As a consumer, I advise going on a Saturday as the place is very busy on weekdays when all the professional contractors and other folks working on houses or business jobs are there, along with huge delivery trucks. It helps to know what you're looking for. I happened to be looking for a light fixture. I got help from Winnie in the fixtures area and she was very nice and efficient. The fixture was reasonably priced based on what I was looking for. My fixtures came fast. The people at the register and pickup area were very nice and also efficient. I heard from another customer that while the other branches are easier to park at, this store has the biggest showroom. It's not fancy but if you know what you're looking for, it's a great place to get EVERYTHING related to electrical supplies. read more

After looking online and not finding a simple, classic surface-mounted fixture that didn't just look generic, Winnie took up the task and found several options. Not only was she able to match the specs I was looking for, but she found some at surprisingly low cost. Definitely the best service I've had in SF. Make an appointment before you go. read more

Helpful, knowledgeable, plenty of parking, answered questions, lots of stuff but not a showroom type place

Has everything electrical here! Some items are hard by yourself, but the staff is always willing to help. This is one of very few electrical parts places that you can go and walk through the aisles. Prices are great and often very competitive to the big box stores (Home Depot, Lowes). UES has a better selection and variety than those big box stores. Overall, easy location to get to, has parking, has 99% of electrical things that you might need on your next electrical project and priced competitive. -WireNut Electric read more

They have EVERYTHING if they do not have it it does not exist. You show them a picture and two minutes is on the counter. They are super friendly help oriented. Their prices are lower than any other place. The quality is superior to all the other places. Parking right there. read more

I really like coming here because every time I show up, I just show them a photo and they would usually have what I need. Their service is also great. For someone like me who has no idea how to install anything, I usually just google. Then I show up and one of their staffs would explain how to use it. Super helpful which is what I appreciate about small businesses. read more

One of the best suppliers now days. Highly recommended. Good inventory and well trained and professional personal. Open on Saturdays.

Shockingly unhelpful. Brought in a circular bulb that needed replacing and the man said he'd check to see if they had it. He says they're sold out and the size I need is nonstandard. He hands the bulb back and starts to walk away. Um, will you get more? He doesn't know. Is there a brand I should look for? He doesn't know. Then he starts throwing out these electrical terms that I need to be sure to look out for and I've got no idea what he's talking about. When I ask he doesn't want to explain and ultimately says I should just replace the whole light fixture and gestures toward the back of the store with stacks of boxes. Um where? I spent about a min looking. Everything was generic and impossible to know what you're really looking at so I left. read more

You know. They got everything. And are out of stock on it from time to time. But what's great is, bring you old bulb, show it to any employee, and they will know exactly what it is and where to find it in the shop. Also they can recycle your old CFLs here for free (there's a box in the warehouse). Yay! read more

They had most things you'll need electrically there. That's when it's not at White cap construction supply or Home Depot. Thanks! read more

My electrician recommended I go there, and there is parking, so I'll give them three stars. The showroom didn't show the products well (tired, worn, disorganized), and the staff weren't any better. I left after being unable to get help, about 25 minutes into my visit. read more

We went down there recently about 15 minutes to closing time, and the person we met was very helpful in discussing our needs, and in explaining the different kinds of recessed lighting that we are looking into. They have a good sized showroom and a zillion kinds of recessed lighting trims on display. Amazingly, they were in no rush to kick us out even 20 minutes past closing time. And no, we weren't even buying anything yet. High rollers we are not, but we will be back.. Parking? Plenty of off-street parking in their HUGE facility. No need to park on the street. read more

After time spent in big box hardware stores, the service and inventory of a local shop can't be beat. The service is helpful and hands-on, and they have a great selection. read more

Wow great selection of electric parts . I have this commercial light bulb . I have a hard time finding this bulb at Home depo and Lowe's . This fluorescent light bulb had this base that usually you need to pay attention to it. Brought my broken light bulb and he clerk new exactly what I needed. Supper service read more

