Luis F.

04/12/2021 12:00:00 SA

Paul at Brilliance Electric provided outstanding service in a very timely matter. We had a small backyard sauna that we needed to power from a panel more than 150 feet away through the entire basement and into the garden. Paul developed an elegant and visually aesthetic solution so that the job could be done in a way that was easier, aesthetically more pleasing and at lower cost to boot. He was patient and explaining all the options, and took a real interest in the sauna itself and the need to create for a visually pleasing solution to maintain the beauty of the garden.

Workwise, Paul was in constant contact, and provided clear cost estimates, and excepted payment only when milestones were definitively met. Small details like sending us small diagram renderings of a new design idea, and listening to our thoughts in a respectful and curious manner, and checking in with us frequently to make sure we were all in the same page, really made a difference in the quality of the final result.

In summary, Paul got the job done, did it exceedingly well, came in at-cost and made us feel good. We couldn't have asked for better.

Sage J.

9/20/2022

We had an urgent electrical issue at our office, and we were concerned we wouldn't be able to get it looked at in a timely manner. Paul identified the issue and made the repairs within a few hours of our initial call. Extremely quick response time.

He has a professional, yet easygoing demeanor. Very easy to talk to. He even explained the work he was doing to me and some of my curious coworkers. He did everything possible to save us time and money. Highly recommend.

Lonna B.

11/14/2022

Brilliance Electric is appropriately titled. Though I'm sure the proprietor named his business for other reasons, Paul Fanta is truly a brilliant electrician. A pretty straight forward service appointment turned into an extremely valuable diagnosis of an electrical system in need. This gentleman is worth every penny and then some.

Frank W.

10/24/2020

Long overdue review. TLDR: Paul is amazing, definitely call him if you have a routine job or a thorny electrical mystery to solve.

We recently moved into a 95 year old house with old wiring. We were getting strong shocks from our entry gate whenever we touched it without wearing shoes and sometimes even with shoes on. The gate has a button operated opening buzzer and doorbell and at first we thought there might be a short circuit. The buzzer/doorbell goes through an ancient 24V transformer, which could have also been the source. The door buzzer also failed some of the time. It was a mess.

Tracing all the wires covered in electrical tape and spliced together with wire bolts took me hours. After disconnecting and reconnecting lots of connections and checking for shorts I still couldn't find the problem.

We had another highly rated electrician stop by. After an hour, he also couldn't figure out the problem. Initially he suggested rewiring the entire house. He later suggested there could be some sort of induction issue, maybe from the power lines nearby (though they should be too far away to cause shocks), and that grounding the gate should fix the problem. Well...

I have some electrical/physics background, so I drilled a hole through the side of the house, connected a thick ground wire to the gate, ran it through the hole, and connected a grounding clamp to the plumbing. I intended to simply connect the wire to the ground clamp and be done. As my hand approached the clamp, the hair on my arm stood on end. I paused and got some pliers with thick rubber insulation, held the wire, and nearly touched it to the ground clamp. Big shock, big spark, and all the lights went out. Fuse had blown. Bigger problem than I thought. The gate must be connected to the AC circuit somehow to blow a 20A fuse. I measured the voltage on the gate to ground and was getting 80 VAC. Wow. I called Paul Fanta.

Paul came out quickly and retraced the messy wires and sorted out how everything was connected. He rewired the buzzer and doorbell circuits much more neatly and labelled everything, climbing over and around all the junk in our garage. Very methodical. We remeasured the gate voltage and got a lower (maybe 20VAC) reading and no shock. It should have been 0VAC, so we were still a little puzzled. My wife came home, asked us how it was going, and as soon as we mentioned the induction idea, she suggested that maybe the metal handrail that runs right down to (but doesn't touch) the gate could be the source. Brilliant! We measured that voltage and got... 120VAC. Holy hell! The handrail was somehow connected directly to the AC power line. Probably one of the screws holding it on the wall hit an AC power line, but didn't sever it.

From there we figured out that it was connected to our outside door light. Disconnecting that line fixed the problem. We decided to put off fixing the light, because it would have required tearing up lots of plaster and we were able to come up with another way to light the hallway. The buzzer/doorbell wiring and the transformer turned out to be red herrings, but there was no way to know that at the start, and having it so much more organized is great if we have a problem down the road.

We're very grateful for Paul's patience and expertise in solving our mystery. We'll definitely call on him for future electrical work. Highly recommended!

John C.

9/13/2022

There are not enough words in the dictionary that can fully describe the quality of workmanship and professionality of Brilliance Electric. Quite simply, Brilliance Electric is second to none. Whether it is re-wiring a mid-century apartment building, preparing an electrical assessment of a 1907 office building, or trouble-shooting a faulty kitchen light or non-functional electrical outlet, Paul's workmanship is impeccable. He is very responsive when we call him, and can seemingly trouble-shoot anything electrical. I think he could hold his own against Nikola Tesla and/or James Maxwell. I'm very glad that we found him.

C L.

6/14/2022

Paul helped fix the wiring in a bathroom that had been done poorly by the contractor. He also gave me the most helpful tip to plug my refrigerator into a different outlet when I blew something that couldn't be fixed by resetting the breakers in the panel.

James B.

8/14/2022

Went above and beyond in helping me. He came over after a long day. My problem was a weird one, where my thermostat just lost power. I am stunned with how thoroughly he trouble shot the problem. Nothing seemed to be working, and I thought I would have to call in an HVAC company and maybe get a new heater. Then, after diagnosing everything, Paul found some little hidden breaker, deep in the bowels of my heating system. A simple reset solved the problem. I'm still really impressed he found it. I'm even more impressed with his tenacity, experience, and joy he takes in what he does.

Ben J.

5/31/2022

Would highly recommend Brilliance. They provided me with excellent and timely service. Paul is great! Highly recommended!!

David Y.

03/10/2021 12:00:00 SA

I have no hesitation in recommending Paul. I could not have been more pleased with my experience. In the past, I have dreaded involving an electrician (probably unfairly) as I have so little knowledge of anything electric. However, Paul was an absolute joy to work with and I will definitely call on him again. He is very clear in his communications and took the time to understand what I needed. He was very professional and clearly enjoys what he does. My sense is that he both enjoys solving a problem as well as making a client happy.

My task for Paul was to install a 1970s retro light fixture purchased in Germany in a victorian SF condo with old wiring. It was not the most thoughtful purchase. Once the old fixture came down, it was clear that the wiring and mounting did not match. Yet Paul had a bag of connectors and pieces and quickly pieced together a workable solution. He also did a quick evaluation of the safety of the wiring and offered practical solutions.

My perception was simply that Paul wanted to make my lamp work as quickly and safely as possible. I have not read every review on here, but it looks like they are all five stars. They are well deserved. I came close to hiring someone with a lower bid, but am glad I trusted my instinct that it was low because the person had not taken the time to understand my project. Had I made that choice, I suspect project would either have been abandoned or cost more in the end.

A R.

6/27/2021

Paul has ALWAYS been amazing to work with. He has taken care of the electrical need of my business for years now, is very fair on price, does solid work and has never let us down when we needed him. Call him

clint e.

3/19/2021

I tried to do some basic electrical work and failed. Called Brilliance Electric and Paul was able to schedule a time that worked for me the next day. I got lucky! He was fixed the problem and even coached me through the repair process so I could learn from him. Great guy, knows these old SF buildings very well. Would call him again for any electrical work that needs to be done.

Eric S.

1/29/2022

Great work, excellent communication, and he took videos and pictures of the work in progress. Very pleased with the result!

Vernon L.

01/08/2020 12:00:00 SA

Paul came by today, which was great considering I'd only reached out to him the day before. He was very knowledgeable and thorough, and though he recognized I couldn't make many of the proactive safety changes he suggested, he was still very thorough in explaining it to me.

I know next to nothing about electricity and wiring, but he was still able to explain how a lot of it works, and helped me understand exactly what was going on.

As for the actual repair, he worked very quickly and efficiently, and did a great job overall. The new plug / light switch he installed is now the nicest looking one in my apartment.

Definitely recommend Paul; very nice and highly responsive guy.

Blu W.

9/19/2020

Paul is an Electrical GENIUS! Our house started an electrical Beetlejuice tantrum, with outlets suddenly not working and power surges turning our TV and subwoofer on (boom!)...before freaking out that some loose wire tucked in the wall of our 120-year-old Victorian was going to spark and burn us all down, we called Paul, who patiently walked us through all of the steps to be sure we weren't requiring immediate assistance. He replied within a half-hour and carefully walked us through how to do a safe electric panel check (the Left Hand Rule and wear shoes!), checking everything we needed to check to be sure we weren't a ticking time bomb. He helped us fix that bum outlet, and assessed our electrical system as to where we now know we need to make upgrades. And all via text and image exchanges! An angel! We can sleep more soundly now. THANK YOU, Paul!

Nidhi S.

12/03/2020 12:00:00 SA

Paul was amazing. Professional, communicative, easy to work with, and showed up in a mask. You can tell he deeply enjoys his work and has been working in the field for a long time. Highly recommended.

Kristin C.

12/03/2020 12:00:00 SA

I randomly called Paul for a 2nd opinion because the 1st electrician i called couldn't solve my problem for a very old electrical system in a residential facility. Indeed, Paul had both the experience and commitment to try to figure out our issue. He even engaged our appliance company to make sure he had all the information he needed. He was friendly, thorough, communicative, responsive, and reliable. He knows his stuff! Will definitely call him again!

Steve D.

07/01/2021 12:00:00 SA

Prompt reply and follow-ups via phone and text.
Easy and timely scheduling.
Willing to share knowledge.
Great customer service.

Chuck H.

9/19/2019

Really knowledgeable and solves EVERY problem:

1. Bathroom lights went out. Everything looked okay to me. He says the GFCI is probably bad and finds it IN THE SINK CABINET--I wouldn't have thought to look there. Fixed it. Done. But he says there's a problem with the electrical panel that will come back to bite me in the butt, and I say, let's cross that bridge when we get there, so...

2. Panel issue rears its ugly head. He suggests a long-term and a short-term fix with the plusses/minuses. I make a decision, and the issue is fixed. Done.

3. I try to wire up a new Nuheat Home with no luck. He comes in and makes it work. I'm torn on this one because it shows my incompetence. Bottom line: problem fixed.

Any problem. He fixes it.

Mary G.

2/24/2021

Paul does excellent, fastidious work and will take on the most complex of projects. He is a true
pleasure to work with. He recently lost his
beloved father which has affected his ability to respond to his clients as quickly as he would like
but he is worth waiting a bit for. I strongly
recommend him as a treasured resource.

julien b.

7/14/2020

Paul is a what I call a Master. He knows his craft and is very straight forward. He installed 2 30 v and 50v Tesla compatible outlets within 2 hours..... and all of it with a very nice smile. Highly recommended.

Doug M.

8/16/2019

Paul is a superb electrician. I've had him to my house twice. Both times he made a quick and accurate diagnosis. Visit 1 was for a bathroom light switch that was not working. Paul discovered that the switch was fine and then diagnosed a faulty wire in the ceiling light fixture. He then fixed it efficiently and it is back to normal. Visit 2 was for a recessed MR16 halogen fixture that stopped working. He found that the transformer was to blame and replaced it. Now the light works perfectly. And this was in a 12 foot ceiling over a kitchen counter which required Paul to work under challenging conditions.

Paul is smart, efficient, and fairly priced. He is knowledgeable about building codes and his work was very neat and aesthetically pleasing. He was very transparent about price up front and came in under the estimate for the work. He's also a super nice man and an excellent conversationalist. He's really top notch and I highly recommend him for your electrical needs.

Jessica S.

4/24/2020

Paul is a great guy and runs a good business. Very easy to communicate with and if you need something he is your guy. He can fix any odd electrical problem for you at your home or Business and has a very fast turnaround time! Same day service in some cases.

Katie S.

06/06/2021 12:00:00 SA

Much more expensive than any other electrician, and slow. Though did do the job as asked.

Sean K.

5/21/2020

this is the second time we have used Paul. He is friendly, on time, professional and incredibly helpful. He actually left once after identifying our problem and while sitting in his car writing up the bill, said wait i might be able to solve this right now instead of ordering something and came back and fixed our weird lighting issue. We will always call Paul first.

Chelsea M.

06/09/2021 12:00:00 SA

Very responsive and helpful! Took the time to take multiple pictures and very detailed about what was needed and what was done. Will keep using for all my electrical needs in this area! Happy to finally find an electrician worth leaving a review for.

Sophie Y.

3/25/2021

Highly recommend! Someone attempted to breakin to our house and damaged the intercom lock release system. Paul had done some electrical work for us few years ago and he had done an amazing job so I called him hoping he can help and he was over in a few hours and got the job done quickly and at a reasonable price. We can open our front gate and do not need to walk up and down the stairs. He is a great communicator and explains the issue and any solutions. In addition, he sends update on arrival time, and his location so you kn ow exactly when he will be at your job. Very professional and polite! He is just amazing.

Raymond L.

