Berkeley Electric

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!

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

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.

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.

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

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!

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!

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Thanks for the great & amazing service.
The team was at my door before time.
5 star out of 5.

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.

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.

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.

I can't evaluate the work of Berkeley Electric because I was basically not dealt with because they are swamped through November. That isn't even the issue. It's a problem I feel they have dealing with disabled people. I am quadriplegic. I am in a wheelchair and do not have the use of my arms and hands. The electrical wiring in our home is seriously malfunctioning - Power surges, things burning out. etc. I am afraid to be here. I can't make light of this. I felt from the person I spoke to at Berkeley Electric that she thought I was faking because I was just saying I was disabled to get someone out here. I was not and I was not playing the D card. I didn't mind they were busy. I minded that she didn't seem concerned I was in a potentially dangerous situation. I did not appreciate feeling uncomfortable talking to her. My husband found an electrician who is coming out here to see our home at 9:00 AM. I do not have a favorable impression of Berkeley Electric.

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.

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.

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.

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

A very friendly and knowledgeable electrician came by from Berkeley Electric and replaced our bathroom fan. Did excellent work, followed up promptly with questions and follow up work. He also ended up replacing a broken outlet in our bathroom when he realized it was a safety issue and fixed a problem in a fan in our attic, all without us asking. He made sure we were OK with everything at every step of the way and always  explained all the options. Also dog friendly! I am glad to have done business with them and will definitely call again!

They are still 5-star.  We called them this morning with our tale of woe and they showed up today.  I love these guys.  Professional.  Efficient.  Competent.  Rock stars of the highest electrical order.

The service was excellent and the person they sent out was highly professional in every way.
The work was done on time and turned out fantastic!

We had Berkeley Electric rewire our 1937 house in Oakland, which was almost all knob and tube wiring.  Zalman was great from the beginning when he came to give an estimate. He took the time to take off light switch cover plates and look at the wiring, explain the situation, and answer questions.  Everyone we worked with at Berkeley Electric was extremely professional, responsive, and easy to work with throughout the whole process, which took about a week.  After the work was done, Zalman took care of arranging our inspection, which we passed with no issues.  He even came back later and helped fix an issue we were having with our refrigerator, which was tripping a GFCI outlet in the kitchen, for no charge.  I highly recommend them to anyone needing electrical work!

I worked with Zalman several years ago, when he installed a new electrical panel on my house.  The work was great, and he didn't try to sell me on anything more than I really needed.  He gave me all the options and information I would need to make a good decision.

When I had another problem recently with my wiring in the house, I reached out to Berkeley Electric again.  They sent out Fran, who is wonderful!  He was able to problem solve a tricky situation, he kept me informed on what he was finding, and he was able to fix the problem.  He worked very quickly, was professional, friendly, and very knowledgeable.  He explained the issue to me very well, and didn't talk down to me - even though I'm a layman when it comes to electrical stuff.  He was also able to point out some minor issues that could be unsafe, and we discussed other items that I may want to have upgraded in the future.  I didn't feel like he was pushing unnecessary repairs on me, and I was able to make informed decisions about the work I will approve.  I'm having him back to make some of the other repairs.

I live in a house built in the 1920, it has it's challenges, but Berkeley electric put in a new breaker box and removed the use of fuses, so we are good to go. Work done on time and within estimate and clean-up was good too. I have used them several times and will call them for any future projects.

This has been the worst experience we have had since beginning our remodel. he is overpriced, kept having to come back for missed work being done and when we expressed frustration, he walked off the job. We have used other electricians in Berkeley and are superior.

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.

They know what they're doing. I own very old properties, and they always have wiring problems. Berkeley Electric always gets the problems solved.

After a string of experiences with mediocre (or worse) tradespeople, I am pleased to share my outstanding experience with Berkeley Electric.  I own a home in Oakland and PG&E was moving the electrical service from the back of the house to the front.  So I needed someone to reroute the electrical from the new entry point to the existing circuit breaker panel.  It was a medium-sized job.  One highly-rated electrician came to scope it out and then never could get me an estimate.  Another said he needed to ask PG&E how to do it.  Zalman at Berkeley Electric came out and proposed a creative solution that was minimally disruptive, ie, not running a new conduit along the ceiling of the garage and basement.  He knew PG&E's rules well and also what the city inspector would look for.  His crew arrived as scheduled and they were not only efficient but meticulous in their work.  They even put in place a temporary bridge to make it easy for PG&E to switch the service without them needing to be there.  On top of all that, what was most impressive, was Zalman's insistence on removing the old equipment from the crawlspace under the back of the house once the job was completed.  I have had a number of tradespeople simply abandon old stuff in place when it was not in anyone's way since it was extra work for them.  Each of them was personable and professional, including their office staff.  I recommend them for electrical work with no reservations.

