High Voltage Electrician

What type of work do you do?

We are a high voltage electrician performing work in industrial, commercial, and residential settings.  We perform both new and remodel projects.  We also can perform some low-voltage work including:  phone, TV cable, Ethernet, and fire alarms.

How long have you been in business?

Tommy’s Electric has been in business since 2004.

Do you charge for estimates?

Generally speaking, no.  As long as the customer has some flexibility as to times we can come to do the estimate, we don’t charge.  However, in some instances, an estimate cannot be given in advance because we cannot determine the cause of the problem until we are in the midst of resolving the issue.  Example- a customer may call requesting why there is no power to a receptacle.  By the time we arrive on the project and determine the cause of the problem (in order to give an estimate), we have fixed the problem.   In this case the estimate is treated as a service call, at the rate of $95/hour plus trip charge.

How much is this going to cost me?

We charge $120/ hour to have a journeyman electrician come to your site.  In some instances, we may send an apprentice or helper along with journeymen if it makes sense for the project.  We charge a reduced rate for the apprentice/helper depending on their level of experience. We also charge a $90 trip charge to cover drive time and gas.  We have a 1 hour minimum on all jobs.

What if the project takes less than 1 hour?  Am I charged for a full hour?

Yes. We have a 1 hour minimum.  If we perform the project in under a hour, we will be happy to perform an overall safety check of your electrical system to make sure get your full 1 hour worth of labor from us.

How long is this going take?

This is always the toughest question to answer.  The electrical industry does not have standardized labor costs like some trades do.  No two houses are wired the same.  Wiring methods have evolved and improved over time.  Generally speaking, the older the house, the more time and expense is required to fix or install new wiring.  Many times we find that wiring has been installed illegally by unqualified personnel, making trouble shooting particularly challenging.  Also there are some factors that we have not control over.  Much of our work is installing new owner-provided lights and ceiling fans.  Installation time on these items can vary dramatically based upon the items selected by the homeowner.  The complexity of lights or fans and the quality of these items can vary greatly.  In addition to this factors, weather and access to the work space (i.e. high ceilings or tough parking) can affect the overall cost. We can give guidelines as to how long we think it will take based upon past experiences, but with many projects, we cannot give you a hard number.

Do you accept credit cards?

Although we prefer cash or check, as convenience to our customers we do accept credit cards.  Payment is required at the time of completion or upon receiving your invoice.

Do you carry materials in your work vehicles?

Yes we carry on extensive selection of material in our vans including: wire, breakers, electrical boxes and electrical plates and devices.  This does not mean we will have everything possible for every project.  We charge the customer for time required to obtain parts and supplies.  We do our best to have everything we need when we arrive and not charge the customer for added costs involved in getting material.

What can I do to help keep the project cost down?

There are several things you can do to help us perform our work in a timelier manner.  Some things include:

    1. Parking access:  The closer we can park our vehicles to the work area, the quicker we can get our materials and tools into the work area.
    2. Give us a detailed description of the project before we arrive.  This allows us to make sure we have the proper material, tools and time set aside to do the project
    3. Keep the work area free of unnecessary items. Having to move objects out of work area can take a lot of extra time.
    4. Remove objects from attic/crawlspace access.  Many times we need to get into a customer’s attic or crawlspace.  In most cases, this area is in a customer’s closet.  Having to move clothing and shelving can take a lot of extra time.  Additionally, 99% of the time when we have to go into an attic, there will be dust or insulation falling out.
    5. If we are installing customer-provided fans or lights, please have of all the parts on site on the day of install.  If possible, please open the fixtures before we arrive to make sure all the pieces are there, nothing has been damaged and that you are happy with look of the product.
    6. Purchase lights bulbs for all fixtures you are supplying.  We do not carry lights bulbs with us.
    7. Please be available for questions when we are there performing work.  Although you may not have to be there physically, we may have questions and leaving a phone number for us can save a lot time and miscommunication.

Do you warranty your work?