5/30/2017

S T O P! Look no further, save yourself the trouble. Paul Fanta is absolutely amazing. Hands down. I have hired a couple electrician for my commercial set up, but they had a hard time trying to figure out how to get me what my business needs. I wasted so much time trying to find a good technician and was finally saved by Paul. He is a professional and very friendly. When I presented the issues to him, he smiled and said, let's make it happen. We'll get you up and running.

He kept his word and I've now put that stressful situation long behind me.

Sharran D.

09/12/2019 12:00:00 SA

It was pleasure to work with Paul Fanta. He had high degree of communication, went over and beyond the normal project and was a pleasure to work with. Would highly recommend him to anyone.

Anne M.

9/28/2020

Paul Fanta is the best, most knowledgeable electrician, ever. He sends links and videos to help me understand what is going on and patiently explains how he'll solve any problems. He is very up-to-date with new technology and can make suggestions on the best products and how to improve safety. Also, he's flexible with his hours and responds immediately to any inquiries.

Harmeet D.

11/19/2017

We called Paul this morning for an electrical problem in our place based on location and top rating. He had outstanding communication, came on time, fixed the problem, charged reasonably, and was very professional. We would be happy to use him again and recommend him.

November 2017 -- we had another issue in our condo and Paul resolved it for us on a Sunday night. Could not be more satisfied!

Margaret K.

10/28/2020

Paul Fanta is a great electrician and runs a great business. He is very prompt, experienced, reliable, efficient, and a pleasure to deal with. We have called him several times to solve electrical problems in our apartment, and are really appreciative that we have such an expert that we can rely on. We recommend him highly.

Mandy D.

8/18/2020

Paul is our go-to electrician for residential and commercial properties. He responds to our last minute requests and gets the job done. Such a wonderful guy- we'll definitely continue using him for all of our electrical needs.

b r.

07/02/2018 12:00:00 SA

Had a similar experience to Kate. Paul behaved unprofessionally and was very patronizing with me. He was late on two different occasions. I had to cancel the second time because he was so late that I did not want to wait around anymore. when scheduling a time, he said he didn't want to come in the morning bc he was complaining of traffic. I was a bit taken back by this as I have never had any worker on our house complain about getting to work at 8 or 9am.
The first time he talked so much and turned an hour job into two and a half hours. But when you hire someone once, you trust them and you don't want to go through the trouble of vetting and hiring someone else. Needless to say, when he was an hour late to the second appointment, I canceled. He never apologized or seemed bothered by it. Guess he doesn't need the work.

We just finished a huge renovation in the Castro/mission after a fire. During the actual rebuild, everyone wants the job. When you're finishing the punch list, no one wants the job.

Hardly anyone in San Francisco is interested in a small job from an individual. They cater to contractors and companies who will give them repeat business and won't give individuals the time of day to replace a light fixture or replace a few tiles, even though the small things need to get done too. I've frequently had to ask our architects to contact people for small jobs like this because they are treated with much more respect than I am when I call for a small gig. Our contractors abandoned the project because the work they needed to finish was less than the amount of the final invoice.

But I eventually learned to ask friends of friends and also got great recommendations from the hardware store in the haight.

How professionals treat small jobs reflect their true character, in my opinion.
Paul is among the greedy and cocky subs in the city that can take whatever job he wants bc he is decent at what he does.

If you look harder, there are good people out there who are willing to work small jobs and big jobs and will treat you with the same amount of respect whether your project costs $1000 or $10,000. Paul is not one of those.

Arron Y.

12/30/2016

They were efficient and worked to make all work was up to code. They have to return twice to
adjust the motion sensors, but have done so willingly to make everything work as it should. They were excellent and I would recommend them.

Michael G.

6/24/2016

If you are a business and looking for a great Electrician, Paul is your guy.
We have a business at Pier 39 and Paul is our go to guy. We have a European ride and Paul is always able to fix the issues. When we installed our new ride, Paul spent countless hours getting us setup, and when they Port came to inspect, they loved the work that Paul did. He does all custom work, and built our Electrical setup. Thanks Paul

andy n.

4/29/2016

I was looking for an electrician in the San Francisco and Paul's yelp came up with 5 stars and now I know why. He is now in my contact list.

-Great service ( harder to find these days)
-Great person
-Great communication
-Thorough, Quick and organized

Fromage S.

06/08/2018 12:00:00 SA

Just the best. A real mensch in addition to being a master electrician. A generous spirit and a capable hand. What more could you ask for.

Alex M.

5/28/2018

Paul came out to fix a few light fixtures in my kitchen. Not only was he able to fix my lights but he also educated me so that I could replicate what he did the next time. Easy to get a hold of over calls and text. Nice use of Google forms!

Chino B.

06/11/2018 12:00:00 SA

Paul was great. Very informative haha. He saw that I was curious how he'd fix some outlets and some fixtures and he was explaining his every step of the way (very eccentrically I might add) Came by my place of work and did some hardcore detective work and documented it from beginning to end to show our accountants that he's not just making up points of his invoice. I've now recommended him to my office senior staff for work they want done to their homes and we put him in our database for who to call for any electrical work that needs to be done.

Jordan P.

03/04/2020 12:00:00 SA

What a guy! Paul could not be any kinder or more pleasant to work with. He's fast, efficient, transparent on pricing and really cares about his clients. Definitely text him for the fastest response. So happy to have found him!

David M.

03/06/2016 12:00:00 SA

Paul Fanta is absolutely the best. He bailed us out of a tough jam on a busy day. Here's what will happen if you hire Paul: He'll come and check everything out, evaluate the problem and let you know what he's doing. By the time he's done you'll be assured that he fixed the problem, explained it to you and did everything the proper/safe way.

Beyond his excellent work he's also just a great guy. Friendly, professional, courteous and experienced.

Honestly I'm not sure how he isn't booked into next year but if need an electrician Paul Fanta should be your first choice.

Peter E.

01/12/2020 12:00:00 SA

I recently called Paul for some help with some issues that I was having at my home in San Francisco along with an installation I needed for a flood light cam. Although he was very busy, Paul was very responsive, adjusted his schedule and came to my house the day of my call. He handled everything in a very short time frame, made the best use of the time and did a great job. I would recommend Paul if you need work done or troubleshooting issues.

Otto Z.

11/24/2015

I overloaded a circuit, did everything I have done in the past to reset it - none of it worked. Needless to say I was lost. After calling Paul and discussing the issue over the phone he came by resolved the situation (plus some other small issues I was having) in short order.

Paul was efficient, friendly and fair. Definitely planning on using him in the future for some projects I've been putting off, as opposed to my last electrician who I was putting the projects off to avoid dealing with again.

Leo G.

1/25/2020

I've been using Paul's services since 2012 and he always delivers timely and professional electrical expertise in resolving my issues. Most recently I had Paul install (5)smoke/CO detectors throughout my building. He installed them perfectly and hard wired them together. Also he repaired an outside flood light, rather than replacing, saved me $200. I highly recommend Paul Fanta and will continue using his services. He also replaced a faulty wall switch. I already paid him $600 for 2 hours. Paul is $300/hour, and worth the price imho.

Elena K.

03/04/2020 12:00:00 SA

He did a great job installing our Tesla charger years ago when they first came out. I was surprised that he remembered us since he was always so busy. I was happy to find his number and get thru with our electrical trouble. He made a special priority for us. He's got a good approach, very calming. We thought fixing the power outage would be a big project and take a lot of time, but he figured out what was needed quickly. I feel he has a sincere desire to help and do good. Always comes through for us. So happy to have seen him again!

Ally W.

10/11/2012 12:00:00 SA

After previously experiencing a painfully incompetent electrician, we needed a competent electrician that would efficiently troubleshoot a persistent electrical problem on time.

Well, after reading all these positive Yelp reviews, we decided to go with Paul.

Let me sum this up for you without repeating too many of the nice things people have written about this electrician;

Do you want a competent professional? That's him.

He is extremely responsive to e-mail. I really couldn't believe that an electrician emails and texts. No seriously! He *doesn't* just ditch you like some other electricians and does follow up with you.

And to top that off, he is calm and very personable. You need calm and competent when you are worried about an electrical issue at an older home and your Grandma is freaking out!

Hire Paul because he is fair, competent, friendly, and most importantly, knows how to troubleshoot and do his job right. I am really impressed by the quality of service, and we would hire Paul again in a heart beat.

Lauren O.

1/30/2015

I got in touch with Paul today about some electrical sockets not working in my store front. He replied back immediately and sent a link to a page from his website and asked if I had seen the following instructions: sfpow.blogspot.com/2014/…

OMG! First off, as a woman business owner, I feel like I get taken for stupid every time I have to call a handyman, etc. to fix anything. I am blown away that Paul took the time to send me instructions that were simple to understand and that fixed my problem without having him make a trip that I would be charged for. Call me ignorant for not knowing more about basic electrical but I'm sure that others have made this mistake before.

Thank you, Paul! For your kindness, promptness, generosity, and willingness to help me instead of charging me when most people would have. I'm amazed. I'll definitely refer friends to Paul and when I have a more challenging problem, I'll seek his help again. Glad to know people like this still exist!

Tim S.

07/09/2018 12:00:00 SA

Paul's a real expert who puts as much time into helping you make sure you need an electrician as he does into solving your problem.

Paul's a great communicator, particularly by text, making sure that you're up to date on where he's at and when he'll get there.

He's helpful, personable and thorough--exactly the electrician you want to work with.

Klaus B.

07/05/2018 12:00:00 SA

Bathroom light did not work. Paul was very polite on the phone and trouble shot me through the topic and... it worked again!
Thank you, Paul!

Bill L.

08/01/2017 12:00:00 SA

I've worked with Paul for several years. I recommend without hesitation.

Paul is one of the best service providers of any type I have ever worked with. He is a masterful electrician and is a consummate professional who takes great pride in his work. On my last project (recessed ceiling lighting repair) he suggested upgrading to LED's which are great and worked hard with me to color-match the mounting to my other existing fixtures.

His pricing is extremely fair and goes out of his way to make sure the customer is happy. Paul is very personable - a real good guy, and someone you'll feel comfortable with in your home. And, he is so much fun to chat with!

Rachel S.

1/20/2017

Paul is great. Fast, responsive and meticulous. Very efficient and would highly recommend!

Barbara C.

09/07/2019 12:00:00 SA

Thank you, Paul!

We contacted Paul several months ago after we had some contracting work on our home which unfortunately resulted in our front gate lock release mechanism not working. The contractor didn't have anyone who could do low voltage electrical work, and didn't seem to know anyone who did, so we checked on our own. After searching for electricians who do this type of work we came across reviews for Paul Fanta. We contacted him and got a very timely response that yes, this was work he could do, and yes, he worked in our area. What a relief! When we were ready to get the work done we again made contact, exchanged some specifics, photos, got information regarding charges and expected time of work. Paul's fees were presented and well within our expectations. All sounded good to go, we were able to set up an appointment at a convenient time without much of a wait, and Paul appeared on our doorstep to begin the evaluation. Not to mention that it was great that Paul was stable and still in business and easy to contact. This always raises confidence right away!

We had some very old original wiring for the mechanism, most of which had been done before we bought the house in 1990, and some redone, as well as some non-electrical work that had been done around where the wiring was, so it took a little time to scope it all out and determine exactly what connected to what, but all very reasonable, and explained fully at each step. All wiring was tracked, labeled, repaired when needed and tested, and all in working order. He then was able to identify specific parts for our job that he needed to finish it up, then scheduled a time convenient for our work schedule to put in the last touches and have us back up and running.

Paul is knowledgeable, efficient and was able to pin down the course of wires, upgrade connections which were, at best, questionable (and had been done before we bought our house in 1990!!). We felt that the charges were very reasonable, and that this was a great choice to solve our problem. Not to mention that he is friendly, personable and very easy to work with. We will absolutely use Paul again for other electrical work we plan to add to our to do list! We recommend him without hesitation. Thanks Paul!!

David L.

1/14/2015

Needed an Electrician to upgrade two outlets in San Francisco. I am a contractor that installs stair lifts. Used Yelp on Friday 1/9 to find and call three electricians.

Paul replied with a text within a few minutes, we sent messages back and forth.

Setup an appointment for Monday, Paul arrived on time and ready to go.

My employee Scott worked with Paul to do the work that we needed. The old house gave them some trouble, the corroding electrical panel gave them some pause. And the work was done.

Great to work with a Pro. I will do business with Paul and Brilliance Electric again. Pricing for great service, MORE than acceptable.

David

Lorin Y.

1/31/2015

Paul is fantastic! Prompt, responsive, and he gets the job done and basically exceeds expectations.

We have had Paul help us with 2 jobs around our home (exchanging an old flood light fixture for something more attractive, as well as installing waterproofed outlets outside), as well as add an overhead light fixture and rewire some incorrectly wired double switches. Paul is truly a specialist, and will take the time to explain the options of each request to you. He is really a gem and we can't think of using anyone else now.

John Y.

4/18/2018

I have had Paul out several times for installing indoor and outdoor lighting systems, swapping out plugs. He has me send him pictures of the issues so he has an idea of what is needed and in the case of the fixtures he texted me suggestions for LED lights and a different outdoor light.

I recently had an issue with the intercom/front gate opener in our house. After sending him pictures of the make and model, Paul arrived with the schematics and was able to deduce what the problem was. He was in and out in less than 15 minutes.

