Oakwood Electric & Generator

We hired Oakwood Electric & Generator to install a Generac whole house backup generator and we were extremely pleased with the process from start to finish. From Rob coming out to do the estimate to the staff answering my many questions promptly to Pedro and Ken doing the install, everything was smooth and the result was top notch.

We plan on using Oakwood Electric and Generator to handle ALL of our electrical needs from this point forward. Good contractors can be hard to find. We are thrilled to have found Oakwood!

I had been a regular customer of Oakwood Electric for last few years.  They have been doing the annual service on our whole house Generac generator.  Since I considered myself a loyal Oakwood customer when I decided to have a 240 volt outlet installed for an electric vehicle I naturally thought I would use Oakwood.  What a mistake that turned out to be.

At the time I made the appointment for this year's annual generator service I inquired about getting a proposal to install the new outlet.  Rob, the owner, came out to do the proposal.  As he was assessing what needed to be done I asked him a few questions about installation and if he had any advice.  His response was that they only had experience with Tesla chargers so he couldn't offer any advice.  I should have picked up on his apparent disinterest.  Another cue was when I asked about whether we needed anything special for the new outlet to make sure the generator is not over whelmed if a vehicle is being charged and the generator comes on due to loss of utility power.  Turns out, we do.  Had I not asked about the need for a power management device it would not have come up.  He didn't know we have a generator.  Rather surprising since the person who made the appointment for the proposal was the same person who set up the appointment for this year's generator maintenance.  Based on this and what was yet to occur, internal communication within Oakwood is questionable, at best.

A few days after Rob's visit I called Oakwood Electric to inquire about having some additional maintenance items recommended by Generac included as part of this year's generator maintenance.  Really pretty standard things; changing a filter and a routine engine adjustment.  The lady I spoke with was unfamiliar with the items and said she needed to find out.  Turns out Rob was there and so she asked him.  Apparently he didn't realize, or didn't care, that I could hear him because his response was that they wouldn't do either item because it was too hard.  He said that he would prefer not to service the specific model Generac generator we have because the unit is not easy to work on.  I couldn't ignore his last statement so I asked the lady to whom I was speaking about what was going on.  Specifically, even though they had been servicing my generator for the last few years are they now refusing to do so?  She said they would do the regular service and not the additional items I asked about.

The day of installation the tech did not show up at the agreed upon window of time.  I called the office about 30 minutes after the scheduled time and was told he's on his way.  A few minutes later Courtney from Oakwood Electric called me back to say the tech had an issue at home and he would be at my house in about an hour.  So he went from being on his way to not being on his way but still home.  Ok.  Over an hour later still no tech.  I called again, and once more Courtney told me that he was on his way.  I asked if she had spoken with him and her response was that he was on his way.  Ten minutes later she called me to let me know he still was at home and could we reschedule the installation.  At this point I had, had it.  Lied to twice by Oakwood's staff as well as I am not interested in having a tech who apparently doesn't have a sense of responsibility to keep his employer informed do work for me.  I cancelled the installation.

I found another electrician to do the installation who not only is less expensive, he is charging 20% less, but also doing it right by getting a permit which, as I found out from other electricians, is required by the city in which I live.  I also decided to have another approved Generac generator maintenance company handle the maintenance of our generator.  The new local company selected to do maintenance is not only less expensive than Oakwood but also their standard service procedures include the additional maintenance items I asked about that Oakwood is not interested in doing.

Bottom line - from my experience if you want bad service and over pay for it, Oakwood is for you.

I purchased a Generac 22 KW whole-house generator from Oakwood Electric and Generator in October of 2020. With the supply chain issues, they could not install the generator until March 2021.

Last week the generator was exercising (which it does once a week for 5 minutes) when it literally BLEW UP (see pictures).

This week Oakwood sent their tech out to look at the machine.  And, after doing a 10-minute visual inspection he said, I have no idea what caused this.  However, though they have no idea what cause the explosion, they think everything will be just fine if they replace the visibly damaged parts (instead of replacing the whole machine). They ordered the parts damaged by the explosion.

So put yourself in my shoes:

-  You spend 10K on a new generator so you can have Peace of Mind (Generac's motto) in case of emergency.

-  The thing blows up after only 5 months of operation.

-  The vendor you bought it from refuses to do anything more than replace those parts visibly damaged by the explosion.

- Then, every time there is a storm, you get to wonder and worry whether the generator will perform to standard if the power fails.  You get to wonder and worry about whether your basement will flood if the generator doesn't work.

The folks at Oakwood said, We can't prevent your machine from failing. They also told me if I wasn't happy with their service, I could work with another Generac contractor (right, because they don't want to deal with the warranty work)!

The lady at Oakwood sent me a copy of the warranty and told me to call Generac if I was not happy - which I have done.

DO YOURSELF A FAVOR - BUY THE KOHLER! It's a little more expensive, but my brother has had a Kohler for 20 years and never had these kinds of problems.

Generac is cheap junk (plastic) and the company does not stand behind their product. I have nothing else to say about Oakwood.

Great service from Juan, Peter, and Ari. Always professional, courteous, and dedicated to doing the job properly. They always clean up thoroughly when finished. We have used Oakwood for years and would not consider using another electrical contractor.

