a variety of responses and bids. I even got one bid from another company over the phone and it was the lowest bid. Zalman worked with both the City of Oakland and PG&E to minimize the impact of the panel upgrade because of the "dog house" that enclosed the panel. His crew showed up as promised, worked continuously, cleaned up, and turned the power back on once the line was reconnected. I highly recommend American Electrical. read more

Definitely the WORST customer service I have ever received. I have called 3 times, some lady took messages because "that's all she does for Jennifer" as I was told. A week later, lots of work that needs to be done and I have yet to receive a call back. In my messages I emphasized that I am a Property Manager. Translated in simple terms that means there will be on-going business.... STILL NO CALL BACK. read more

Zalman is a true gentleman. He was polite and informative. I have really enjoyed speaking with him. He is upfront and honest will all information, so there are no surprises. read more

Very unprofessional. Scheduled a service repair, was called a weeks later with a strange story about over scheduling. When I address the fact that I was actually coming from out of state to be there for this and another repair and had set it up weeks ago was basically told sorry and then hung up on. Was also told that the reason was the work would take 10+ hours(at $150/hr) and they had mis-scheduled it. I was shocked as I knew that would not be correct. (It was done by another licensed electrician and took 1.5hrs...not 10. I then got a bizarre phone call from the owner explaining they had a warehouse fire (he seemed unaware my appointment had been canceled already.). I then got ANOTHER call from the actual electrician....who confirmed things were a bit off there. Anyhow long story short not professional, not reliable, and clearly something is off with the company at the moment. Don't think I would trust them with electrical work. read more

I recently called American Electrical for one of my clients. They were experiencing intermittent power outages and it was causing havoc with their computer systems, (which I service). Zalman did a thorough inspection of the office wiring and uncovered a very serious situation. The main power line into the building was rubbing on the masthead which caused the short, especially in the rain. The American crew provided an estimate the next day, the client approved the work and it was fixed within a week. In addition, the crew recommended a dedicated circuit for the server and cleaned up some bad wiring left by the former electrician. Since the original work the client has called Zalman back out to add more circuits. On time, on estimate, and very proactive. I plan to use them in all my clients when they need electrical work. read more

I needed a new 220v hookup for a dryer. I called American Electrical and got to talk with Zalman personally to make my appointment. He was very helpful in giving me a ballpark estimate and getting me ready to welcome the electrician (and save some bucks by doing my own shopping). the job was beautifully and professionally done the next day (less than 12 hours later). I could even pay with my credit card. The only thing that could have been better about the whole thing would have been if I could have swiped my card instead of writing it down (but seriously...). read more

PROS: Zalman takes the time to explain things, give opinions, and talk you through large projects. He even invited us over to his house in the evening to look at some of his favorite light fixtures. He stopped by for free afterwards to help us trouble shoot some wiring (we had them rewire our entire new downstairs). I have complete confidence in his expertise and the quality of his work. The two-man crew that actually did the work were both extremely efficient, knowledgeable, courteous and helpful in every way. I had them do the wiring just up to the boxes to save $$ and then had him charge time and materials instead of fixed bid. CONS: The only reason I dinged him a star is the price. His standard price is $100 per fixture, including new circuits, wiring, boxes etc. - or $1,200 a day for two-man crew. That's a whole lot of money for a major renovation like ours. Mind you that he did not charge for his consultation time (a significant chunk - several hours worth). Also - he gave my wife a bit of a hard sell at the end, trying to get in an extra half day for work on some minor tasks. Overall, I would recommend him to anyone who is not on a super tight budget. read more

Thanks to YELP, I found Berkeley Electric. I don't understand the couple of very negative reviews from people in Palo Alto. Our experience was excellent. The answering service took careful information, Jennifer called back to confirm, and Fran arrived on time and prepared to go to work. He made the repairs quickly and then replaced a defective item in our kitchen, all within the one hour minimum associated with the service call. All things considered, I would give Berkeley Electric top rankings. read more

Excellent service from A to Z. Zalman and the crew have always been responsive. They get the job done right the first time.