Paul has always been reliable when setting up appointments, lets me know when he is on his way and warns me if he is going to be late. All in all, very professional.

Nick B.

11/04/2014 12:00:00 SA

I had an issue with some track lighting. Paul did some trouble shooting with me via text message to try and save me $$ and an unnecessary service call. Most electricians I have worked with in the past are quick to get an appointment to come over and charge you big $$ of what could be nothing. Very classy of Paul.

Unfortunately for me, the track lighting is still not working properly so I guess it is time to have Paul come by and take care of it.

Jason L.

9/28/2014

Paul does very high quality work, and is a true professional. I will not hesitate to call on his help again the next time I need some electrical work done. Paul is very responsive, goes the extra step to be as transparent as possible (in my case, he offered up several times easier/less expensive solutions, accurately predicted extra materials that would be needed, and didn't hesitate to show me the actual material costs).

The laundry unit in my condo finally bit the dust, and my wife and I wanted to replace the old unitized unit with higher quality and higher performing stacking separates. To do so, however, required that we run a new dedicated power line. I called around to several electricians, and Paul stood out as both highly communicative and as more flexible with scheduling.

Long story short, the work was more arduous than we'd hoped due to some physical obstacles when running the new power line. Paul took it in stride, and put extra care in to minimize the repair work we'd have to do in the wall. He completed the job same-day, and went the extra (and unexpected, though very much appreciated) mile to help us clean up and repair the laundry closet walls; along the way he saw opportunities to improve the existing electrical work, and made those tweaks as he went. My wife and I now have a vastly improved washer/dryer set, and we have Paul's high quality work to thank for making that possible.

Paul clearly loves what he does, and he takes pride in providing quality service while doing what he can to make the process as pain-free as possible.

Mark J.

09/10/2017 12:00:00 SA

Paul is great. He did a service upgrade for me, taking an old panel with screw in fuses up to a modern service. Paul was much more responsive than all the other electricians that I called, and was able to come out sooner and do a quick fix before the main job. The service upgrade is not a easy one day job, with permits and inspections required by the city. He always kept me up to date on where we were, what was the next step, inspection times, ETA's everything. Will use him again for all my electrical work.

Sofia M.

3/19/2018

We contacted Paul through Managed By Q. We were having some heating issues in our building, and thought that we might need to add more outlets and wiring to our building, which would have been very expensive. Paul came by for a walkthrough, followed the different wires, etc. for the heating system, and figured out how to get that up and running within minutes. He clearly knows what he is doing! We would definitely hire him again.

Richard P.

3/20/2017

Paul is absolutely the best. I had an emergency job on a Friday afternoon. He arrived at 430pm, diagnosed that the problem would take longer than he thought, and proceeded to move forward. He kept me informed the whole time, and was a pleasure to work with. He was thorough, clear about what he was doing while he was doing it, and completed the job satisfactorily. I would recommend Paul to anyone without hesitation. He is a real pro, and I would absolutely use him again for any electrical job or issue.

James N.

03/07/2018 12:00:00 SA

I haven't hired Paul, but I want to!

He's so far talked me through the pain of installing an ev outlet, the likelihood of HOA pain, the fun of talking to pge, and still never charged me a cent.

I may be fighting an uphill battle, but Paul knows where the shovels are buried - out of all the people I've talked to on Yelp so far, he's been away the most helpful in telling me how ugly this is going to get

Can't recommend enough if you need an honest electrician.

Vicky L.

07/10/2014 12:00:00 SA

Simply the best.

Responsive, friendly, efficient, and very reasonably priced.

Our front gate buzzer was being really cranky, and I was having a hard time getting out of the building (one time I ended up just sticking my arm and key through the gate to unlock the door). Finally I got fed up and decided to look up electricians in the area.

I first left a voicemail for Paul, called a second guy, who told me that I could actually fix the problem myself (no thank you) because he wouldn't be able to come by until the following week, and by the time I hung up the phone, Paul had texted to tell me he could come by in about an hour.

We exchanged a few short texts, and Husband met him at home. By the time I arrived a few minutes later, Paul was almost done with the task, showed us what was wrong, and even fixed our doorbell (which was working fine, but the cover was just cracked and gaping open).

Super wonderful service, and now I can actually get out of the building without having to wiggle the buzzer around for 10 minutes!

Joan L.

06/10/2014 12:00:00 SA

I am a real estate broker and property manager. My tenant reported no hot water and I needed to act quickly after having called a plumber and having had other in-house contractors investigate the issue earlier that afternoon without success, I texted Paul, on a Friday night no less! (Several other electricians I called before him said they were closed after 5pm and through the weekend.)

I was extremely impressed by how quick Paul was to respond to my text and how quickly he came to the unit and even provided me live regular updates as to his estimated time arrival via text through Glympse. Then when he arrived at the unit, he immediately identified and resolved the issue even taking video outside on the rooftop in the rain in the dark of night with his flashlight showing the water damage to the electrical panel which he texted me there onsite. I was totally blown away by Paul's use of GPS and video feedback because in my 10 years of real estate work with tons of contractors, I had never received such tech savvy professionalism!

Paul has done additional amazing work for me since then and he is not only highly skilled, but a gentleman as well.

Justin Y.

6/24/2014

I am a property manager and was in need of an unscheduled wiring fix while our regular guy was out of town. We took to yelp and read great things about Paul. I am happy to report he deserves all 5 stars for being quick, reliable and fair with the pricing. I am definitely going to call on Paul again in the future and highly recommend him.

Andy H.

6/13/2014

Considering his stellar rating, my review is probably just redundant. But I'll leave one anyway.

Highly professional, knowledgeable, punctual, and an almost obsessive attention to communication. Paul sent me multiple text messages with his status and even sent me real time arrival status. Once he got to my house, he was efficient and incredibly friendly. He is my electrician for life (well at least while in SF).

J S.

01/01/2015 12:00:00 SA

Five stars for Paul and his son! Both did an amazing job fixing some electrical piping in my basement and repairing a broken light switch in my home.

A few other comments about Paul:
1) He is incredibly responsive when you communicate with him
2) His pricing is very fair/competitive
3) Uses various technologies efficiently which allow you to easily receive price estimates for projects and make payments for completed work.
4) Incredibly friendly, professional, and cheerful!

Would highly recommend working with him and I will definitely do business with him again in the future.

Andrew F.

11/04/2016 12:00:00 SA

Paul Fanta is an absolute plessure to work with! I had a huge photo shoot scheduled and my track lighting was down. I called Paul and he dropped what he was doing. He could hear the desperation in my voice, I think. He walked me through a few things that I could do on my own to remedy the problem. When it became apparent it was going to take more electrical expertise than I possess, he really stepped up to the plate. He was there in less time than it takes to get a pizza delivered. His calm demeanor, confidence, and finesse in fixing our overloaded lighting system makes him the best electrician I have met. He also follows up on his own to make sure the work that he did is done and there have been no return problems. I would never call anyone else. He's the guy I want at the plate with the game on the line and you need a game changer!!!

Mike G.

1/22/2014

I'd like to apologize to anyone attempting to consume Mr. Paul Fanta's services in the September - December time frame of 2013. It was my fault that he was so busy!

With that said, Paul performed a herculean task for me over a 6 to 8 week period. I purchased an old Victorian condo with knob and tube wiring spliced to badly implemented newer wiring in all the wrong shapes, sizes, and code violating incarnations. Nothing was grounded. No junction boxes for anything. Horribly unsafe. I wanted it fixed - rewired completely and nothing to worry about. This turned out to be an incredible amount of work. From running an entirely new power distribution system from the ground level to the third story, through the roof, and in to my unit all the way to ripping out, fishing, and rewiring every single fixture and outlet it was the experience of a lifetime.

Paul was intimately familiar with all code requirements, scheduled inspections promptly and gained the favor of my district's electrical inspector with his superb quality work, and most of all was incredibly communicative during the whole process and made it possible for us to move in within our deadline. Paul worked all hours, weekends, and had all the tools and people at his disposal to ensure success. Paul proactively fixed issues - including designing new lighting layouts, hanging ceiling fans, purchasing new products and fixtures, running A/V wire for nice to have features through the walls, and asking me if I'd be interested in things I had no idea existed (whole home surge protection for every outlet built in to the panel? yes please.)

A word of warning to anyone considering a similar engagement: rewiring a place, especially an older Victorian, isn't a clean affair. Walls and ceilings will be opened - and don't let the gravity of this escape you - every single light fixture, switch, and outlet will need to be code compliant. You will find out things that you wish you didn't know, but in the end, the peace of mind is priceless. Paul worked amazingly under my insane deadline; my wife actually gave birth to my second child in the middle of all this, so my stress levels were through the roof.

On top of this, Paul is also a great guy to talk to and will be honest about everything he sees and does. Paul understood the emotional stress I was going through with my first time home purchase and was able to work with and around the sheer amount of work we were doing (did I mention there was nonstop lead paint stripping, plumbing work, and other contractors Paul had to work with too?) He enjoys his work and has plenty of stories about what he has seen in San Francisco to keep you entertained. Don't underestimate the value of a high quality electrical system - and I'm happy to say Paul is the man who can make that happen.

Jen L.

05/08/2016 12:00:00 SA

Paul Fanta was easy to coordinate with, fast, and courteous. I had been shopping around for electricians for weeks, so when I discovered someone as helpful and communicative as Paul, I was dazzled. We had inherited a hideous ceiling pendant, And Paul helped us replace it in one quick visit. Other electricians had us arrange multiple visits and a formal quote approval process for almost double the cost of what Paul charges. Paul even followed up afterwards with exact hardware recommendations to make our new ceiling pendant even more luminous. Five stars!!

Kara G.

03/09/2017 12:00:00 SA

We are extremely pleased with Paul's work. He is by far the most reasonably priced + efficient electrician we have ever worked with in San Francisco. Genuine, Fair & Hard Working is how we would best describe Paul - we have no hesitation when we recommend him to our family & friends.

Stan S.

10/04/2015 12:00:00 SA

Beware, a rip-off. Paul visited recently for 1.5 hours and left $390 richer. Was unable to dispute as had a prior engagement to rush off to. What was received in exchange for $390, one installed $90 LED light which found exact model online for $20. $300 for 1.5 hours of labor (comes out to $200/hr) seems excessive where he diagnosed a circuit issue for 50 minutes and replaced one light for the remaining 40 minutes.

Teresa G.

04/07/2016 12:00:00 SA

Not only is Paul a super nice guy, but he's an excellent electrician. He installed two chandeliers for us on very short notice. It was a complicated install but he did it in no time. I can not recommend him enough. I have never written a yelp review but I felt compelled to write one after my experience with Paul.

Laura G.

07/11/2013 12:00:00 SA

Update - 6/23/2015: I tried to hire Paul to do another project in my home. I had to reschedule our initial appointment for an unexpected wedding, he cancelled the rescheduled appointment a day late because he was sick (I get it, shit happens), but all further attempts to reschedule have gone ignored. Seriously disappointing.

Five stars is not high enough a rating for this guy. Thanks to an incompetent electrician that my home insurance provider sent out, I was left without power and in a dangerous situation (our main panel was sparking). Paul came over at 6 PM on a Tuesday and in 2 hours diagnosed and corrected the problem. He is cheerful, very well priced, and really knows his shit. I was a bit panicked, and he was pretty awesome/reassuring the entire time. Don't even mess around with other electricians.

Rebecca B.

4/16/2012

I hate to be the party pooper of Paul, but I had a really lousy experience with him.

From his professionalism to his ability to complete the work on time and on budget, Paul failed me over and over. He did not correctly spec the job, and what was supposed to be completed in a matter of 3 days took several weeks. He didn't finish some key points, pointing to a miscommunication we had (I assumed lights meant lights, but floor lamps do not count as lights. Who knew?) and insisted on additional payment or incompletion of the job.

He also had to be called back multiple times after he completed the work due to forgotten details like wires hanging out of boxes and missing plate covers.

Due to his negligence I needed our painter to come out an extra 3 times, costing me additional money. The whole experience was frustrating. I will never use Paul's services again.

Sanford S.

8/30/2012

Where do I start waxing poetically about the Master Electrician and one of the nicest human beings I know, Paul Fanta!?!

I've been working with Paul Fanta off/on for about 2 years now. If you are like me and live in San Francisco and your place of residence is not brand new and you are reading this, you, like 99% of us SF'ers, have electrical challenges.

Paul knows it all! Old Knob-and-Tube; Overloads; Old Panel Boxes; Apartment Wiring; Outdoor shared circuits; upgrades, New construction; SF / CA Electrical Codes and Requirements; Capacity Planning; Troubleshooting; Entire new home electric planning. I challenge anybody to stump Paul Fanta! This cannot be done!

Perhaps more importantly, in a jaded world of being wary of service providers who want to do the least work in the shortest time possible for the highest fee and take advantage of your immediate peril, Paul Fanta is the gold-standard and lighthouse in the fog. Literally. Paul will take his time, walk you through exactly what he finds, what he is doing and what he recommends, including the minimum solution and more extensive options and their pro's and con's. Paul's response time is remarkable and he is a straight-shooter, an honest business man and family man and a true artisan at his craft - he is truly passionate about electricity! And of course, Paul's rates are extremely fair and reasonable! What more could you ask for: A gem of a person, an expert, responsive, fair, economical and reliable.