One stop shop and very helpful.. excellent help all the times, my favorite supply house by far, although some off brand stuff at times

if you need basic a$$ stuff fine they are basically lazy will not research anything for you and only want to sell what is in stock ALSO NO REFUNDS only store credit so heads up on that Went in with fixture - had part number - dude said part number did not mean anything (to his dumb a$$ sure) and the part no longer exist went to CITY LIGHTS - he researched part number - they had it IN STOCK purchased moved on 3 wasted trips to Universal - they will sell you whatever they have - guessing maybe it will or won't work - then you get a dumb store credit when they know they probably sold you they wrong thing shameful read more

One of the best places to go for any electrical needs ,the staff is very friendly and super helpful I go here almost every other day for work supplies I would highly recommend anyone looking for any electrical material from lights to wires to check this place out first read more

Universal Electric Supply Co - The building - Lighting Fixtures & Equipment Near Me - San Francisco, California

Let's make it clear, this place overall gets 3-4 stars (and I will elaborate why) but the reason why my wife and I loved our experience there was due to the exceptional service provided by the showroom salesperson Winnie. Good service for me is really the icing on the cake and you just simply do not see it anymore in today's world. When you do experience it you really want to call it out. We were doing a remodeling project and our contractor recommended that we visit this place since we wanted nicer, more unique (higher end) lights than what you would find in say Home Depot or Lowe's. Hey, we ain't putting fuzzy dice in a ferrari ok? Anyways, my wife and I were skeptical coming in as the place looked like a typical warehouse store in the south of market area. The place was fairly busy which was a good sign and it did appear that a lot of asian contractors were in there. We managed to find our way to the showroom out front. Talk about your proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. The salesperson there named Winnie was absolutely wonderful and she immediately put my wife and I at ease!!! My wife is rather picky and while we really did take an exorbitant amount of Winnie's time she nevertheless was extremely helpful in showing us all of the lights that would meet our needs. Winnie was not pushy as you might expect sales people to be, especially presumably ones working on commission. Winnie certainly knew what she was doing since she closed the deal with us on a fairly expensive light fixture. We will certainly come back here for future remodeling projects that require lighting and look for Winnie. Thanks a bunch, Winnie!!!! In conclusion: Establishment - 3 to 4 stars 1) return policy is store credit only - no cash. Just be clear as to what you need by doing your research online but buy it here since you can see and touch what you are buying and the pricing (at least from our experience) was very good. 2) not open on Sundays, like Home Depot and Lowe's. (hey we work too during the week to pay for these things) 3) does have onsite free parking Winnie - 5 big stars 1) very attentive and helpful 2) not pushy 3) frankly, pretty darn easy on the eyes too (maybe that is why so many asian contractors were in there). nosey wife found out she was taken though. 4) apparently fluent in a number of chinese dialects (again, probably why so many asians were in there) read more

Recently I was referred to Universal by Discount Builders Supply. I needed a specific electrical component for a specific application and I was told they had everything. They may have everything but with the poor customer service I had I could not even tell if they had what I needed in stock. My questions went unanswered and contacting them for information was a waste of my time. I worked around my problem after they left me hanging. Perhaps their showroom is great, their parts department is certainly amongst the worst... read more

Universal is the best electrical supply house in San Francisco, without exception. They are totally no nonsense professionals and they have come up with amazing stock and inventory when I really needed it. they have never let me down. Terrance, Winnie, everybody at the front counter I cannot recommend them highly enough. Universal electric supply, my favorite store. read more

Fast. Affordable. Good stock. Customer oriented business. Parking. Convenient location. Many pros around this place all day long.

