We've used Otto's Electrical Service numerous times. Called today for help, but his phone doesn't work. IS HE NO LONGER IN BUSINESS??

This electrician, Richard Otto, made my day! I thank you Sir for your expertise and completing the difficult task that you were presented with. Im extremely grateful for your professionalism and getting the job done! read more

Ruined antique lamp he was hired to fix. Also he lost a part he promised to replace, but never followed through. His efforts cost us thousands in the markedly diminished value and appeal of this lamp. Is he really an electrician??? read more

I called Otto's Electrical Service to have them install a wired ring flood light/camera on the outside of our garage. On the initial phone call, I discussed with them that there were a few outlets near the front wall (both on the ceiling and on the wall) as well as the circuit breaker on the inside of the garage and requested that they run the wire on the surface (conduit) so they don't have to do a bunch of drywall patching. I was quoted $350 on the phone. When they showed up, he said was that it would cost more. (minimum $500, but possibly more). I asked for the reason why it would cost more than the initial phone quote and he immediately had a fit. He waved his hands, quickly walked back to his truck while muttering under his breath and drove off extremely quickly. To be honest, I am still a little shocked as to his reaction. I had only said two sentences to him up until this point because he said it would be more expensive as his opening statement (My statements being "One second let me open the garage" and "why is it more expensive than previously discussed"). His overall attitude was completely unprofessional and quite frankly rude. Maybe he was having a bad day, but that isn't how you interact/discuss things with a customer. Just beware if you decide to go with them. This whole interaction only lasted about 3-4 minutes. The amount of time it took me to open the door, walk to the garage, and for him to drive off. The whole interaction was extremely strange. read more

If you're looking for an electrician, please keep looking! Also, please read as we were concerned for our safety after this experience. Otto's Electrical Services was referred to us by a family member. The first time I contacted Richard directly by phone. I can't remember when I called but it may have been before the holidays. I was looking to see if he did lighting and while I was talking to him, he kept cutting me off. When I asked if/when he was available, he kept making difference excuses as to why he couldn't come. I just brushed this off and thought it might be a bad day for him. Early January, our family room outlets stopped working so his name was referred to me again by family. I was hesitant to call but tried again in hopes that we would get better service. This time, I texted him and included my family member by name. We exchanged 1-2 messages back and forth before he called me to talk about the issue. Again, he kept cutting me off as I was talking and made some strange comments about the words I was using. I think I said we had an "issue" and he didn't like that. He preferred the word "problem..." idk. Anyways, he agreed to come the same day which was great! He came to our house with 2 other men and my husband greeted him and asked that everyone wear masks...you know, because of the highly and easily transmitted covid variant and because my 70-year-old father who recently had a stroke was in the house with us. He refused to wear a mask saying that he didn't have any and was vaccinated. So, my husband told him that we have extra and would be happy to give them some, but again they refused. I guess my husband dropped it from there but before they came in, he asked that they take off their shoes. Side note: it had been snowing so it was all wet and slushy outside. Anyways, this set him off. He proceeded to start cursing and stormed off. This didn't just feel like someone getting mildly angry, this set him off to the point where it felt like he could have gotten potentially violent. My husband was genuinely concerned for our safety with Otto's behavior. As a business owner who needs to be coming into someone's home, it's crucial that you respect your customers and their personal spaces. This behavior was completely unacceptable, and I would never refer this business to anyone. You're entitled to have your beliefs, but you need to respect others and their spaces if they don't feel the same as you. I've read his responses to unsatisfied customers, specifically one about floors getting dirty because of shoes to which Otto responds back with something along the lines of - our boots are clean. If you walk outside with your shoes on, your shoes are dirty. read more

First impressions are lasting impressions. Our first impression of Otto's Electrical Services is that the staff is obnoxious. Why is that? On May 20, 2014, we requested a service call to replace a faulty breaker box switch. Two calls were made to the service number, but unfortunately the electrician never checked his voicemails that were left TWICE. When he learned that the service went to another service, he proceeded to call back in anger, curse and use vulgarities during his call and then abruptly hung up on the call. This is unacceptable customer service. I will never use Otto's services and will never recommend their services to anyone. Per the rebuttal to this review. Why would I as a consumer "make this stuff up?" Also, "Why would I call the owner on his home number". Only because that was the number listed for the business. Good try Otto. I have nothing to prove here. Just to simply let the buyer beware. Anger management? read more

I called Otto's Electric to come and repair multiple items around the house. Before coming out they told me the timeframe to repair our household needs. They arrived on time and after a quick tour of our house, they started working. Some of the repairs took longer than expected and instead of charging me, they didn't saying that they quoted us a price and were sticking with it! :) I definitely recommend using their services! read more

