When the lights flicker, a breaker trips and won't reset, or half the house goes dark without warning, you need answers fast. Davis Electrical Company handles the full range of residential and commercial electrical work in Davis, from quick outlet repairs to full panel replacements and everything in between. Whether you own a home near campus, manage a rental on the east side, or run a business downtown, we're ready to help. We're available every day from 7 AM to 8:30 PM. We trace the fault. We fix the wiring. We restore the power.
Call for a quote at (530) 298-9565.
Electrical problems don't wait, and neither do we, so we keep scheduling open every day of the week. Flickering lights, a dead outlet, a burning smell coming from the wall, a sparking switch, or a breaker that trips the moment you reset it are all signs that something in the circuit needs attention. These are not problems to watch and wait on.
A diagnostic visit means tracing the fault to its actual source, not just swapping parts until something holds. We check load distribution, look for wiring faults, and test the circuit under real conditions before we recommend a fix. When GFCI or AFCI protection is missing or has failed, we replace the outlet or breaker with a code-compliant unit as part of the repair, not as an add-on. Clear communication from the first call to the final test is how every job runs here. We're one phone call from getting your power right.
An aging panel can hold a home back. If you're running a 100-amp service in a house that now carries a washer, dryer, dishwasher, multiple refrigerators, and an EV charger, the panel is the limiting factor. We handle breaker panel replacement, 200-amp service upgrades, fuse box conversions, service-entrance upgrades, and subpanel installation for detached structures or large additions.
What drives the cost of a panel replacement is mostly the size of the new service, the condition of the existing wiring, and whether the utility requires a meter upgrade at the same time. We give you a plain answer on repair versus upgrade before any work is scheduled, so you know exactly what you're paying for and why. A price agreed before every visit. Clear scheduling every visit. Code-compliant every visit.
Davis has a lot of older housing stock, especially in the neighborhoods closest to downtown and the UC Davis campus. Many of those homes were built when knob-and-tube wiring was standard, and some have had aluminum branch wiring added in later decades. Both need attention before they become a hazard.
We handle partial rewires, full whole-home rewiring, knob-and-tube replacement, and aluminum wiring repair or replacement. For landlords and property managers overseeing rental units, condos, and apartments, we can scope the work around tenant schedules and document what was done for your records. We'll get the job wired and finished.
Homes and businesses need different wiring answers, and the right outlet or fixture for one space is the wrong one for another. We install and replace GFCI outlets in kitchens, bathrooms, and outdoor locations, AFCI outlets where arc-fault protection is required by code, USB outlets, weatherproof outdoor outlets, 240-volt outlets, dryer outlets, and range outlets. For switches, we handle standard replacements and dimmer installations.
Ceiling fan work ranges from swapping an old unit for a new one to running new wiring where no ceiling box exists. For lighting, we install recessed and LED can lights, replace light fixtures and chandeliers, add under-cabinet lighting, and wire outdoor lighting including security lights, motion sensor lights, flood lights, and landscape lighting circuits. The work area left as it was found is a standard we hold on every job, not an exception. We'll take care of the circuits from here.
Most large appliances need a circuit of their own. A refrigerator, washer, dryer, dishwasher, or microwave sharing a circuit with other loads is a tripping breaker waiting to happen. We install dedicated 20-amp and higher circuits for all of these, and we handle the panel work needed to add capacity when the existing service is full.
For remodels, additions, and new construction in Davis and across Yolo County, we wire new circuits from the panel out to wherever the appliance or equipment lands. Apartment and condo owners adding appliances, and rental property managers upgrading units between tenants, call us regularly for this work. When a new heating or cooling unit is going in, we handle the dedicated circuit, the disconnect, and the panel capacity needed to carry the load on the electrical side.
Davis sits in a part of California where EV ownership runs well above the national average, rooftop solar is common on residential and commercial properties alike, and summer heat in the inland valley puts real stress on the grid. The three services below come up constantly here for those reasons.
What sets this service apart is straightforward: we scope the electrical side of these jobs correctly from the start, so the work holds up and the system runs the way it should.
A Level 2 home EV charger cuts charge time from overnight to a few hours, but it needs a dedicated 240-volt circuit and enough panel capacity to carry it. We start every EV charger installation with a panel capacity check. If the existing service can handle the load, we run the circuit and connect the charger. If it can't, we talk through the panel upgrade before anything is scheduled. Davis has one of the highest EV adoption rates in the country, driven in part by the UC Davis community and the number of Sacramento-area commuters who live here. We handle the wiring whether you're installing a wall-mounted unit in a garage or a hardwired charger in a carport.