Pedro and Ken  were extremely helpful and knowledgeable of their work and were able to answer questions. Highly recommended!

2 exhaust fans stopped working in heat of summer. I called several electricians and it appeared this job wasn't big enough for them. I am uncomfortable having anyone other than a licensed electrician come out.

Appointment was made for a week later and on time, efficient clean and transparent pricing. Very pleased. Raul came out explained everything, done very well and am happy. Definite recommendation.  Worth every penny

So expensive, but worth it for all the big jobs our handyman couldn't do. The electricians were all very friendly, didn't waste anytime, and cleaned up well. I will definitely use them again when we have bigger projects.

First,I didn't like he just got out of car with no marking saying who he was and took a picture of my house.Than I showed him where the gas and electrical was.He again took a picture of the air conditioner,I didn't understand as at no time did  he mention he would be taking pictures and why.I told him I had a right to asked question and I was taking this too much.Sent him on his way.

Oakwood electrical is quick, efficient, knowledgeable, and they actually answer when you call. We had a major electrical emergency that needed to involve Comed. Oakwood guided us through the process and  put us at ease. They electrician was not throwing around terms he explained the problems in a manner we could understand. We now use them for all our electrical and generator maintenance needs. 5 stars is not enough, every time we called they answered. The owner reached out to talk to us himself. We could not give a higher recommendation. Oh yeah, these guys actually cleaned up after themselves as well, not to many people doing that these days.

Raul was very professional and did a great job installing 2 fans.  Oakwood is easy to work with.  Scheduling was simple.

These guys are awesome.   They showed up on time totally prepared to do the work we needed done and then asked if we needed anything else done.   They were very neat, quiet and courteous.   It was raining when they got here and they brought coverings for their feet.   Herb and Pedro are fantastic.  We will use them again and recommend them to anyone needing knowledgeable electricians.

Really had a good experience with Oakwood.  We hired them to remove two existing entryway lights in an open/two-story entryway and hang two new ones.  They came out to view the space before quoting the work to determine if we'd need scaffolding or whether ladders could fit (thankfully they could fit the 18-ft ladders saving us time and money!)  They arrived on time the work went as planned.  They were friendly and professional and would definitely hire again for any electrical needs.

In every aspect Oakwood Electric was top notch in every way.  We have used Oakwood before, and just had them install a new Generac generator.  We were more than pleased with their work, very courteous and went out of their way to satisfy.  Yes I am a picky gardener and worried about damage to plants and bushes, when they were installing the Generac.  No frowns or gripes when I mentioned this, they were very careful, and did not harm a thing!  As far as I am concerned Oakwood is the only company I would use for our electrical needs.  Trustworthy, diligent, fair prices and no high pressure on the sale of the generac either.  I don't think it is all about the money to them, I believe to them it is all about satisfying the customer.

We had Oakwood Electric install 3 ceiling fans (ran new electric, cut boxes into the ceiling etc.) and some light fixtures, they did a great job. They showed up on time, were extremely courteous and respectful of our house and cleaned up after they were done vacuuming the bedrooms where the work was performed.  Herb & Arvy were the electricians, they were outstanding. Initially Robert came out and quoted us, there was zero pressure - he just noted what we wanted, quoted us and the pricing came in where he said it would.  We ended up adding some items that we originally weren't planning on doing and they accommodated the requests that same day. We'd highly recommend them if you need any lighting or electrical work, we'll absolutely use them again in the future.

Can someone tell me how to give more than 5 stars? This business clearly deserves 6 or 7 stars, easy. They installed a new breaker box at a fraction of the cost I was quoted by another establishment. Furthermore, they went above and beyond by fixing a couple of wiring errors left me by a previous owner. All this in under 4 hours, they were in, out while I slept soundly in bed. Terrific experience and wouldn't pause to recommend them any day.

The light does work now, but the price hurt which I didn't appreciate. Overall professional although they called me for directions. Strange?

A responsive, well-run company with skilled electricians! When I called, I spoke directly to someone who listened to my electrical needs and was able to promptly schedule a technician. My technician arrived on-time and proceeded to diagnose my electrical problems. He then explained the source of the problems to me and the suggested remedies. With my permission, he obtained parts same day and made repairs. He was very helpful and, most importantly, a well-trained electrician. I highly recommend this company!

Used Oakwood Lighting to purchase and install a stand-by generator plus bring our electrical panel up to code.  From start to finish, Rob was professional yet he took a personal interest in everything that was done.  They even stopped here on a holiday weekend to double check that the location was exact before submitting the plans to our village for permits.  His crew was friendly, efficient and cleaned up well after the jobs were complete.  We have found our electrician for forever (is that a BEF?)

We started using Oakwood Lighting when we renovated a home in Downers Grove. He was very easy to work with, and made us aware of issues ahead of time. We then used Oakwood Lighting for a home we built, and the results were consistent. Since then we've moved out of state and miss Oakwood Lighting.

Small family business that does a good job at a good price.  Rob is the owner and has helped us with our needs at home and at our business. He's always involved personally to make sure the job is done right.  His guys clean up when the job is done and I have not had any problems with the work whatsoever.