I am a busy realtor and called Berkeley Electric on behalf of a client who needed some work done.  I left a message on their voicemail and someone called me back to schedule an appointment for an estimate 2 days out.  First of all, the person who scheduled the estimate was very unfamiliar with the area and told me she was just the scheduling person and was not actually in the area but that was OK.  The day following, (one day before my appointment) another woman Jen, their office manager called me to schedule an appointment and I told her that someone else had already done that.  She let me know that there would be a fee of $150 to come out to give me an estimate.  I said that this had not been mentioned when I scheduled the appointment and she seemed surprised.  She asked me if this was an appointment to just get an estimate to put the house on the market.  I told her that we are getting the house prepared for market but that my client was intent on bringing the house up to the very best condition possible before doing that and that we had several pages of items from the general home inspector including updating panels and replacing old knob and tube wiring.  She said there still was going to be a $150 charge because their conversion rate from estimates to paid work was just too low.  This should have been my 2nd clue.  At that point, I think her response should have been that they would waive the $150 fee or at least offer to credit toward work actually done since 1. It was their person who neglected to inform me of it up front, and 2.  I had flat out told her I intended to have quite a bit of work done and I could have very well been a repeat customer for a long time to come.    At this point, she accused me of being argumentative and I apologized but told her I was a bit set back by their tone.  She asked me for my email and said she would have to speak to Zalman about it.  No sooner had I hung up than I got an email saying they would not be able to keep my appointment the following day.  I doubt that she even told Zalman.   I responded asking why and letting her know that she now was putting me in a bind because my client was getting ready to go out of town, and I had planned to get the work done while he was gone.  I never got an answer and suspect I never will.  I also suspect that I will never work with them going forward and will recommend that my friends and colleagues not waste their time or money with them either.  Really, I wonder how someone like this actually stays in business by treating their potential customers that way!

The electricity in our kitchen went out this morning.  I was worried that my refrigerator items would spoil if I could not get a service call pretty quickly.  I called Berkeley and the office manager (?) told me how to reset the electrical outlet and circuit breaker saving me a service call (and all the food in my fridge).  She did that without making me feel like an idiot too.   THAT is good customer service - she could have not said a word about how to fix the problem and booked the appointment.  I scheduled a service call anyway to fix another problem and to upgrade an outlet. I'll post again for part 2 of this experience.

Part Two:   Service person came on time this morning and fixed the outlet, figured out the garage lights with minimal effort and changed a bulb for me.  Still 5 star review.  Thank you Berkeley Electric!!

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.

Zalman was a true professional through and through.  I had just purchased a new home and found out in the disclosure that I would need to replace the main electrical panel and add a sub-panel as well.  Zalman came over multiple times and made himself available to answer all my questions.  He walked me through all the options and his reasoning for why certain changes should be made.  He provided his expert opinion, but also understood I was working within a budget so he explained trade-offs and what would make the most sense.  He was able to work within my budget, within my timeframe, and completed everything at the highest standard.  Thank you very much, Zalman, it was a pleasure working with you and I will be sure to reach out for future projects.

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.

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.

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...).

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.

We were very happy with Zalman and his team from Berkeley Electric on the big electrical job they just finished on our home. Our first assessment was with Zalman who visited us months before the job was to be started and gave us a quote. When we finally needed them to come in, he was willing to work with us based on our needs and prioritization of things that needed to get done. We need to pretty much update the electrical for our entire home and remove old knob and tube wiring. His crew was very professional throughout the process, and they fixed issues that they found as they were working on the scope originally defined. They also left the house in good condition at the end of the day. They stayed late the final evening to finish their work and vacuumed the house before they left. The electrical work they did was very high quality and they took full responsibility of the permit process and did everything up to code. Zalman provided his personal contact information to call him whenever we needed anything and they did a couple of quick visits to take care of a few small requests we had on our remodeling job without having a prior appointment.
We highly recommend Berkeley Electric, especially because in the past we have experienced getting good electricians has been a painful experience.

Very professionally run business. Responded promptly to my call for an appt, then showed up on time the next day. Technician who came to my home was professional and courteous.

I had Berkeley Electric install two overhead light fixtures.  They arrived promptly when they  said they would arrive and were finished in a short time.  They had all of the tools and supplies necessary to do the job without hesitation.  The price was very fair.

Expert, knowledgeable service. They schedule appointments promptly, show up on time, and get the job done quickly and efficiently. The office staff is courteous and helpful. Can't say enough good.

Complete bozos.  We got the company's best electrician.  He, during the middle of a workday, disconnected a live branch circuit taking down a string of computers.  Then, he did it again by shorting out some other wires.  His comment oh, no big deal, just a breaker.  He was utterly clueless about network wiring.  He was rough.  He did the easy work first (rather than the important work).  At one point he lost a pull string, and decided to cut another hole.  Then, another hole, leaving three awkward to patch holes right in our wall.  And he left an extra hole in the ceiling.  The only good spot about these folks was: the owner was willing to look the other way about a specific electrical code violation.

I am glad that the job is completed and I don't have to worry about it anymore!  However, I was a bit shocked by the $150 hourly fee, specially since the job took 4 hours.  Identical fixtures and type of job.  The first fixture took 45 minutes to fix... my tenant had to go to school and left the apartment.... the second fixture took 3 hours.  I am not sure why it the discrepancy between the two different fixtures.

