How pricing works
Six answers, in the order people ask them.
What decides the price
The same circuit costs different amounts in two houses. These are what move it.
How far the cable runs from the panel
Whether the walls are plaster, drywall or open
The panel: room for a breaker, or a swap
Permit and inspection fees
Whether the meter base or mast changes
What the quote includes, and what it leaves out
A written quote with the equipment, labor, permit and utility steps on separate lines. It stays open for 30 days.
Included: circuit, breaker, labor, permit, inspection
Not included: patching and paint, trenching, equipment you supply
A rebate is not counted; the utility pays that to you
What happens at the visit
One electrician comes in a window we give you. They read the panel and the meter, measure the run and photograph all of it. The visit has a flat fee, told to you when you book and credited to the work if you go ahead within 30 days. We do not price a panel on the spot.
When you get the number
In writing, after the visit and before any work starts, as a price for the job as written. We do not give a number from a photo or over the phone.
How and when you pay
A deposit when you accept the quote and the balance when the inspection passes. We take checks and cards.
If the job changes
If we find something behind a wall that changes the work, we stop, show you and quote the change. We start it only after you approve it in writing.
The load calculation
Before any work, we count the amps
The visit ends with a load calculation, worked on paper and shown to you. It says whether the new circuit fits the panel, whether a subpanel is cheaper than a swap, or whether the service has to grow. That result is what the price is built on, so you can read why it is what it is.
Price questions
What does the first visit cost, and is it credited?
The visit has a flat fee, told to you when you book, and it is credited to the work if you go ahead within 30 days. One electrician comes, reads the panel, looks at the meter and the wall you want to use, and photographs all of it.
Are there rebates for this work?
Your utility and Efficiency Vermont run programs for heat pumps, heat pump water heaters and some chargers. Each sets its own amounts and rules, and they change, so read the current program page before you buy. We write the invoice the way the forms ask for it.
Do I need a permit, and who pulls it?
Panel, service and new-circuit work usually needs one. We file it, schedule the inspection after the work and put the sign-off in your folder. The permit fee is passed through on the quote at cost.
Do you do emergency work?
No. We schedule planned work, Monday to Friday, so there is no night rate and no after-hours number to call. If something is sparking, smells of burning or is hot to the touch, call 911 first. If it is safe to reach, turn off its breaker, and call us the next morning to book the repair.
Get the number in writing
Book the visit. The quote comes after it, before any work.