Paul, I can only give you five stars but I would give you 11 if I could!

A A.

8/17/2011

I've never had to hire an electrician before I hired Paul, but I can't imagine going with anyone else. He was incredibly responsive, very prompt, and highly professional. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him.

In addition to being good at his job, Paul is also incredibly sharp. He studied architecture and design, and is possesses an ideal mix of experience and curiosity when it comes to fixing problems. So if you have a tricky problem, Paul is an ideal choice.

Anders N.

3/16/2013

Cut to the scene Friday afternoon...

Frantic call from an employee at my salon, The power just went out and our server went down. What do we do? The whole building?, says I. No, just the outlet that the server and other computers were plugged into. Plug them into another outlet, I say...and so the emergency is averted temporarily. Of course it's probably just the breaker in the box was tripped and I can flip it back in the morning...

Saturday morning...

Hmmm...It's not the breaker and these two sets of plugs are definitely dead...Extent of my professional knowledge of electrical workings has now been exhausted. Help Yelp! I need an electrician on short notice on a Saturday to deal with a small job...no problem, right? I called a few that came up at the top of the search and either no answer or already booked...then, just before I was going to give up, Paul's 5-star rating came up. I looked, I was impressed (yet a bit skeptical), but thought I would give him a try...and that's where the magic begins.

Paul was very responsive, gave me an arrival time estimate and started to diagnose the problem via text. He arrived about the time he said he would EVEN while battling through the St Patrick's Day Parade and Citywide party that had begun already. He was pleasant, knew his stuff, and solved our problem (as well as a problem we didn't know we had!). I can't speak highly enough about the level of service, communication, and professionalism that embodies Paul and what he does. I have already referred him to my mother for some work she needs done - sorry Paul, I owe you another one! - and we have found our forever electrician for personal and professional needs.

Thank you, Paul! 5-Stars plus, if there is such a thing!

B C.

1/21/2015

Paul really knows his stuff I definitely recommend him! Very knowledgeable and professional. He's a friendly guy and easy to contact, he texts you and lets you know when he is on his way.

He was late to the appointment but his service was excellent so it wasn't a big deal. He fixed a bad outlet I had and replaced my light fixture that had been acting up.

Gary L.

5/24/2013

Paul just left my place after a marathon 6 hr session troubleshooting my mysterious 2nd bedroom/bath power outage! Needless to say, Paul is very patient but also super friendly and knowledgeable.

I really appreciate how prompt Paul is in replying to voicemails and text messages. Nobody with electrical issues wants to wait long to hear back from the pro and he definitely gets that.

This was the second time I used Paul, the first time he came to my condo the next day at 7pm when I am sure he would have much rather called it a day and went home to his family but he stayed until 8 and of course solved my issue that time as well.

I highly recommend Paul - you wont be disappointed!

Garrett G.

10/21/2011

I called three electricians and Paul was the first to return my call - in fact, he actually scheduled and finished the job before the others even returned my call.

Paul is a master electrician and pays close attention to safety. Even what appears to be the simplest electrical project can often have hidden complexity (especially in old buildings) and he demonstrates great problem solving skills and an ability to think on his feet to see the job through to a successful completion.

Paul is: proficient, fast, friendly, responsive, clean, a good problem solver, and honored his initial estimate.

Brian P.

11/09/2015 12:00:00 SA

Paul is simply the best. My wife and our new homeowners of a very old Victorian and have had a number of electrical issues. He was able to diagnose our issue and had it fixed in no time. He is also easy to reach for any follow-up. I've got my electrician in San Francisco!

Hackbright A.

10/31/2018

Paul is very responsive and does a great job taking care of all our electrical needs. We've been working with him for a long time and will continue to in the future. Definitely would recommend his services!

Kate A.

03/09/2017 12:00:00 SA

We were excited to hire Paul after reading his great reviews. Unfortunately we did not have as good an experience as the others. If you have an $8,000+ job, I think Paul is probably your electrician, but for our sub-$1,500 job, his work was competent, but sloppy. First, he had a ton of attitude -- said he was stopping by in-between appointments and was squeezing us in, lucky us. Then he charged us $350/hr and spent 25%+ of that time chatting us up, trying to upsell us into a larger project. While there's no doubt that Paul is very experienced and knows his craft, he did not take us seriously and proceeded to: 1) put in an electrical outlet upside down (so that now we can't plug in anything that needs to stand upright (like a diffuser); 2) he left a mess -- wire cuttings all over the place at four different sites in the house; 3) he was talking so much and had allotted so little time for our appt that he only completed half of the tasks we needed (and that we had informed him about prior to his visit); 4) he charged us a mark-up of 400% + for parts that we later saw at the local hardware store for $5; and 5) most insulting of all, he kept looking at this watch the whole time and took a personal phone call during the already short visit and charged us for that time, asking for payment right on the spot. Yes, we could have argued the total cost, but at that point, we just wanted to be done with him.

Scott K.

06/07/2018 12:00:00 SA

If you need an electrician look no further! Paul was fantastic! He was great at communicating before the appointment and even sent me some information on how to potentially solve the problem myself. When it turned out to be to complicated he came by and went above and beyond to fix it. Paul talked me through everything he was doing and that will help me understand if I have the same issue again in the future. I can't recommend him highly enough!

Jared F.

9/30/2011

I called around to a a few electricians last weekend and Paul was the only one who answered my call immediately and followed up to schedule an appointment.

[fast forward to appointment]

Paul showed up on time and walked me through each of the possibilities and options as he examined our stove's hood lights. After determining that there wasn't an easy fix, he offered to follow-up with the manufacture, get a schematic, look into options, and get back to me. Paul also offered up an inexpensive solution to the problem if we're willing to put a power trip on the hood.

I appreciated Paul's candor and willingness to do the leg work to find the best solution. I'd highly recommend him!

Circle T.

8/28/2013

Our company steam-cleans large, industrial-size kitchens. Recently, during a 3 am Sunday cleaning, water got into the switch panel, this caused the lights and fans to stop working. There was extreme urgency for repair, as the kitchen would need to open and be in use in a matter of hours. I contacted an emergency service electrical firm. To my relief Paul arrived around 7 am. Wiring the fans and lights, the kitchen was once again ready to operate. He then returned in the afternoon to replace all 3 switches. I will say that the hood and switch system works better than before the incident and cooking operations were not disrupted thanks to his friendly, prompt, professional and detailed work.
Paul saved the day and will now permanently be in my emergency electrician contact list. I highly recommend his services.

Alex P.

12/02/2013 12:00:00 SA

great electrician, fast and good work and very pleasant to be around.
I called Paul on a Saturday afternoon because my living room was without power. I generally take care of this things by myself but I just came back from a long trip, I had my building broken into and my motorcycle gear stolen and I was in no mood to take care of it.
We exchanged few texts message to troubleshoot the problem (the best way to contact him he says), he showed up few hours later and fixed the problem in one hour or so. The price was very reasonable too.

Christie-Clarie C.

08/07/2011 12:00:00 SA

I called 4 electricians, and none called back... I needed my low voltage lights fixed, and I thought we might have a safety issue too.

I called Paul and left him a message. He called back and was at my house within the half hour. He said he wanted to make sure we were safe!

He told us we were safe, and he will be back next week to fix my lights.
Even though this job is small, too small for 4 others so it seems, Paul did take the job.

We are expecting a major overhaul of all the electricity in our house, which will be a huge job, and we will ask Paul to do it.

Reuben P.

11/24/2015

Paul is the man! He offered to help trouble shoot the electrical problem over the phone free of charge. After we established that the problem would need further examination, he quickly made his way over and fixed the problem. Beyond that, he was a pleasure to be around and was very fair with his pricing. Definitely going with Paul for all further electrical needs. THANKS AGAIN!

Carol A.

3/14/2018

Paul is great! He knows his stuff and can fix things that other electricians can't. We had problems with our smoke detectors for years, in part because the first electrician we had out tried to fix them and it didn't work. We were sort of resigned to having our smoke detectors go off at odd hours but finally had enough and found Paul. He came out, fixed them and they've never gone off when they shouldn't since. He also fixed our sky lights the other day which was a life saver because one of them was stuck open during this rainy period. We'll be using him for all of our electrical needs.

Nonna G.

03/10/2016 12:00:00 SA

I am very impressed with the knowledge and professionalism of Paul.He responded within couple hours,kept me informed about his arrival time.We have several electrical problems in our building.He was able to locate,find the solution and come up with the best possible scenario within first 20 min.of the visit.He is very efficient,competent,detail oriented and pleasant person to deal with.You feel very at ease from the very first minute of communication.Highly recommend him and will bring my future business only to Paul Fanta.

Natalee T.

01/09/2012 12:00:00 SA

We live in an old apartment in SF with a ton of electrical issues. I texted Paul and assumed I wouldn't hear back till next week, but he texted right back and came by later that day. He was fast, friendly and easy to work with.

He did a awesome job on tight budget and came up with a number of creative solutions which he emailed me later so I could review them before deciding.

He is very safety focused, works quickly and is very professional. He helped me fix all my crazy lights. It was like magic. He must be the best electrician in SF.

Seth L.

02/09/2016 12:00:00 SA

Paul was incredibly efficient. He came in and went straight to work troubleshooting our problem. Very happy with his services.

Catherine M.

02/06/2015 12:00:00 SA

Paul is experienced, prompt, and HONEST. We had a problem with our track lighting system in our home. Got a quote from another well reviewed electrician who quoted several thousands of $$ to fix the problem. So, we tried Paul. Communicated via text message. Took some pictures of the problem and Paul came by to take a look. He tightened a few wires, tightened a few screws and fixed the problem. And, didn't charge us anything for it!

Stephanie F.

6/21/2013

I called Paul desperate because the power to part of our fitness studio went out before our evening classes. I called him and he answered right away and rushed over to our business. I really liked his text message updates as I'm very busy juggling multiple phone calls -- it's really refreshing to find a contractor who can communicate quickly and efficiently via text.

Long story short, PG&E really screwed up our meters and Paul figured out the problem right away (even though after multiple phone calls, PG&E themselves couldn't even pinpoint the problem). I called PG&E, updated the account as needed, and our power was restored within 15 minutes.

We will absolutely be using Paul again if we have any power issues at our business.

Rebecca A.

12/23/2017

Extremely knowledgeable, skilled and great communicator. Responded immediately to a late night text (when half our lights went out) with some advice, then made sure we really needed a callout in advance so as not to waste our money. Paul texted on his way to confirm timing with a location tracker so we knew where he was. Not the cheapest but worth it for trustworthy and high quality service. Really pleasant and able to deal with me home alone with tired three year old. Paul was recommended to me by a friend. I would highly recommend him. I'll use Paul again in the future for any problems or upgrades we need.

Matt M.

1/18/2012

Prompt, friendly, thorough etc as others have stated.

Above and beyond, I feel like I got a personal self-fixit lesson. He explained the work as he went, answered questions, etc.

Sarah I.

12/11/2015 12:00:00 SA

I had a REAL issue with old wiring/electric power points at my apartment and Paul was able to come in like he does and assess/fix the damage so efficiently. He's the consummate professional who is also incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about his work. He delivers good service, is very fair and is able to fix any electrical problem as well as recommend solutions of every kind. Paul is an electrician who shows good intelligence in analyzing what the problem is. He's also very dedicated to your safety so for all your electrical problems, you would never need to call anyone but Paul.

Mark A.

3/31/2018

Paul was fantastic. Professional, very knowledgeable, friendly and timely. We had an unusual power outage due to a loose connection in a junction box - Paul tracked down and fixed the problem in no time. Very reasonably priced too.

K. L.

3/22/2018

Paul does thorough, professional, and safe electrical work. I've used him twice and recommended him to friends whom have all had good experiences. He knows his stuff, will patiently educate you on what he is doing, and keeps you informed about any issues that he encounters (which can happen in 100-year old SF buildings). I will gladly work with Paul again.

Anne R.

6/19/2018

I contacted this individual who has rave reviews on Yelp. Unfortunately he never gave me the courtesy to call me back. It's too bad. I wouldn't trust doing business with someone who doesn't think it's critical to at minimum, call a client back.

Steven H.

06/06/2014 12:00:00 SA

Earlier in the year I was trying to get an electrician in to do some work on my apartment and I contacted Paul to see if he could support the smaller project and advise. He was very candid and offered to do the work I was suggesting, but more importantly he helped propose a more sensible work-around option that didn't require hiring an electrician. He saved me about $1200 by simply being honest that it was something I could easily do with a quick trip to Home Depot. The suggestions worked out great and I just wanted to make sure I shared the positive experience with Paul.

-Steve (Cow Hollow)

Mary W.

2/13/2015

Paul Fanta is an extraordinary trouble shooter and technician.

Despite an ongoing issue with flickering lights, a couple of electricians told me that they couldn't find any problem with my wiring. After I detected a burning smell (Yikes!), I called Paul. He discovered that electricity wasn't exiting my house because the grounding connector had corroded at the pole. Mystery solved.