We work the electrical side of solar and battery backup installations: panel integration, transfer switch installation, load calculations for battery storage systems, and circuit work that ties the system into the home's existing wiring. Rooftop solar is widespread in Yolo County, and grid reliability during wildfire season has pushed more homeowners toward battery backup as well. Public safety power shutoffs are a real event here, not a hypothetical. We make sure the electrical infrastructure is sized and wired to handle the system you're adding.
A surge protector at the panel protects every circuit in the house at once, including sensitive electronics, solar inverters, and EV charger equipment. A power strip does not do the same job. Point-of-entry surge protection intercepts voltage spikes before they reach your devices. Summer grid stress in the Central Valley, combined with the value of the equipment now running in most homes, makes this a straightforward call. This area has its own wiring habits. The work is matched to them. Everything is left to code.
No matter what's going wrong with your wiring, the fix starts with a phone call. We work with homeowners, renters coordinating repairs with their landlords, condo and apartment owners, and property managers handling multiple units. On the commercial side, we serve offices, retail spaces, restaurants, and contractors working on new commercial construction and renovation projects throughout Davis.
Landlords and property managers call us for code compliance work, safety inspections before tenant turnovers, and pre-listing electrical inspections for homes going on the market. A home electrical inspection covers the panel, the wiring, the outlets, and the grounding system, and it gives you a clear picture of what needs attention now versus what can wait. You know who to call if you ever need us again. We're one phone call from getting your power right.
Davis is our primary service area. We also take calls from Woodland, West Sacramento, Dixon, Winters, Vacaville, and the western edge of Sacramento. Work extends across Yolo County and into neighboring areas when the job calls for it. Call to confirm coverage at your address.
Questions about electrician costs, panel replacement pricing, EV charger installation costs, dedicated circuit installation, or generator hookup rates all get answered on the call. We confirm the price before anything is scheduled, and we explain what it covers. There is no reason to guess at what a job will cost before you've spoken with us.
A price agreed before every visit. Clear scheduling every visit. Code-compliant every visit.
The fault is explained before the work starts, so you understand what you're approving. We're available every day from 7 AM to 8:30 PM, and that goes for both urgent calls and planned work.
Breakers that trip repeatedly under normal load, a panel that runs warm, a fuse box that has not been updated, or a 100-amp service carrying modern electrical loads are all indicators that the panel itself is the limiting factor. An EV charger, a hot tub, or a large appliance addition that the existing service cannot carry is another clear trigger. We give a plain answer on repair versus upgrade before any work is scheduled.
A Level 2 EV charger requires a dedicated 240-volt circuit run from the panel to the charger location. Before that circuit is added, we check whether the existing panel has the capacity to carry the new load. If it does not, the panel upgrade and the charger installation are scoped together on the same call so you have one price for the full job.
A surge protection device installed at the panel intercepts voltage spikes before they reach the wiring and devices throughout the house. During summer heat events and after Public Safety Power Shutoff restorations, the grid can fluctuate in ways that damage sensitive equipment over time. A panel-level device covers every circuit in the home, which a power strip cannot do.
We handle the panel integration, transfer switch installation, load calculations, and circuit work that connects a solar or battery backup system to the home's existing wiring. We do not install the solar panels or the battery unit itself. The electrical side is the wiring, the subpanel additions, and the panel capacity work that makes the system function.
A full rewire is the right call when the existing wiring throughout the home is no longer safe or code-compliant, as is the case with knob-and-tube wiring that has not been updated. A partial rewire addresses specific circuits, rooms, or sections of the home, which is common when a renovation opens walls or when one area needs to be brought up to current standards. We assess what is in place and recommend the scope that matches the actual condition of the wiring.
Knob-and-tube wiring has no ground conductor and was not designed for the electrical loads a modern household puts on a circuit. It also cannot be safely covered with insulation, which is a concern in attics and walls that have been updated over the years. Replacement involves running new wiring to current standards, including proper grounding throughout.
GFCI protection is required by code in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, outdoor locations, and other areas where water contact is a risk. AFCI protection is required on bedroom circuits and, in newer construction, on most living area circuits as well. When we replace an outlet or upgrade a panel, protection requirements are addressed as part of the job, not as a separate line item.