I managed to blow the power to my backyard work studio on a Friday night.  Kirk came out within two hours of my call on a Saturday morning, was friendly and helpful, and didn't laugh at me for not knowing how to reset the breaker.  The discount for mentioning Yelp was nice, too!  I would call them again if I needed any more electrical help.

I called Berkeley Electric recently to repair the electrical problem at my father's house in North Berkeley.  This company had so many great reviews on here, I felt confident calling them.  When I called, I got an answering service.  They said they would get the message to Zalman and he would call me back.  Two days go by, and nothing.  I call again.  Again, an answering service during regular business hours.  I explain that this is second time I am calling.  The person checks the phone message log, confirms my message and says they gave it to the office the day I called. They said they would send another message to them.  What do you know....no call back at all.  I guess this company is so successful they don't need the business. I ended up calling another local Berkeley electrician and couldn't be happier with the service.

What a fantastic experience!!  After many requests to numerous local electrical contractors, I was getting to think business was so good, no one needed to take on any more business!  Wendy was extremely friendly and professional, and Zalman is as good as they get.  Showed up on time (!!) and got everything squared away in a very short amount of time.  And did I mention this was on a boat too?  I can't think of a better experience with a company.  If you need ANY electrical work, these are the folks to turn to.  Thanks again for the great work!

American Electrical rewired our entire house- getting rid of all of our knob and tube wiring. The owner, Zalman, made solid recommendations about places where we would and would not want to add lights, switches, fans etc...

The men who completed the work were fast, did excellent work, and were amazingly tidy. The painters who came in afterward actually commented on the quality of the patches on the holes in the walls.

I will always call Zalman if we need any more work done and have no reservations in recommending him.

Excellent outfit.

I needed  a 220 circuit extended through a closet, stairwell ceiling, and wall to a rooftop deck -- for a hot tub heater.

It was a complex, delicate, job in a highly visible part of the house.

Zalman, at American, gave me a quote and proceeded.  His crew was efficient, clean, and meticulous in their work.  They covered and protected everything in the house, and patched the sheetrock and work areas expertly.

The final price was even a bit lower than the estimate.

In short, they were first rate.  And reasonable.

We hired Berkeley Electric to do a substantial amount of electrical work in the home we purchased in North Berkeley.  Our house was built in 1936 and had much of the original knob and tube wiring.  I met with the owner, Zalman, who went over the most critical areas to be addressed as we had a set budget to work with.  Zalman and his crew replaced our electrical breakers, re-wired much of the house, and made several improvements to the overall electrical system to make it more efficient and far safer.  During the work our contractors for the general construction short circuited the new electric boxes BE put in.  Zalman worked with us to replace them at cost even though it was not the fault of his crew.  Zalman is very knowledgeable and trustworthy and a person of his word. I would recommend him to anyone in the East Bay looking for an outstanding electrician.

In a word, American Electrical is fantastic.  I needed to replace some out dated wiring in my home and install recessed lighting in the living room.  I called a couple of Alameda based electricians for quotes and was unsatisfied from the get go until I called American Electrical.  Unlike the others American Electrical was cooperative, responsive and easy to work with.   Zalman came to my house on a Saturday and did a very through inspection on my wiring to determine exactly what needed to be done in order to provide a quote.   His  quote that was more than 50% below any I received to date from other electricians in Alameda.   Now that the job is done I couldn't be more satisfied.  It was a three day process, and his guys worked to keep the noise level low, cleaned up before they left, and made what could have been a major headache into a minimal interruption.  They did a professional job at patching the necessary holes they had to punch in the walls too.  After a a quick touch up paint job, it will look like nothing ever happened.  These guys are the best and I am going to use them again.  I highly recommend you check out American Electrical for any of your electrical needs.

Zalman installed our new service when we first moved into our house almost 5 years ago. He showed up on time, did the work quickly and for a great price. He was friendly, skilled, reliable and knowledgeable. He was also flexible with our schedule. 4+ years later we haven't had one problem with the service, he did great work.

When my new dryer was delivered, the guys who were supposed to install it told me I needed an updated plug and left.  I called Zalman at American Electrical and he agreed to fit me into his weekend schedule.  Not only did he install the new plug, he also installed the dryer -- all within 1/2 hour.  He was ingenious in making the dryer vent fit my 25 year old  townhouse-sized utility closet. Everything fits and works beautifully.

We just did a remodel on a 1930 vintage home and used American Electrical to upgrade all the electrical to code, which involved many hours of work.  They provided detailed accurate estimates and excellent service.  Electricians were exceptionally courteous and hard working.  Our neighbors were even impressed!  If you are looking for an electrical contractor we recommend them highly.

I contacted them based on Yelp reviews.  They showed up on time, trouble shot the problem and fixed it!  Professional and friendly.  After their visit, they sent ME a thank you note!

I had to move in 3 weeks and needed to replace all the wiring in the new condo, flooring, and paint the whole place.  Zalman was personally responsive, explained everything in detail with great patience, gave me the options, prepared a detailed and handwritten offer, and got to work a few days later. His colleagues were focused, extremely orderly, and friendly. Everything was finished by Saturday night so the flooring people could start on Monday morning! If you want a team that gives you security, high quality, and clarity, this is the team!