When I've used Paul's services, I notice instead of just fixing the problem he also tightens loose wires and connectors and performs general maintenance--preventing future problems from happening. I'm always reassured by his thoroughness. Besides being reliable, he's warm and personable and has taught me lot about the mysterious phenomenon of electricity. If you have an electrical problem, call him.

Clarice C.

9/20/2014

Yet another fabulous job by Paul! Thank you, thank you! (pics posted)

Nailah T.

10/05/2011 12:00:00 SA

After reading the reviews on Yelp, I called Paul on a Saturday morning for help with my doorbell which was no longer working.
He called me back within the hour and was at my home, the same afternoon. From the start his quote was reasonable and he told me the range of costs I could expect
Paul was very professional, he explained everything he was doing, showing me along the way each thing he would have to do.
He even went to the hardware store to pick up some parts that I needed at no additional cost.
I recommend Paul highly and I will use him again as an electrical issues come up at my home.

Yuka T.

01/02/2018 12:00:00 SA

Paul is the best electrician to work with!! He is very detailed, fast and dependable. He gave me good assessments on my projects and helped me to figure out the cost efficient but safe and beautiful solution in the house. Thank you so much for helping me!!

Whitney E.

2/21/2015

Paul was amazing! I needed something fixed in a hurry in a Saturday morning. Paul was there very quickly, fixed only what needed to be done, and explained in terms I could understand. He is fairly priced and an all around good honest guy. I highly recommend!

Duke C.

01/04/2017 12:00:00 SA

We read Paul's reviews on Yelp and decided to give him a call to help us fix our wall light. Paul arrived and looked at our light fixture. He removed the light and meticulously disassembled every component until he figured out what was the issue. He then carefully re-assembled everything back together and remounted it back on the wall. And it worked! He also helped us diagnose our heated floor switch and even figured out how to turn on our outdoor garage lights on his way out. All the while he was fun and taught us a little about lighting / electricity along the way. Thank you Paul!!

Jennifer F.

02/01/2017 12:00:00 SA

Paul is wonderful! He is very responsive, got back to me the same day I called, within an hour in fact, and texted back and forth with me wanting to know what our situation was. He is very honest and upfront with his rates so that you know exactly what to expect. He even graciously gave us some easy to try tips just to make sure we tried everything first. He was warm and sweet and very knowledgeable. He's a fully licensed electrician, not just a handyman that dabbles in electrical work. He was able to fit us in during his lunch break the very next day. He texted to let us know when he was on the way and even sent a link with his location so that we could see where he was and watch his travel. We texted that our baby would be taking his nap and to please not buzz our unit, and he totally didn't! I can't tell you how many delivery people fail to follow that request. He came and was able to figure out our problem within minutes! He's so friendly and efficient and meticulous. I give Paul our highest recommendation and will absolutely be using him for all of our future electrical needs.

Gideon B.

11/23/2015

As we all know, a good electrician can be difficult to find in the Bay area. Fear not fellow Yelpers, you have found your man.

Paul is an excellent electrician who my business has come to rely upon over the years. Attention to detail, timeliness, and professionalism are all qualities that come to mind when I think of Paul. We are located in a very old building that requires a special touch. Paul makes sure to diagnose our problem, while explaining his thought process along the way. Paul's thoroughness not only leaves you rest assured that the job is being done properly, but also helps educate you about the health of your building.

Thank you Paul! Please keep up the great work!

John B.

2/24/2015

Paul is a real life saver. I'm an interior designer in the bay area and first used him at a client's house in Pac Heights to hang some fixtures. He was very can do in his approach. He's friendly and professional. Recently, another client had a problem in their building which is Edwardian, water in the electrical box-scary! Paul was on it to get to the root of the problem. If you need a good electrician look no further. Paul is one of the best! My team and I have made him our go-to guy.

holly e.

6/14/2014

Paul Fanta is the number one electrician in the Bay Area! Twice now he has come out to my place of business at a moment's notice, on a weekend and a holiday nonetheless and taken care of our electrical problems and stayed as long as it took to solve the problem. We really appreciate his thoroughness and patience. He was great at explaining everything and trying out every option. Super friendly, professional, trustworthy. I would recommend him to anyone and everyone. Seriously, great experience. Thank you Paul!!

Mike M.

10/18/2016

I'd love to give Paul 10 stars!! I'm in real estate and I deal with a lot of home specialist all the time. Paul is an amazing person to be woking with! He contacted me in timely manner; came in to the home I'd sold and was able to troubleshoot the electrical problem that had been persisting for a long time. On top of it all he came back early to finish the second part of the job. I wish that all the people that I worked with where as intelligent, polite and knowledgeable of their trade as Paul. THANK YOU VERY MUCH for the wonderful experience!!!

Nina L.

09/05/2014 12:00:00 SA

We were lucky enough to have Paul over today to replace three ceiling lights in our little rental cottage. The fixtures in place were too awful to live with and we plan to stay for awhile. But when we asked a taskrabbit electrician to help us switch one out in our living room, a seemingly simple job turned into a knob & tube nightmare. Removing the old fixture revealed something insane underneath. Some kind of monstrous outdated lighting hookup that would definitely complicate hanging a sleek new George Nelson bubble. Anyway, after much stress: Paul Fanta to the rescue. No drama. No communication mishaps. No question that he knows what he's doing AND he's a kind and patient creature - someone who will help you make the best safest and most economical decision - and help you get where you want to get aesthetically. What I appreciated most was that Paul didn't stop thinking through our problems until he found a solution that suited us - and his own standards too. He was creative and thoughtful with our challenges. A lot of people would have given up much sooner and moved on to their next appointment. Paul worked with us until he'd solved everything, giving us his full attention and expertise. Honestly his work felt like a blessing on our new home. That may sound like an overstatement, but it's true.

Julia L.

1/25/2012

Paul was awesome!!! He was really friendly, prompt and fixed my faulty socket within minutes. I felt like I was back in school with my favorite science teacher, talking, laughing and actually learning about how electricity works in my house. :) Then he took a look at my kitchen and bathroom lights and gave me some recommendations.

I highly recommend going with Paul! Before he even came over to my place during our initial call and following texts, he alleviated my silly worries of a possible electrical fire. Now, I have light and heat in my room. Thanks, Paul! :p

Ed K.

11/10/2014 12:00:00 SA

I had a problem with the bathroom lights not working. I texted Paul who replied very quickly. I was able to diagnose the problem with advice from Paul within minutes. Can't beat his friendly attitude and depth of knowledge and experience.

Brian S.

10/10/2017 12:00:00 SA

I've worked with Paul twice now. Both times he was as good as advertised. The first time he installed two outlets in our building. He was fast, courteous and knowledgeable. I'm a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Paul did a better job of installing these circuits than I could. The second time around, we had a failed neighborhood transformer. He (correctly) diagnosed the issue over text and saved us a ton of cash on an unnecessary fix. Great guy, I highly recommend him!

Bob S.

1/28/2014

Fantastic service and results. I own units in SF so most of my calls are pretty urgent. Quick to response and service. I have been using Paul for well over a year and would not consider another electrician. Great work!!!!

S C.

12/29/2013

I'm not saying anything you haven't already read but it's worth repeating. Paul is super quick (heard back from him within ten minutes and he was at our place in 40 during the evening a few days before Christmas) and also just very honest. He didn't try to patronize us or talk us into either a really over the top or inadequate, cheap solution. He explained the problem fully and gave us multiple ways of solving the problem. Really great guy - just wish we'd used him to rewire our place a few years ago!

Joel S.

5/25/2015

Paul came within a couple of hours after my call. Before that he tried trouble shooting over the phone to see if he could save me a service call, He even has a Q&A on his website to facilitate such trouble shooting. After the trouble shooting failed he came promptly and resolved my problem as economically as possible. Not the least he is very personable, relaxed and patient and willing to answer all the questions you have and educate you in the process.There should be an extra mark above five stars to represent his service.
I certainly added his name to my list of contacts for the future. You should not have to look any further.

jessica c.

5/21/2014

This year I've had to deal with 3 electrician and Paul has been the best of them all. I have to say I'm not exactly comfortable letting strangers around but Paul has a great vibe and is extremely friendly. Although Paul is a bit more expensive, he totally goes out his way to help you and make sure your electrical needs are fixed. I would highly recommend Paul to anyone.

LaMott A.

11/13/2011

I own the Bikram yoga castro studio in San Francisco and made a few calls to find an electrician to fix my heating sytem.Paul Fanta was the only electrician to call back and came to fix my thermostat the next day.He located the problem is just minutes and went out to find the parts to install the new thermostat and came back the same day to finish the job.His friendly demeanor was an added plus to his great work. The heat is the most important element to my business and it was such a stress reliever to have Mr Fanta fix the problem so quickly. So if you want efficient work done for your electrical challenges, I highly recommend Paul Fanta.

Thanks again Paul:)

LaMott

Janet H.

02/09/2014 12:00:00 SA

Paul is a great electrician and he completely fixed our lighting problem. He definitely is knowledgable and also very fast at what he does (each visit was only 1-2 hours long).
He's also extremely personable and very responsive.

Our kitchen lights were intermittently working which we were fine with...until it completely went out. We have 3 sets of flush mounted ceiling lights and 3 hanging halogens, which all had problems.

When he came to our place, he took a look at the problem and was able to immediately see what was wrong with it - the previous electrician had used the wrong switches, which were causing transformer burnouts. Moreover, the correct switches were hard to find, in which Paul was able to locate, order, and install them within a week. Paul's schedule was very accommodating - the 3 times he came by were on the weekend afternoons and a weekday night.

Now, all of our lights work perfectly and better than before. By him being able to correctly assess the problem and provide the right fixes in the kitchen, it also addressed the problem of the kitchen lights momentarily dimming when the bedroom lights were tuned on. Thanks so much Paul! We definitely highly recommend his work.

Ruth W.

7/20/2014

Paul is great!

I had a slightly challenging project to shift a fixture ceiling light by 4 ft off concrete ceiling, which required experience and finesse to set it right given that HOA won't allow drilling more than 3/4 inch into the concrete ceiling.

Paul is really responsive to texts and very creative in terms of electrical design. I am really happy about the new light and would highly recommend Paul if you have a complex electrical project.

Misha V.

6/29/2012

I recently needed an electrician to replace an outlet on short notice (essentially turn a 110V outlet into a 220V outlet for a new washer). I had Paul and another top Yelp electrician come out, and both provided plans and estimates. Paul's approach was faster, cleaner, and left a more attractive final product (he used the wires in the wall, the other guy wanted to run a new wire along the wall). On top of that, Paul beat the other electrician's price. Paul was flexible to our schedule and very friendly. He is absolutely the type of person you trust to have in your home. All told, his work was superior, his price was very reasonable, and he is a good person.

I should note that I read Rebecca B's review below, and I can't help but feel like she is bashing Paul for being diligent. My reading of her review is that he did everything he could to get an unexpectedly difficult job done. It does not surprise me, as he seems to take pride in his craft and showed a committment to getting things right for us. Too bad some people don't understand or choose to take a negative interpretation of such things.

Ruth K.

9/21/2013

Paul is the best!

I manage a retail store in the Downtown area and what seemed to have been an on-going mystery as to why we couldn't get our lights to work- with Paul's help, he was able to trouble shoot the issue and waaaaalahh, we have a beautiful brightly lit store again.

I was cruisin' through YELP one day, trying to find a plethora of electricians to reach out to for possible quotes- and Paul Fanta was one of them. Unlike the others I called and left messages for, Paul replied back promptly and set a date for when he was able to come in and give us a quote.

We had recently got a row of lights done from a previous company- who charged an arm and a leg and still managed to complete the work in an unsatisfactory manner. Not to mention the list of other electricians who quoted us ridiculous amounts, only to give us generalized feedback. So, at this point, we were up to our necks w/ trying to find the perfect electrician to complete the work.

Well, Paul came in and told us exactly what needed to be done and was able to give us a quote right away. Not only was he very thorough, but very easy to work with as well. He worked with our schedule. Paul came in on a Friday and rebuilt our lighting in a course of 3 days. Because of the amount of work that needed to be done- he had to come in and set up an hour prior to the store closing, but we didn't hear a peep from him- that's what Iove about Paul, is how quickly and efficiently he works!

Not only that, Paul was kind enough to help us trouble shoot our client counter (which had been down for a few weeks), and now that is up and running again.

We have 2 other stores in San Francisco, and we will definitely be using Paul again!

Lindsay K.

09/10/2012 12:00:00 SA

I know you are wondering...so I'll answer: YES Paul Fanta lives up to the 5 star hype.

After a valiant but failed attempt to install a large new pendant lamp in our pre-depression era edwardian apartment (older than old wiring), we decided to wave the white flag of defeat and call an electrician. I was so happy to see that there was a (Paul!) highly rated electrician open on Sundays and gave him a call. To my delight, he was finishing up a job in a nearby neighborhood and said he could swing by later that evening...same day service? Amazing!

He was extremely knowledgable and walked us through each step of the way. After an hour (we had some unexpected delays, see: pre-depression era apartment above) the oversized pendant lamp was perfectly installed.