Breakers that trip frequently, a panel that feels warm or shows signs of heat damage, breakers that will not hold a reset, a burning smell near the panel, or visible corrosion and rust inside the enclosure are all reasons to have the panel evaluated. An older panel that has not been updated and is now carrying modern loads is worth inspecting even without visible symptoms.
A dedicated circuit means a single circuit from the panel that serves only one appliance or piece of equipment. Refrigerators, washers, dryers, dishwashers, ranges, and microwaves all benefit from dedicated circuits, and code requires them for many of these. The work involves running the right wire gauge from the panel to the appliance location and installing a breaker sized for the load.
A dead outlet is often a tripped GFCI somewhere upstream on the same circuit, but it can also indicate a loose connection or a failed device. A warm or discolored outlet points to a wiring problem that needs attention before the outlet is used again. These are not cosmetic issues: call and describe what you are seeing and we will tell you what the next step looks like.
The sooner you call, the sooner the power is back on, and the sooner you have a price in hand. Davis Electrical Company handles repairs, panel upgrades, EV charger installation, whole-home surge protection, wiring and rewiring, lighting, ceiling fans, dedicated circuits, and electrical inspections for homes and businesses throughout Davis and Yolo County. For urgent calls, ask what the schedule allows when you phone.
Call (530) 298-9565 for a quote.
Every electrical job we handle starts with a clear scope and a price you hear before anything is scheduled. Whether the call is about a tripped breaker, a panel that can no longer carry the load, or a new EV charger circuit, we work through the same process: trace the problem, explain what it takes to fix it, and get the work done to code. The table below covers the services we offer in Davis and across Yolo County, along with notes on what each one involves and who it fits best.
| Service | What the Job Involves | When You Need It | Things to Know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Panel and Service UpgradesMost Popular |
| Homes adding EV chargers, major appliances, or solar systems that have outgrown their current service | Panel capacity is the starting point for any large electrical addition. We give a plain answer on repair versus upgrade before any work is scheduled, so you know what you are approving. |
| Solar and Battery Backup |
| Yolo County homeowners adding solar or preparing for Public Safety Power Shutoffs | We handle the electrical side only: panel integration, transfer switch, and circuit work. We do not install the solar panels or battery unit itself. The scope is confirmed on the call before anything starts. |
| Lighting Installation |
| Homeowners updating interior lighting or adding outdoor security and landscape lighting | Outdoor lighting circuits, especially in Davis where summer evenings bring heavy use of exterior spaces, benefit from weatherproof outlets and properly rated fixtures from the start. |
| Hot-Tub Circuits |
| Homeowners adding a hot tub or spa to a backyard or deck | Hot tubs require a dedicated 240-volt circuit with a disconnect located within sight of the unit. GFCI protection on the circuit is required by code and is included as part of the installation. |
| Outlet and Switch Installation |
| Kitchens, bathrooms, garages, outdoor locations, and rooms being updated | Code requires GFCI protection in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, and outdoor areas. When we replace an outlet in those locations, protection requirements are addressed as part of the job. |
| Standby Battery for Outages |
| Households that need power for medical equipment, refrigeration, or home offices during outages | Public Safety Power Shutoffs are a real event in this part of California. We handle the electrical infrastructure that connects a battery backup system to the circuits that matter most in your home. |
| EV Charger Installation |
| Davis homeowners and renters adding a home EV charger for the first time | Davis has one of the highest EV adoption rates in the country. Every installation starts with a panel capacity check so the charger circuit and any needed panel work are scoped together from the start. |
| Breaker and Fuse Repair |
| Breakers that trip repeatedly or will not hold a reset | A breaker that trips under normal load is often signaling an overloaded circuit or a wiring fault, not just a worn breaker. We check both before recommending a fix. |
| Ceiling Fan Installation |
| Rooms without existing ceiling boxes or fans being replaced with heavier units | A ceiling fan needs a box rated for the fan's weight, not just a standard light fixture box. We check and replace the box when needed as part of the installation. |
| Dedicated Appliance Circuits |
| Appliance additions, remodels, and rental unit upgrades between tenants | Most large appliances require a circuit of their own. Sharing a circuit between a refrigerator, microwave, or washer and other loads is one of the most common causes of nuisance tripping. |
| Electrical Repairs and Troubleshooting |
| Any home or business with an active electrical problem | A diagnostic visit traces the fault to its actual source before any parts are replaced. Swapping components without finding the root cause often leaves the underlying problem in place. |
| Wiring and Circuit Installation |
| Older Davis homes near campus and downtown with original or outdated wiring | Knob-and-tube wiring has no ground conductor and cannot be safely covered with insulation. Replacement brings the affected circuits up to current standards, including proper grounding throughout. |
| Whole-Home Surge Protection |
| Homes with sensitive electronics, solar systems, or EV chargers in the Central Valley heat zone | A surge protection device at the panel intercepts voltage spikes before they reach any circuit in the house. A power strip protects only the devices plugged into it and does not do the same job. |
| Electrical Safety Inspections |
| Landlords, property managers, and homeowners preparing to sell or buy | An inspection gives you a clear picture of what needs attention now versus what can wait. For rental property turnovers, we document the findings so you have a record for your files. |
What causes a breaker to trip repeatedly under normal use?