don't hate in 08. Seriously. Maybe I'm still amazed by the 50c a piece can light trim I got - where most shops had told me that I'd spend 20 to 50 bucks a piece. Or maybe it's the huge selection of everything... or maybe it's that I'm Italian and my country is not really known for customer service. I dunno what it is, but I loved this place. it's huge, the prices are awesome, the guys that work there know their shit - albeit being a bit short in dealing with you. This is, for sure, my favorite electrical supply store in the city... read more

They have a lot of good stuff easy to get parking and different varieties if you need a different colors of the wires the prices are comparable two other suppliers which is good located in the good area easy to access. The only negative thing is if you buy stuff that you're not sure you're going to need the only return would be as a store credit and it cannot be go back to your credit card. Overall to have a lot of tools in stock that the electrician need like a Greenlee or Klein tool or any major electrical brand. Overall during the business hours when they are very busy in my opinion they do not have enough stuff so you have to wait at least 30 minutes to get your order placed read more

They don't do returns. About all they are good at is wasting your employee's time. person that answered the phone knew nothing. They said send your guy over and tell him to ask for Terrence. Terrence was busy with 4 customers he is helping now 8:30 AM. I said I will send guy but have Terrence call me so my guy knows what to buy. Terrence never calls. Finally an hour later a woman calls instead of Terrence. Because of the poor service I was going to go ahead and just order from Amazon Prime but my guy misunderstood and went there anyway. He asked for Terrence but Terrence was too busy to help him. The guy who helped him showed him a package of two and said they are $1.79 so I said go ahead and get them. Then he calls me and says they were $1.79 each. When they rang him up he was charged $1.79 each. I can buy From Amazon Prime for $0.43 each with free shipping and no tax for 20 of these and no tax and have it delivered to me. So Universal wants me to pay 4.33 times as much as I can get on internet. For that they should provide better service. Why have someone answer your phone that can't help? They need to fire that person and hire more Terrences. read more

This place is pretty good. There service isn't bad. They mainly serve to constructors and large companies. I recommend going in the afternoon when there are less construction workers, you will get better service then. If you go there, ask for Owen or Oscar. They are exceptional in customer service. They have one of the largest light selections in San Francisco. And they don't sell those cheapy lights made in China where other companies try to pawn off to you for the same price. These lights are quality. I've bought lights from them over the years and they never seem to fail me. They have plenty of parking and extremely large warehouse. I would definitely continue to shop there. read more

I used Universal to order my decorative lights in my home that I was remodeling. I also ordered the recessed lights from them as well. Winnie was extremely helpful in getting me quotes for the different lights I wanted to inquire about. I actually called at least 5 other places for quotes on the same lights and Universal was BY FAR the cheapest bid. After I placed the light order Winnie kept me updated when they would arrive, etc. My husband actually went to the shop to pick up the recessed lights and Winnie was very helpful pulling on those lights for me (as he has not knowledge at all about lights, ha). They don't allow you to return custom ordered lights as one of our lights didn't fit when we got it in... but that was totally our fault for not measuring the space before we ordered it, not theirs. Just FYI :). Use them, they will save you money! read more

UES is our go-to electrical vendor. Winnie is the best - very competent, very knowledgeable, and takes great care of her clients. Very competitive prices, especially if you have a larger order. Great stock on hand. They sell rough electrical equipment such as wires, boxes, etc. They also sell specialty and custom light cans and fixtures from all the designer-spec'd brands. Well organized. Very competent staff. If you're impatient and looking for "yes-man" customer service and naive smiley faces, this is not the place for you. Great electrical wholesale shop with straight forward people. read more

Since I was shopping for some unique drop lights for my restaurant soon to open, searching around the city without much luck, my contractor refer me to Universal RSC. WOW, this warehouse has HUGE selection of lighting and electrical supplies ! The lighting expert Winnie was very helpful for someone that has limited knowledge, I can be very picky sometimes, a good set of fixture is very important for my restaurant image. She was being very patience showing us around the showrooms and finally we ended up with the same set I saw at another store, but for $200 less for a set of 4! Happy Customer! Thank you! Other staffs are also very helpful and usually with good knowledge for what you need. They do close at 5 on weekdays I wish they push back for one hour. Universal is right off the freeway, very convenient for everyone, plenty of parking too, a big plus for the city well known for expensive meters and limited parking you know. I ended up returning a few times for more lighting and electrical supplies. I will definitely recommend this place to everyone. read more