Paul is a great electrician, polite and kind but most importantly - he got the job done right!!

Lindsay G.

8/15/2013

I am an interior designer here in San Francisco and first met Paul on a personal project. I had just moved into an old yet fantastic building in Ashbury Heights and of course immediately wanted to change out the chandelier in the dining room. The wiring was crazy, old, complicated and dangerous. Paul came in and worked on it for a couple of days and with a combination of extreme knowledge, creative thinking, out of the box ideas and many trips to different stores to get several parts he figured out how to safely hang my new light. The price never wavered from his original bid! This was so amazing and so appreciated. Beyond that Paul is a great guy, personable and very respectful of my home and for the intent and goal of the project. He is an experienced, smart electrician with the heart of an artist. I was so impressed and will now use him for every one of my jobs going forward.

s t.

06/11/2015 12:00:00 SA

I agree with Lee R. In October 2014, I called several times, left voicemail and texts as suggested by his outgoing message. Not one response, not even a text back which would take just a few seconds.

Kelly K.

04/02/2011 12:00:00 SA

This guy is GREAT! He's very friendly, professional and easy to work with! I will be using him again very soon!!

Linda S.

02/04/2014 12:00:00 SA

I had a tight deadline to complete work prior to out of town guests arriving. I had several things that needed attention and not only was Paul prompt and available, but his work was superb. He goes the extra mile, has a very relaxed and engaging style and knows his stuff! I needed follow up work on wall sconces and did not hesitate to call him again. Reliable, good-natured and knowledgeable, what else could you want!!

S. P.

12/12/2013 12:00:00 SA

Paul has ALWAYS answered my calls//texts right away. He has ALWAYS made time/worked me into his schedule, whenever I have needed his services. He ALWAYS lets me know if/when he is running late. He does thorough, amazing work.
Highly recommend him.

Lisa M.

3/24/2017

Our job wasn't a huge job, but Paul treated us like we were his main priority. He worked after hours and on a Saturday to get the job done. And updated me regularly with pleasant texts punctuated with emojis. He kept it light but took the job seriously, which was really helpful because I was super stressed. His strong recommendation to get a Nest thermostat was exactly right on. Super thankful! Would hire him again in a second

Toni M.

04/08/2009 12:00:00 SA

We had a big problem with the electrical, something caught fire in the wall and half the power was out. Fridge was out, etc... We found Paul Fanta here and I really just want to say something good about him. He came over pretty quick. It turns out the main panel was all falling apart and alot of the wiring and plugs were really old. He really knew what he was doing and figured out the best, fastest and cheapest ways to get us back on. It took him a few trips, first he fixed us up that night and then he came back to bring most everything up to standard. He didn't charge extra for coming back either. After the safety work there was some stuff inside and he got it all straight. That was pretty good. He was in and out pretty quick and I feel much better and safer. We were flexible on the schedule and he worked with us on the price. There were no surprises on the price - which was good! Five stars.

Michael F.

2/22/2017

Paul does fantastic work. I have had him help me with two different projects here at Weebly. Paul has been fast, communicative and most importantly he has done the job right the first time. He is worth every penny and I will definitely be calling on Paul for any electrical job we need done. Thanks!

Kate D.

02/01/2014 12:00:00 SA

Paul is a great electrician - simply the best. He's super responsive and easy to work with as well- I have called him for a few need someone asap items and he always comes through quickly. In addition, he's really helpful and knowledgable in making recommendations. Very friendly and nice. If you ever need an electrician you have to call Paul. He's the best there is!

Jocelyn B.

8/30/2012

Paul was terrific. He responded immediately to our call and came out the same day. Very professional and helpful- even taking photos of damage to send to my husband and doing everything to code. Will use again!

Trick C.

09/04/2013 12:00:00 SA

Paul is exceptional. He replied to my initial call very quickly. He showed up shortly thereafter. He texted when he was running ten mins late. He rewired my kitchen appliances in one evenng. And he was a cordial, thoughful, and sincere dude.

Hal G.

5/21/2016

Paul did an amazing job. We had short in one of our can lighting fixtures. Paul came out the same day and traced down the fault (not straightforward). As the fixture was over 30 years old he ordered the part and installed a temporary fix. He was conscientious in ordering the replacement and dutifully tracked us down to complete the repair even though his temporary fix was working so well we forgot all about it. Paul is a real mensch and he is now our #1 go to electrician!

Ivan N.

07/10/2011 12:00:00 SA

I've had a mess of extension cords and temporary lighting at my business for years that I wanted to replace with a permanent professional solution. Very happy to find Paul on yelp. He was able to do everything I wanted within my budget and my tight schedule. It was all done in one night without any business interruption. You know you found a good contractor when you start looking for more projects to complete. Paul, I'll be calling very soon.

Caroline D.

5/29/2013

Paul Fanta is fanta-stic! When some of our outlets mysteriously stopped working I got on Yelp, saw his reviews and called him up. He got back to me in ten minutes, suggested a few things to try first to make sure it wasn't anything obvious then turned up after hours to take care of it. He even sends you a Glimpse link to tell you where he's at on the way to your house. He's a super nice guy, very personable and funny and clearly an expert electrician. He soon found the problem, diagnosed the cause (a crummy space heater) and fixed it quickly. Outstanding service, I can't recommend him highly enough.

Ashley G.

8/28/2011

Paul is truly outstanding. I told my husband yesterday that working with Paul is like having a friend that's an electrician.

I've used Paul twice and both times I was extremely impressed. He was very easy to reach, extremely flexible on scheduling, showed up on time and did great work. He helped find creative solutions for my lighting issues (old house, complicated wiring) within my budget.

Paul is also great with follow-up questions, even on the weekends or at night. I sent him a text message on a Sunday morning asking about programming for my new lightswitch timer, and he got right back to me with exactly what I needed to know.

Paul is the best service professional I've ever worked with. If I could find a plumber and an auto mechanic as good as Paul, I'd be in 7th heaven.

Robert C.

10/23/2012

After some fun renting and trying to move a 14' ladder into our home, Paul came out to install two 20 lb 2'x2' large danish pendant lights we ordered (a pair of PH Louvre lights from Poulsen) from our 17' ceiling. After an evening of preparation and mapping out circuits with his help (the two pendants take 500 watt light bulbs, and we were concerned about overloading a 15A circuit), we were ready to move on to the next step -- figuring out the precise positioning of the two pendents.

Actually this process was quite enjoyable. Paul suggested hanging some prototype objects that were lighter but of the same physical volume as the pendants that could be held up with a small and light nail. We ended up hanging some empty cardboard boxes and some bubble wrap suspended from twine -- items left over from us moving in. It was a little funny to see and adjust trash hanging from the ceiling but it did its job and I am very happy with the final locations that our pendents ended up in as a result.

The next step was to actually screw in the junction boxes and wire them up. Paul helped to locate the right position for screws (which we were able to mount into some of the studs) and drywall anchors, and the rest was normal electrical work (albeit while standing on a 14' ladder).

Of course all of this involved quite a lot of time, especially since I had stupidly rented a ladder instead of a scaffold, but he made additional time out of his schedule to spend his Saturday afternoon to get everything done. Also I should add that when he was late showing up one of the the mornings because of his trip to the hardware store to get additional supplies for our job, he brought a croissant for me from Tartine. Needless to say I was quite pleased as a result of this tardiness.

Paul is not only a hardworking individual but he is also quite a lot of fun with which to work. I wouldn't hesitate to call him again and to recommend him to others, and I'm looking forward to my next lighting project!

Lee R.

1/30/2015

What a BAD experience! I contacted him about a relatively minor job of replacing a switch with a combined switch/receptacle and a couple of other relatively simple jobs. After several tries via phone messages (several) and even Linked-in of which I am a member as is he called me back and we had an agreeable conversation and he said he was busy that week but would get back to me next week. His voicemail also said text messages would get seen more quickly. Days passed and nothing further happened so the next week I left everal text messages and voicemails pleading with him to let me know how his schedule looked. Still nothing a week and a half later so I found someone else who did a fine job promptly. WHAT A JERK -- just as a human being let alone a businessperson. All he had to do was let me know that he was too busy or next week or too small or most anything beyond not replying. Maybe if you're a VIP or have a BIG JOB or offer to pay extra, you'll have better luck.

I note he mentions in his website ad and told me he is a retired government electrician -- I guess some of us might think he somehow absorbed the endless runarounds sometimes from government bureaucrats.

eszter r.

6/28/2010

So if you want an electrician who is nice and clean and responsible, Paul is your guy.

Our apartment was remodeled right before we moved in. The owner at that time hired someone (clearly not a licensed or skilled electrician) who did a terrible and potentially dangerous job doing the electrical work. We found this out by getting shocked.

So we found Paul on Yelp and called him. He came right away, found the problem, offered several different options for fixing it, considering both time and money. We decided to do everything that he recommended, short of rewiring the entire house.

Now not only all of our wiring is fixed, but if there is anything at all goes wrong, our whole system shuts down, potentially saving us from an electrical fire or any kind of electrical shocks.

In the process we met his lovely family, we had some great conversations and learned a ton about electrical issues. He was really a joy to have around.

We couldn't have been happier, thanks Paul!

Jwl s.

07/12/2011 12:00:00 SA

Paul helped me get my small business powered up. Ancient and poorly installed electrical work was holding me back from running basic appliances. Paul came out on a Saturday and slaved through countless surprise frustrations for seven hours with a positive attitude until I had more power than I knew what to do with. I will definitely call Paul first next time.

Barbara P.

08/08/2013 12:00:00 SA

Do NOT call this person. He is a FLAKE. He showed up to try to find the reason our doorbells weren't working. After a couple of hours, he said he couldn't find the problem. However, he had taken our doorbells apart and LEFT THEM THAT WAY. We had to call him to schedule an appointment for him to put the doorbells back the way he found them. And, he flaked on that appointment. Didn't even call to say he couldn't make it. We had to call him. Unfortunately, we had already paid him $400 for his work and it was too late to stop payment on the check.

So, here is my $400 opinion: NEVER USE THIS PERSON

Zeke T.

2/28/2013

What a lovely guy. In my opinion this is the best (and most rare) kind of technician you can ever hope for. It is pretty clear that he is a very knowledgeable and friendly guy, so he really is ideal for anyone with electrical problems. But I wanted add that he is particularly special if you are a homeowner, DIY type who would like to be more self-sufficient. He is very generous with general advice and tips, and he makes it clear that you can just fire questions at him and he is happy to answer. He seems to enjoy teaching as much as he enjoys fixing problems for people. I feel like nothing I can say will truly express how unique and pleasant this guy is. There is no doubt that he deserves every bit of the praise he is getting on yelp. Unbelievable. Thank you Paul, you put a smile on my face.

Jonathan S.

7/22/2014

Absolutely excellent. I had quite the confounding bathroom fixtures that needed replacing, and after messing around with them myself a number of times, decided to call in the pros. Paul and I found a time that worked, and he came over - within just a few minutes, the problem fixtures were diagnosed and solved! Paul even gave some tips for handling similar problems in the future!

Extremely friendly, attentive, and knowledgable, I'll be calling Paul for sure next time I need some help!

Dallas S.

07/11/2011 12:00:00 SA

One of the lights in my place wasn't working and before Paul even came out he spent time with me helping me try and fix it on my own. After we discovered it wasn't just me Paul came out and worked on fixing it. Great guy, not only did he fix my light for a very reasonable price, but he told some jokes along the way. I would highly recommend Paul to anyone.

J B.

10/03/2011 12:00:00 SA

Crisis. One broken electrical line to the washer dryer. 2 weeks of laundry piled up. 3 electricians over the phone had said that it was impossible to fix. One estimate in from another electrician for a huge amount. Friday night at 5:30 PM. I call Paul to set up an appointment for the following week, and he replies jovially, I will be there at 7...TONIGHT Superman?

He shows up on time; he isolates the problem; he explains the situation step by step; he knows the building code and honors the building code. Two hours later, the problem is solved for an incredibly low price. Easiest check I have ever written.

He is professional and a fun personality. He did excellent work and was detailed oriented (he made sure that all the screws on the face plates were a matching color and style). Should any other electrical situation arise, whether possible or impossible to fix, I am going to call Paul and suggest you do to.

He gets my highest recommendation.

Lulu S.

10/17/2011

I called Paul in a pinch because my boss wanted the light in his garage, which wouldn't go off fixed before he got back into town. I called Paul in the morning, and he came that afternoon! He used text to communicate, which I always find helpful and was courteous, professional and knowledgeable. More than an electrician, he is an enlightened electrician who knows the dharma of lights. Thanks Paul!

Jason C.

6/29/2012

Paul did an excellent job helping me trouble shoot and install a cieling fan that was not working properly. He contacted me within minutes of receiving my email and was at my place the next day. I definitely recommend Paul and he gets 5 stars!!!!

Jodi H.

12/09/2015 12:00:00 SA

Paul was great - we had a track lighting fixture that stopped working suddenly, changing the bulb didn't help. He responded same day to my phone call, communicated via text which is super convenient and came out within a few days. Found the problem was with the fixture which we'll need to ultimately replace, but managed to jiggle it to get it back working while we can think about what we might want to replace it with. And he didn't charge us for the visit, which was a complete surprise (I'm willing to pay for time even if it was a quick 5 minutes to diagnose the issue and explain the problem to us - he did have to drive over and everything). All in all he lived up to his stellar 5-star rating here on Yelp.

t-town g.