Very good electrician. Safe. Works using the buddy system. Always answers the phone. Quick to get in and fix the problem. Honest and hardworking. I highly recommend. read more

Otto's Electrical Service - Electricians Near Me - McLean, Virginia

Bottom line: if you use these guys, use them in areas where you don't mind the floor getting dirty, and make sure you get a quote for each job ahead of time! I used Otto's twice. The first time they were fine - they did a lot of work in our basement and charged us $175. I thought that was a good value so I unfortunately trusted Otto and didn't make him agree to a price the second time I called him - to fix a broken switch on a fan (replacement value $125). Otto tried to charge me $225. I complained and Otto dropped the charge to $200, giving me a sob story about payments for his truck and needing to pay two people for the one job. Their cleanliness also left something to be desired. They didn't want to remove their dirty boots so I had to I insist when they were going to go into a carpeted area (this was my renter's house and not mine, so I wanted to keep it clean). Also, one of them was eating something that smelled like fast food during the job, dropped tomato and onion on the floor, and didn't clean it up. The high prices and lack of cleanliness really stood out because I had a dishwasher repairman there at the same time. He put hospital shoe covers on his shoes (even though he didn't go in any carpeted areas or have obviously dirty shoes) and he charged me $85, even though he worked twice as long as Otto did. He also does electrical work for that same price (I wish I had known that at the time) so I will use him for all my future jobs. read more

Otto`s is the best service I`ve had from any service person ever.....This gentleman goes the extra mile.......He went on internet helped me find specs on the new appliance i orderd...helped me move the washer/dryer so he could do the work.. incredibly nice person.......will use for all electrical needs.... read more

OUTSTANDING SERVICE!!! After calling several electricians in the Arlington area, I called Richard Otto and he responded quickly. I had an electrical emergency and set up a time and he was not only prompt/on-time but fixed the quickly for a reasonable fee. I will use him for all of my future electrical problems. read more

On a Saturday at 4 pm a circuit breaker blew in our house. I called Otto's Electrical Service assuming I would be told that they could get to us sometime the next week. They arrived within 30 minutes, identified and fixed the problem and we paid the fee. It wasn't inexpensive, but it was a Saturday, and an unscheduled visit. We were happy customers. They will be our electricians of choice from now on. read more

Total tool. Called up to request an quote and "Otto?" was a total jack-ass. Unsure if he does good work or not - but judging by his personality, he better be good...REAL good. read more

Richard Otto was fantastic. I needed a Home Inspection repair taken care of, on one of my listings in McLean, and my go-to electrician was away on vacation. I had a tight deadline to get the repair done before the house went to settlement, so I called Richard and he was able to make time for my repair within a couple hours of making the phone call. Richard was efficient, getting the repair done in no-time and his price beat out the other electricians I called. I'll certainly be calling Richard for future jobs. read more

We have used Richard Otto as our electrician for many years. He is honest, reliable and charges very modest fees. Recently I had a different company come to do a couple simple things for which they charged way too much and tried to scare me into rewiring the house. Then I called Mr. Otto. He checked everything the others said were bad and found they were fine. He showed us how excellently our house was wired and that our Circuit Breaker box etc were in fine condition. He also fixed an additional outlet for us for a small fee. From now it my electrician will always be Richard Otto. read more

Richard Otto dis nice but he did not stick to the quote he gave me. He said $850 and then wanted $1050, claiming there was extra work when all we did was try to find a switch for something that wasn't turning on. I felt really ripped off and taken advantage of. If you use him, get your numbers in writing in advance. More importantly, he installed under the cabinet lighting and used really cheap light fixtures. He suggested positioning them against the wall but he knew I was planning a backsplash and should have known to include room for the tiles. Now work has to be redone to move the fixtures forward. Double work, over-prriced read more

Interesting pair of men. They got the job done but definitely charged too much. Were a bit rough and haste so if you have fragile items around be careful. They did come out in a timely manner. read more

Summary: I'll use his services again in the future. Background: I called Richard Otto at ~7.50 pm Monday (yesterday) for an emergency at my tenant's unit. After consulting his busy schedule, he was able to schedule for a visit for the very next day (i.e. today) at noon. I gave him my tenant's contact number and they were able to coordinate the visit. I was notified that he kept his appointment time as promised. After the visit, he called to update me and to settle the bill. Paid over the phone and received the receipt via email as requested almost immediately. + Points: One of the few electricians that was answering calls after normal business hours. Friendly and professional. He was able to explain the cause of the problem and fixed it immediately. Able to re-prioritize his work to fit an emergency visit. Quick and painless service request. -Points: None at this point. read more