Recently at my house I've needed to replace a weird small halogen bulb and a fluorescent tube lamp. Plus I needed to get many dual lamp socket adapters for a project. This place has a wide selection of obscure bulbs and adapters, plus they will accept burnt-out fluorescent tubes and CFLs for safe disposal or recycling. Prices are close to the rock-bottom that you see from online retailers. Selection is good, they have plenty of parking, and they are open on Saturdays. Don't expect particularly friendly service and you won't be disappointed. They will answer your questions when they have time for you, and you will walk away with what you need. read more

This place has everything! I met with Winnie and couldn't be happier I did. She is very helpful and courteous and replied promptly to my emails. Thanks Winnie! Miguel. read more

Excellent customer service, good prices, and huge selection! Definitely recommend this place for all your electrical needs.

This is not a place for Do It Yourselfers. You will be hit or miss. Depends on how busy they are. They will help you. But if you cant talk the construction language. You will feel like you're been hated. Okay. UES has lots of tools and electrical materials at a pretty good price. Workers there have pretty good knowledge of current codes and regulations. Try asking a homedepot or lowes worker. Lol. Gave them 5 stars because they always came through for me. Lol. Lucky me. read more

If you have questions or need help with making a decision then go elsewhere. If you want to be talked down to by unhelpful staff then this is the place to go. read more

Worse place ever, be really careful when you decide to go their cause first of all they are a lot more expensive than anybody else, employees are really rude. And they don't do any return, your lucky if you get an exchange or store credit. read more

I am a electrical contractor. I have to say that I have had enough problems with them. when ordering lights they do not call the manufacture to see if there is a backorder, you find out at the last minute when you go to pick up the lights. and when they make a mistake , you the customer end up with the short end of the stick. The guys at the counter are consistently rude and they treat you like a thief by rummaging through your basket when you leave. Avoid at all cost!!! read more

I called and had a simple question. I admit I am not a contractor, not that I find them overly knowledgable, however I did do my research and asked for a specific electrical item. The person on the phone had even less knowledge than I did and was of no help, actually told me to take a ceiling fixture out of the ceiling and bring it in!. So I went down to the store, showed them a picture of the item I wanted, even gave them the manufacturers part number and description and they still could not help me. They kept insisting they had to see the fixture. So, went on line, ordered the part from a third party supplier, it worked, to make a long story short.....never again. read more

I was recommended by my electrician to check out this place after I visited Lamps Plus. I was able to get comparable product (track lighting system) for much cheaper. It's obvious that they cater to a predominantly contractor/electrician clientele but if you know what you're looking for and did your research, their in-house lighting experts are easy to work with. read more

The selection of recessed lighting on display here is HUGE. There must be 75+ models on display. This is important - you don't want to choose lights based on pictures in a catalogue. I don't know about any of the other sales people, but WINNIE was awesome - friendly, efficient, and extremely knowledgable. She took the time and effort to ask the right questions, suggest a few models that met my needs, explain the differences and help me select the right model for our home. Thank you! read more

We recently started some remodeling and are changing the track lighting to the thin recessed lighting. At first we didn't order enough and really needed to get more as soon as possible Winnie is AWESOME. She took care of it and by the next weekend, our electrician haf the lights in hand and installed them. She is super helpful and always returns emails and calls. We will always go to her for any lighting needs that we have in the future. read more

I called to ask for a part and immediately felt like I called a poor persons home in the getto. Could barely understand what they were saying, except "HUH"? "OH" "HUH"?? didnt sound like a professional business and will scratch them off my list read more