5/27/2016

Paul is fantastic. We thought we had a blown fuse, but Paul sent over some FAQs without charging us for a site visit and we were able to figure out a solution ourselves. An honest electrician genuinely trying to help... I will be using Paul again if we have any more electrical issues. Highly recommend.

Jed P.

12/08/2007 12:00:00 SA

I called and paul let me know that I was out of his area (living in san mateo), but he gave me a ball park quote over the phone and was very friendly.

Smith M.

05/11/2016 12:00:00 SA

I thought I had a simple problem of a broken buzzer on one of the doorbells to an apartment unit. Paul not only fixed the buzzer in a matter of minutes, but he waited while I tried to buzz someone in from inside the unit. Turns out the whole buzzer system was jammed and no tenants could buzz anyone in. Big problem? Not for Paul. He had the replacement part in his van, and within 45 minutes we were good to go . Would use him again a heartbeat!

Jake B.

01/04/2013 12:00:00 SA

Paul has been over to help us with two different requests, and his knowledge - which he freely shares - has been useful in helping me understand the problems, as well as the solutions. Given the DIY rats nest of the wiring in our flat, we will likely be calling him again.

Bridget C.

04/06/2013 12:00:00 SA

Paul rescued our business (local restaurant/bar) from a very busy brunch day. His response time was amazing and he was not only efficient but very kind. Highly recommend Paul! Also, he responds faster to text messages!

Lynn K.

08/08/2018 12:00:00 SA

I am giving Paul 5 stars because he managed to calm me down and go through some excellent troubleshooting. I called, desperate, because one line to which my kitchen appliances, were connected, was dead. Because I knew I was having a problem with one light switch that I had ignored, and because flipping the breakers didn't do the trick, I did some troubleshooting in my own head and decided it must be something very complicated. Paul answered my text before his working hours even began and suggested that I first plug the fridge into an extension cord (practical). Then he texted a photo of GFCI's to check, and asked me to take a photo of my breaker panel and video the PGE meter. As we were texting, a number of other lines went dead. He told me to call PGE and gave me the number. Sure enough, a power outage had JUST occurred. So simple, but so reassuring to know someone would respond and walk me through it, even though it technically wasn't his working hours. THANK YOU PAUL.

Super T.

10/16/2009

Paul Fanta saves the day! I had an electrical system meltdown that was misdiagnosed by another electrician and PG&E and Paul was able to get the job done in a timely and cost efficient manner. As a plus, he is a very pleasant dude to talk to and clearly quite knowledgeable in his trade. Hopefully, I won't have anymore electrical problems, but if I do, I'm calling Paul Fanta.

Kat M.

10/24/2012

If you are looking for an honest, skilled and thoughtful electrician to work on your 100-plus year old house look no further. Paul is the man. He didn't shake his head and grow pale at the fabric wiring dangling from our basement ceiling, or the ancient watery fuse box clinging to the side of our house. Instead, he gently talked through our options and helped us come up with a step by step solution that brings our house into the current century without fuss or drama. Thank you!

Dean C.

12/12/2012 12:00:00 SA

Seriously, this guy is as good as his reviews suggest. Had a heater break a few weeks ago and I have been struggling to get an electrician to come and take a look. I found Paul through Yelp and he was quick to schedule me in. When he showed up he took took a look at a few other minor unrelated issues I have been having and gave me honest advice about what I needed and what I didn't. We moved on to the heater, which I had assumed needed to be replaced, and Paul took the time to inspect it and check all the internal wiring. He was able to identify a loose connection and easily fix it. Paul ended up repairing the unit and giving me some great advice, all for well below what I had expected to spend.

To top it all off, I genuinely enjoyed speaking with him. He is quite a character in the best of ways.

Elliott R.

03/06/2016 12:00:00 SA

Great electrician. Would just say ditto to the other comments about being knowledgeable, responsive, communicative, being on time and explaining why he was doing what he was doing. Would definitely use him again. A pleasure to work with.

Jun R.

10/31/2013

Paul is FANTASTIC. He was the first person to reply to my late night inquiries. He came to our church site the next day (Friday), quickly assessed our needs, pointed out potential problems with the project, provided a great estimate, and came back the following day (Saturday) to begin work. He was very responsive, courteous and sincere. His work was excellent. His estimate was honest. Paul is at the top of my contractor list. I highly recommend him.

David F.

10/17/2011

Paul is such such a nice guy, and knows what he is talking about. He got the job done and did an amazing job fixing my crazy light fixture. I would def. recommend him to other people.

Geoff R.

7/14/2012

Paul and sons have installed several lighting treatments in my home, including museum type spot lighting from the ceiling of a narrow hallway, light bars from a cathederal celing, ceiling light/fans, and two very complex pendants, of which one included eleven separate porcelain shades each on a separate line.
Paul is amusing and personable, works extremely well in recognizing needs and taste, suggests various approaches, and does really high quality work. His work is so far above most journey level electricians, really rising to a near artist level.
If you have a complex job, and particularly work that involves high end design and artistic treatments, he's your man!!

Leigh L.

8/14/2012

I've used Paul for small and larger electrical projects over the past few years. Most recently he changed out my Mother's older fluorescent light fixtures, remove broken sconces and fix an outdoor light. All done as estimated. Very happy with his work. His prices are reasonable and clearly listed on his website. He's a great communicator and flexible with his scheduling. He came out on a Saturday to change the lights, then came back on Monday finish up the while you're at it items. I've am very satisfied with Paul's work and will be using him for future electrical needs.

Kjerstin S.

10/16/2012

Extremely quick and efficient service! Paul has a great attitude and went the extra mile to help me out. He also had an electronic invoicing system that allowed me to deal with payment easily!

Chris F.

04/05/2013 12:00:00 SA

Paul is excellent -- knowledgeable, and fun to work with. I had the ambitious goal of automating every switch (14+ in total) in my office via Insteon. The trouble is that there's rarely a time when the office is empty. Paul came in, replaced all the switches, and did so without ever shutting off the main breaker, thus avoiding any potential interruption to my co-workers. I'll certainly be using him for future projects!

Aaron H.

4/24/2013

Paul Fanta is the best! Great communication, insider list and priority scheduling are just a few things that make Paul Fanta a spectacular electrician to work with. Always friendly, professional, timely, considerate, thorough, calm and accurate. We have been working with Paul for a considerable time now, and his contributions have considerably improved our quality of life. Thank you Paul!

Ben R.

07/07/2015 12:00:00 SA

Good communication, prompt, friendly efficient and reasonably priced - does it get better than this? Not in my experience - Thanks Paul!

Spencer P.

8/18/2014

I bumped into a bit of any issue in a remodel of my kitchen. The problem required the able assistance of a friendly and excellent electrician - and fortunately, Paul has come to the rescue. He's immediately responsive, and very clear and helpful in explaining the exact process he'll follow to get your job done right. I highly recommend Paul for your next project!

Catherine P.

7/18/2014

Paul is wonderful - he is kind, easy to work with and is very knowledgeable. He replaced all of our smoke detectors and throughout the entire process, he was extremely transparent with his pricing and is so easy to deal with. If you are looking for a great electrician who is reliable and honest, Paul is definitely your guy. Highly recommended!

Sal N.

12/01/2015 12:00:00 SA

I finally found a professional, reliable and friendly electrician in Paul Fanta. As the manager of a Nob Hill apartment building, I frequently need to hire tradespeople to repair the aging facilities. I frequently get answering machines with no returned calls, missed appointments, late appointments, rude, sloppy and incompetent technicians. Paul Fanta is the complete opposite of that. He returned my call right away. Made a same day appointment. Arrived on time. Explained everything to me in a friendly helpful manner. And solved the problem in no time at a reasonable rate. I wholeheartedly recommend Paul Fanta and will definitely call him for all my electrical needs.

kate p.

03/10/2012 12:00:00 SA

Paul was in immediate touch with me after my initial call. Came to install the next day and he did an impeccable job, with my less than stellar new lighting materials and older house wiring issues. Next time I'll take his advice and buy lighting from Universal Electric Supply, and avoid the internet.

Amazing guy, amazing job and ultra-fair pricing. Can't recommend enough! I'd give him 6 stars if that were possible!!

Andrew R.

10/04/2012 12:00:00 SA

I contracted Paul to repair some light fixtures at my office building. He was prompt, professional, with a competitive quote to boot. I will definitely contact him again if I need any electrical work done.

D. B.

10/23/2014

We highly recommend Paul! He is professional, responsive, kind, knowledgeable, and quite obviously very skilled. Further, his use of technology--including video-documenting work performed and real-time location tracking--really sets him apart. He's a good teacher, too. He has demonstrated his reliability, trustworthiness, and able to provide solutions in a timely and effective manner--even at night. He really brightened our day--pun intended! Thanks, Paul!

Kelley P.

1/18/2011

I literally opened this account simply to give a review of Paul's work.

Left contractor-less in the middle of a multi-story remodel, with half our entire family arriving for the holidays in about two weeks and entire floors without power, we turned to Paul. No matter what we threw at him, from circuits to switch boxes to track lighting to diagnosing/repairing a half-century's worth of schizophrenic wiring -- he handled it all.

And he did it with style! I don't think I've ever used the term courtly manners in reference to an actual person before, but Paul's one of a kind. He's charming, funny, honest, generous (with both his time and expertise) and dependable.

How dependable? He and his son left our house, after getting the last lighting fixture *just* right, at around 11:00 p.m.

On December 23rd.

I don't know what kind of Christmas Paul had, but we had a fantastic one, and it's mostly thanks to him.

As far as we're concerned, he's Paul Santa.

Y Y.

4/13/2011

I also opened this account so as to give a review of and praise Paul's work.

Paul was extremely helpful and communicative with what started as a seemingly small job. When it turned out that the job required a bit more, Paul did the research necessary and made the process absolutely easy for me.

Paul was friendly, upbeat, and prompt - I have only the highest recommendation for him.

Andrea F.

10/03/2011 12:00:00 SA

Having a non-functioning doorbell is a nuisance...I looked around for someone who would have the expertise to do a job like this, and it was not as easy as I thought. I read reviews on Paul and he was the first (& only person) to get back in touch with me.

Paul was fantastic, he troubleshooted and was determined to get it working for us.... which he did. It was a bit of a hassle of a job as we live in an old building on the top floor and some of the wires had been cut. However, as promised he found a way to fix it. I would highly recommend him, he is reliable, clean, friendly and knows his stuff.

lily f.

04/02/2012 12:00:00 SA

I wish I could give Paul more than 5 stars!

He is super communicative and prompt to respond. He assessed all the lighting issues in my house and fixed what made sense (dimmers) and gave good suggestions on future projects (changing bathroom lighting). He is really busy (a good sign) but stayed as long as he needed to get the job done without rushing. Plus he's just a super nice guy.

Mikha E.

9/14/2012

Paul is an exemplary electrician and a truly kind human being. I was in a tough spot and Paul came through with amazing professionalism. In addition to spending the time and care to figure out what was wrong in my space, and explain it all to me along the way, he functioned as an advocate for us at PG & E (without charge), and got us the help we needed when it was determined that our electrical issue was a mainline/PG&E issue. Without Paul's help my business could have lost thousands of dollars in product and operational time. Thank you Paul!!!!!!!

William H.

10/21/2012

Who would know that by consulting YELP reviews that we would actually find the best electrician we could possibly imagine? Yes, fellow San Franciscans... it is very true! Paul Fanta is an outstanding professional and an exceptionally competent electrician. We hired him assuming that our light fixture installs would be a relatively simple undertaking. Of course, as we saw what we-- and in this case Paul-- had to work with, we realized the incredible skill set of this man. But candidly, what is even more incredible is how upbeat Paul is even when he is confronting challenges on the job such as the space for our hallway light fixture's electrical box install inside a tiny area.

If you are seeking a top notch electrician who actually will get back to you exceptionally rapidly and who takes pride in what he is doing. Paul Fanta is your guy! He is also very reasonably priced, particularly in light of his level of skill. We would recommend him to anyone who needs an electrician! And he's a really nice guy, to boot.

emily s.

3/18/2013

I contacted Paul to get an estimate for upgrading the lights in the garage of my condo complex. Paul came up with a plan that far exceeded my expectations. He listened to what I wanted to accomplish and proposed a solution that was better for the people in my building (more light), better for the HOA (less expensive with a rebate from PG&E), and better for the environment (converting to more energy efficient lights). I highly recommend Paul!

shannon s.

04/10/2013 12:00:00 SA

Paul is fantastic and rolls with the punches.

I called him on what I thought was a simple job with a reasonable deadline. But I was wrong--my houseboat is super tricky and it quickly turned into a monster job with a tight deadline.

Paul was very patient and, at each step, described the situation, the options and the time each would take. Then he proceeded to beat the clock to get the semi-impossible job done.

Amazing!

Mark L.