Two electric cables got damaged Sunday afternoon while doing drywall work. I needed to get them repaired ASAP as no laundry was going to get done until it was repaired. After striking out with the advertised electricians that promise 24-hour service (no technicians available). I called Otto. He was here in under 2 hours and did an excellent job fixing the problem. He kept me informed of what needed to be done and confirmed that it met my needs. I thought the price was very reasonable for Sunday emergency service. read more

Mr. Otto has completed a number of electrical upgrades to our 1939 house over the past several years, and the work has been consistently great both in terms of functionality and esthetics. He and his assistant most recently installed an EVSE (Electric Vehicle Service Equipment), and it has been working beautifully ever since to charge our new electric car. read more

Based on Yelp reviews, I called and got a quote for some basic electrical work. He scheduled for the next day. He was on time. He did the work as promised. He was knowledgeable and was able to answer my questions about the project. read more

Richard Otto left me a voicemail on Jan. 16, 2013, telling me to delete my Yelp review or he will sue me. Deleted.

This company is great. I called the other day, and made an appointment for them to come today between 11 and 12. They showed up right on time at about 11:15. It was two guys (I think the owner and an employee). I had one flickering light, another light that made a noise, a switch that didn't work, and I needed two plugs in the kitchen to be upgraded to those ones with the button so that you can reset them. Anyway, they did all that, found some wires that were a fire hazard and fixed those, and were very polite and pleasant. They spent about an hour and a half on the work and charged me $300, which I thought was more than reasonable. I will definitely call them again. read more

I had what I expected to be a minor electrical problem, and yet it turned out to be a bit more confusing. He could have upsold me easily, and really, what could I have done? But he didn't. He worked and figured out the problem and charged me a fair price. I couldn't be happier! read more

I called him at 1130 AM and he was at my place by 3 PM. Fixed the issue quickly for the exact price he quoted me on the phone. Very friendly service and his hourly rate was about 25% lower than what others quoted me when I called around shopping for estimates. I would recommend! read more

I recently used Otto's Electrical to upgrade an existing outlet in my bedroom for a new a/c unit I planned to put in as well as to replace an unreliable outlet in the main room. Richard came out and got the job done quickly, neatly, and at a competitive price. He's also funny, so I like talking with him! Both outlets are working well. This is the second or third time I've used Otto's and they will be getting a call from me the next time I need an electrician. read more

These guys are as good as gold. Efficient and accurate and they gave me so many tips on preventative maintenance. My air conditioning had gone out and the AC repairman told me that it was due to electricity not being carried to the outside of my house. Otto's to the rescue. They repaired a faulty circuit breaker and, while here, even rewired a fluorescent lamp that had been unusable. GREAT SERVICE!!! read more

He did a great job at our house for a reasonable fee. He was knowledgeable and courteous.

Otto is a friendly guy but definitely ask him how much he charges before he comes. He found the problem in our house in less than an hour. When it came to settle the bill, he charged $375 in labor for that hour. Outrageous read more

I called up and talked directly with Mr. Otto. (None of that annoying "press 1 to schedule an appointment" type of thing.) He was available that very day (within a couple of hours, actually). He came over at the time he said he would. He was pleasant and professional. He fixed the problem I had called about. He fixed two other problems I hadn't called about. And he charged me a very reasonable fee. In other words, I recommend him highly. read more

Mr. Otto saved us. When my power went out and no one could figure out the source of the problem, be came by first thing in the morning. He not only solved the problem, but he was professional and friendly. He was kind to my mother, and helped us as if we were old family friends. I would call him again in an instant and would highly recommend him. read more

I had an electrical problem in my home that needed to be fixed quickly. I called a couple other electricians in the Arlington area. One couldn't come until the following week, and the other never responded. However, when I called Richard Otto, he called me right back, and we made an appointment for that day. He came into the house, diagnosed the problem, fixed it, and charged me a reasonable rate. He was also very easy-going and courteous. I'd highly recommend calling him. I know I will if I ever have another problem. read more

I felt compelled to write a review after speaking with Richard Otto regarding a possible job on a house that we may or may not be purchasing. He allowed me to read the entire inspection report, voice my concerns and discuss. He gave me a quote based on the info given and was extremely kind and professional. It's so hard to find folks like this who you can call and ask a million questions to for nothing. Thank you so much for taking my call. You've eased my mind on the electrical aspects of this home. If all goes well, I'll be giving you a call to schedule work but at the very least, I'll be referring you to anyone who asks for an electrician! read more

I just wanted to update my review to add that I used Otto's Electrical Service again because my installed outlet was faulty. Richard and his apprentice came and installed a new outlet at NO charge. And left me a laminated sheet with information about the defective part and why there were issues. Seriously awesome for someone like me who doesn't know AC from DC. HIGHLY RECOMMEND because dedicated customer service and professionalism is rare these days and Richard Otto has both in spades. read more