All materials and labor are guaranteed for 2 years from date of installation from any defects or failures due to installation and workmanship.  The warranty is expressly limited to defects in workmanship or installation and shall not apply to defects or damages caused by defective products or materials, intentional acts, negligence, lack of maintenance or upkeep, or any other cause outside the reasonable control of Tommy’s Electric.  This warranty does not cover burnt out light bulbs or any defective Customer-provided materials or fixtures.  Any call backs that are determined to be a result of defective owner provided materials or fixtures, may be subject to additional charges.

Do you mark up your material?

Yes, we need to cover various other factors such as electrical tape, wire nuts, connectors, screws and other small items.  Our markup also helps us to cover safety items such as dust masks and hearing protection.  Lastly, it helps us offset the time involved in obtaining the material and keeping it stocked on the vehicles.

Can I provide my own material?

Yes, in some instances, however we do not warranty these materials.  If there should be a problem with these materials, the labor involved in fixing it would be billed to the owner.

Are you licensed and insured?        

We are licensed by the state of Minnesota as a Class A Electrical Contractor, MN License number EA004358.  Electrical Contractors must provide a $5,000 bond, show evidence of liability insurance, and a certificate of employment of a master electrician.  Certificate of insurance is available upon request from our insurance agency Sherman Insurance Agency.

Is a permit/inspection required?

The state of Minnesota says in State statue 326B36

Subdivision 1. Required inspection. Except where any political subdivision has by ordinance provided for electrical inspection similar to that herein provided, every new electrical installation in any construction, remodeling, replacement, or repair, except minor repair work as the same is defined by rule, shall be inspected by the commissioner for compliance with accepted standards of construction for safety to life and property.

We always pull a permit for new installs such as new electrical services and wiring of new projects such as basements, new houses, addition and kitchen remodels.

Generally speaking, most services calls fall into the minor repair work and would not require a permit.  We are always happy to pull a permit on any project even if one is not required.

Permit charges are billed back to the customer.

What does a permit cost?

Permit fees vary depending on the municipality.  Most areas charge a minimum of $86 for a permit.  In addition to the fee charged by the municipality, we charge an administrative fee of $25.  This covers the time involved in pulling the permit and setting up the inspection.

What is a journeymen electrician?

The state of Minnesota defines:

Class A journeyman electrician” an individual having the necessary qualifications, training, experience, and technical knowledge to install, alter, repair, and supervise the installing, altering, or repairing of electrical wiring, apparatus, and equipment for light, heat, power, and other purposes who is licensed as such by the board of electricity.

To obtain this license an individual meet the following requirements: Journeyman license requires 48 months of electrical experience or 36 and months experience with a degree in electrical construction. In addition to this the individual must past an 80 questions and a time limit of 5 1/2 hours receive a minimum grade of 70%.  Topics on the exams include general knowledge, services, grounding, bonding, motors, transformers, lighting and over current protection.  Once a license in obtained 16hrs of electrical related continuing Education is required every two years is maintain the license.

Will the project be messy and do you clean up?

Most projects produce some degree of mess.  We do our best to install drop clothes and runners to protect the finished floor surface when we arrive.  We will also cover furniture whenever possible. When we finish the project, we will vacuum up the work area to return to the state it was in before we arrived. We include clean-up time into the project install.  Occasionally, customers prefer to clean up the work area themselves as a way to save some money and not pay us the clean-up time.

Will you the need to make holes in my walls or ceiling?

In most cases, we do not need to make holes.  We have specialized in residential remodel work for over 20 years.  We have many tools and experience in “fishing” wires and tracking down electrical problems.  That being said, fishing wires is an art not a science.  Sometimes it may be impossible to fish wires.  Locating buried J-Boxes or bad wires are nearly impossible without some damage to walls.  There are times where minor wall repair will be a more cost effective option than trying to fish in wires.  Ultimately, we will discuss these options with you before we begin to disrupt your property to make sure you are comfortable with the process.  The property owner is responsible for repair of walls or ceiling.  We can give you trade references if necessary to help put things back together.

Call today! (952) 736-7582

Submit request through phone or email; one of our helpful representatives will get your request in the hands off one of our licensed electricians to get back to you right away.