09/05/2013 12:00:00 SA

Paul came by my house last week to check out a dead circuit in my kitchen. He tried very hard to help me diagnose the problem before making the trip. Turned out I had switched the sub panel circuit breakers off and forgot to turn them back on while repairing a broken light fixture. He wasn't going to charge me but I paid him for his trip since he is an independent business person and had to come from the north bay after dinner to look into my problem.

I previously used him about a year ago to fix my doorbell. He methodically looked into the problem and found that the doorbell wire was cut in the basement. He repaired the problem and was on his way in about an hour. Both times he showed up right on time so no wasted time waiting around for the repair person. He is also very responsive when communicating back and forth about the problem. I highly recommend him if you have electrical issues that need attention. Thanks Paul!!

T S.

12/21/2014

Paul Fanta is a godsend !!! I had an urgent problem and in spite of being super busy he still showed up. He was polite, and solved my problem within minutes and then didn't even charge me . He is knowledgable and basically lovely and in future I will only call him for all my electrical problems .

Tom A.

3/13/2015

Paul is the only electrician you will ever need. Timely, courteous, responds quick to texts or phone calls, and does really outstanding work. He also has a fantastic sense of humor. We had a handful of jobs at an apartment building from the tricky to the mundane, Paul explained everything clearly and got the job done fast. He even worked directly with the city building inspector to save us time as the middle man. Everything was done to code and it didn't break the bank. Thanks Paul!

Takeko N.

03/09/2015 12:00:00 SA

I sent Paul an email over the weekend, and he responded very quickly. Was able to suggest a simple fix I could do myself which was successful! And no charge! Very professional.

A H.

2/22/2015

Paul's work was so excellent, he's inspired me to write my first Yelp review. He was responsive on a Saturday (via text and then in person) which was greatly appreciated. He solved multiple electrical issues in our house that past electricians had neglected to fix. Yeah! His chill approach and positive vibe was a bonus. He'll be our electrician from here on out.

E W.

10/08/2013 12:00:00 SA

Fantastic customer service! Confounded by a power outage in our bathroom; Paul smartly walked me through the problem so I could fix it. This is what customer service is supposed to be--thanks Paul and you will be my go-to electrician from now on!

Merle R.

2/22/2015

I called Paul about a small problem at my condo building. He came out the next day, he diagnosed the problem immediately, and he solved it promptly. He couldn't have been better!

S C.

8/16/2011

paul was great came in and fixed our issue the same day i called him. very professional and honest. even gave me a yelp discount, i would highly recommend. he has us working before the end of the day and even called and explained the situation before adding on an additional $25, thanks for helping us out of a pickle.

A M.

08/12/2013 12:00:00 SA

The day I was leaving for an apartment swap (SF/Boston) my electricity stopped working in my bedroom and one wall of my living room. Paul responded to my voicemail promptly, kept me apprised of his ETA via texts and was there in under three hours. He was sweet and handled the dilemma professionally, and followed up with me to make sure I had understood what had happened. It was so nice to have someone come through for you in a crunch. If I need something electrical fixed/done again, I will give him a call.

Joseph C.

8/14/2014

I called Paul because the first review I read on him said Simply the Best. The short answer is: he is the best. We needed some work done in our commercial building in San Francisco. Paul came out, surveyed the problem, made his recommendations, and made the necessary repairs. He is also very personable which makes for a nice working relationship. I would not hesitate to call him again.

Amy P.

1/20/2014

We had a great experience with Paul. He promptly answered my text message, arrived when he said he would, and quickly identified and resolved our issue. He also has a very helpful website sfpow.blogspot.com.

H Y.

4/17/2010

Really great electrician and nice guy. Came out to help on a weekend and spent time to explain everything. Gave great tips as well regarding outlets and basic wiring.

August R.

04/02/2014 12:00:00 SA

Paul is the best electrician I have ever had the pleasure of working with. He is always very diligent, responsive and extremely competent. He worked tirelessly on our behalf to not only fix our electrical issues, but also to make sure all of our paperwork was in order with the city. I strongly recommend Paul Fanta as the BEST choice for an electrical contractor. In addition to his operational excellence, he is also a very nice guy and a pleasure to be around.

Leslie K.

07/06/2014 12:00:00 SA

Paul made a house call on a Sunday evening, immediately diagnosed the problem, provided the solution and charged a fair price. Can't ask for anything more. Now we have an electrician.

Debbie A.

11/08/2012 12:00:00 SA

Paul was great. He didn't actually come out for the job, but talked me through trouble-shooting and even followed-up with a text on what I was supposed to do. It was really helpful and saved me a lot of money. I'd definitely recommend him for a job.

o m.

03/11/2013 12:00:00 SA

Paul is great - he is responsive, he shows up when he says he will, and he does excellent, professional work at the quality level you'd expect from a professional electrician. I've hired him twice - so if I wasn't happy the first time I most certainly wouldn't have invited him back a second time. And I am sure he'll be back again.

Zach M.

09/04/2013 12:00:00 SA

Paul was great! It ended up being a simple fix but he showed me how to fix it and what to look for if the same issue presented itself again. Will definitely be using him for any future electrical problems!

Ayan nanga D.

03/08/2016 12:00:00 SA

Paul Fanta is outstanding! He is absolutely knowledgeable and has the patience to walk me through the issues during his detailed trouble shooting. He ensured that I understood what the cause of the problems and was prepared with recommendations how to resolve them. I have outdoor lamps that kept on tripping the breaker's switch after a long wet weather lately. He first checked the transformers, the breaker's box and rest of the electrical line and figured out what parts to be replaced. Et voila he resolved the issues in no time. You can leave him alone if you dont want to undersdand the issues but I am that type of a person who appreciates the extra knowledge that he can share with me, and he takes pride on that. I will hire him again and will recommend him to everyone! PS he is very techie, from the pics he took and posting them on line and the invoice payment process. It makes everything much easier and efficient.

Susan b.

03/04/2016 12:00:00 SA

I found Paul through Yelp. He was one of 3 electrical contractors I contacted and he was the only one who called me back immediately and came over within a day to look at the job. He impressed me in the way he analyzed the existing wiring, noting right away that there was some reversal that potentially could have become dangerous. The job entailed extendiing wires to reposition 2 plugs. To me it seemed easy but it turned out to be more complicated than I'd imagined and during the job Paul was very concerned to achieve the result exactly as I had envisioned it. In the process he helped me with two other unrelated problems by talking to me about them and giving advice which was very useful. There is no doubt in my mind about his competency as an electrician. In addition to that he gets high marks for communication and concern for achieving the desired outcome. I can recommend Paul Fanta without hesitation to anyone looking for a good electrician.

Mark H.

10/19/2009

I had an urgent electrical problem at home. Paul was speedily at my house. He is very polite, efficient, patient, a good communicator, and diagnosed and remedied the issue in rapid time at a very reasonable price. i would highly recommend him as a very trustworthy human being with a high skill and competence level. He told me he does a lot of work in San Francisco as well as Marin.

Goichi K.

7/24/2010

Paul did a fantastic job! The job was complete and very fast too. Paul installed an outlet in my bathroom. Upon first survey, he said that he needed to make another hole to get the wire across. He managed to let the wire though without making the hole in the wall. I am grateful for not making another hole. I recommend Paul highly.

Liz F.

01/04/2013 12:00:00 SA

Another 5 star review for this guy. Setting the appt was fast -- all via text. He came the next day in the evening (I'm not sure this guy ever sleeps). He was organized, polite, presentable, and best of all, knowledgeable about my electrical issue. He fixed the issue that I called about (a light switch on the fritz) and he tried to trouble-shoot another issue that I had not told him about until he got there. I'm afraid I might have delayed him getting to his next (!) job that night. Very clear on pricing as well.

Rahul N.

10/28/2013

Paul was very easy to get a hold of. He reposnded right away, goes the extra mile. He uses text and evernote to communicate so is very tech saavy and gets a response quickly. I appreciated his expert insight and confidence. Thanks Paul.

Linda C.

12/02/2011 12:00:00 SA

Okay, folks, I will just confirm what everyone else has said here: calls back almost immediately: check; understands and explains the problem: check; works within your budget: check; keeps his word: check. What I will add, this is the guy you put into your permanent address book (when we had those.) This is the go-to guy for your electrical problems and the kind of person you wish you had for everything else. When you find someone like this, it becomes a relationship. AND, he guarantees his work, in writing! Who does that these days! Incredible find!

Kate P.

3/21/2012

I had several small projects. Paul tested and solved each of the problems: (a DR light that blew, a deck light that never worked, and a laundry under cabinet light that wasn't hooked up) and priced out some future installation projects. Advised me to have PG&E come out and look at a connection to the house that looked shoddy--which they did while he was there and repaired for free. Efficient, knowledgeable and experienced!

Annie L.

3/26/2012

After reading the Yelp reviews on electricians, I decided to give Paul a try. He is exactly what other reviews have said. A 5-star electrician! Although Paul does not work on Sundays, he made an exception for me as I was coming from the East Bay to San Francisco. Glad to have found an electrician who I can depend on. Annie

D Y.

8/28/2012

Paul is one of the best contractors that I have worked with. He is very communicative, honest and cares about the work that he performs. I needed some work done that was required by the city so I called a few electricians and Paul responded immediately. Unfortunately I had to wait for the city to produce a report before I could start any work. Surprisingly, Paul checked in with me a month later however I was still waiting for the report. In the end (and another month waiting for the city!) Paul got the job done for me the same week as I got the report. I would not hesitate recommending his services as he performed them quickly, efficiently and professionally.

Nick T.

09/11/2012 12:00:00 SA

Paul was knowledgable and able to determine what the issue was, and fix it for us with no fuss on site within the hour. Besides this, he was pleasant and could clearly explain to me what he was doing and why. Highly recommended.

Liza W.

09/12/2012 12:00:00 SA

Paul fixed out electricity over the weekend at the last minute. The power was out in half our place, so it was a royal pain. He was fast, responsive and very professional. I did not feel like he was ripping us off and he went with the cheaper option to tide us over until we address the larger issues. I'd definitely call him again.

Dave L.

7/28/2011

He called at 10pm to cancel an important appointment set for the following day. I found him on Yelp, based on all the positive reviews.

Train E.

11/30/2011

I highly recommend Paul. He is personable and punctual. We needed some electrical work done for our new washer/dryer. He took care of it perfectly and stuck to his quoted price. The work was done quickly and professionally.

t k.

5/14/2014

great guy... prefers text message to voice mail (me too) and gave me free advice that might have saved me a visit. was honest about his workload and suggested I find someone else if I need someone to come in since he's on a big project right now.

Bruce K.

7/16/2012

This guy is the best of the best. I've tried a lot of electricians in San Francisco and most were ok but none compare with the service and quality of Paul Fanta. I called three electricians (Paul called right back) to come out and fix some recessed lights, my doorbell, and a chandelier that Spider Man couldn't get to. It's suspended in a stairwell and for ten years I've only turned it on when absolutely necessary because I knew when the bulb blew I could never reach it let alone figure out how to get inside the dang thing to install the bulb. And then it happened--it blew and I was pitched into the dreaded darkness--so I added it to the list for Paul to handle. And I think it took him and his son about 5 minutes. Plus he suggested I get a bulb that lasts nine years so I can stop obsessing about the bulb burning out! Duh-I never thought of that. Bottom line: Paul and his son were personable, professional, friendly, reasonably priced (when I included a tip for his great work, he told me I accidently overpaid him --this guy is honest as the day is long), He's also efficient and a real expert. His work was perfect in every way and now I won't use any other electrician in San Francisco.

Juliette W.

6/20/2014

Paul is amazing. We had lights out back controlled by an outdated (previously state-of-the-art) indoor wall panel. Both were malfunctioning so that the lights were on non-stop, unable to be turned off. Paul was everything everyone had said in the reviews--responsive, prompt, and incredibly professional. He got to the root of the problem with surgical precision and expertise. I was so, so impressed and thankful. Even more, he was able to set up a regular light switch for us to turn on our outdoor light--SO much better and more sensible than what we had before. He's wonderful--works efficiently and very cleanly. I appreciated the text communication immensely. I had been so stressed out about all the lights being on 24 hours a day, I told my husband the night before Paul came, if he is able to help us, I'll write a review--and I never write reviews. Paul gave me peace of mind. As good as it gets indeed. Thank you, Paul. And thank you Yelp--

Liv S.

02/09/2012 12:00:00 SA

Based on Yelp review, we hired Paul to finish the electric work for our bathroom remodel project - the rough work was done by an incompetent contractor who we fired right after they started. Due to various delays by other contractors involved: general and plumbing, the job took almost two months longer than what we had expected. Lucky us however, since we hired Paul to the rescue, he was just the right person for our situation. He is kind hearted, patient, personal, and very reliable. He went back and forth at least six times for this small project. (I am SO sorry, Paul!) He went above and beyond to get our job completed, within budget, and passed the inspection. He called or texted every single time before our appointments and let us know that he is on the way... I am willing to give him six stars if there is such a thing. We would not hesitate recommending our friends to him, and we would use his service again. If you need a personal reference for Paul, please feel free to email me.

Robert S.

9/23/2012

if you need something done right away, Paul Fanta is the one you want. knowledgeable, on time, organized, clean, a true pro!!!