Repeated tripping under normal load usually points to one of three things: a circuit that is carrying more than it was sized for, a wiring fault somewhere along the run, or a breaker that has worn out and no longer holds its rated current. We check load distribution and test the circuit before recommending a fix, because replacing the breaker without finding the underlying cause often means the problem comes back.
How do I know if the wiring in an older Davis home is safe?
Older homes near campus and downtown Davis often have knob-and-tube wiring, aluminum branch wiring from later decades, or circuits that were extended without proper grounding. None of these are automatically dangerous, but all of them need evaluation before you add load or cover walls with insulation. An inspection identifies what is in place and what, if anything, needs attention before the home is safe for modern electrical use.
How long does a panel upgrade or full rewire typically take?
A panel replacement usually takes most of a working day. A full rewire depends on the size of the home and how accessible the wiring runs are, but most whole-home rewires in Davis's older housing stock take two to four days. We confirm the scope and a realistic timeline on the call before anything is scheduled.
Faults Traced Before Anything Is Replaced
We find the source of the problem before recommending a fix. Replacing parts without a proper diagnostic often leaves the underlying fault in place and costs more in the end.
Is a permit required for panel upgrades and circuit work?
Most panel replacements, service upgrades, and new circuit installations require a permit and inspection. Requirements vary depending on the type of work and whether it touches the service entrance. We confirm what applies to your job before work begins, and the permit and inspection process is handled as part of the job.
What does a buzzing or warm outlet mean?
A buzzing sound from an outlet usually points to a loose connection or a wiring fault at the device. A warm outlet face is a sign that the connection is generating heat under load, which is a wiring problem that needs attention before the outlet is used again. Neither symptom is cosmetic. Call and describe what you are seeing and we will tell you what the next step looks like.
What does flickering or dimming lights usually mean?
Lights that flicker when a large appliance kicks on are often a sign of a voltage drop caused by an overloaded circuit or a loose connection at the panel. Flickering that happens on its own, without an obvious trigger, can point to a failing connection somewhere in the wiring run. Either pattern is worth having checked, because a loose connection under load generates heat and can become a more serious problem over time.
Code-Compliant Work on Every Job
Every circuit, outlet, and panel installation is done to current code standards. Where a permit and inspection are required, we handle that as part of the job.
When should I call an electrician instead of handling something myself?
Replacing a light bulb or resetting a tripped GFCI outlet is straightforward. Anything that involves opening a panel, running new wiring, replacing a breaker, or diagnosing a fault that is not obvious at the device is work where a mistake can create a hazard that is not immediately visible. If you are unsure what is causing the problem, a diagnostic call is the right first step.
How does grounding and bonding work in an older home, and why does it matter?
Older homes were often wired without a ground conductor on branch circuits. A grounded system gives fault current a safe path back to the panel rather than through a person or an appliance. Bonding ties metal components together so they stay at the same voltage potential. Both matter more as homes add sensitive electronics, EV chargers, and solar equipment. We assess what is in place during an inspection and explain what upgrading the grounding system would involve.
Older and Newer Wiring Both Handled
Davis has a wide range of housing ages, from knob-and-tube homes near the UC Davis campus to newer construction with modern panels. We work across that full range and scope the job to what is actually in place.
What is involved in adding circuits for a workshop or garage?
A workshop or garage with power tools, compressors, or EV charging equipment usually needs more than one dedicated circuit. We start by looking at what equipment will run and what the panel can carry. If the panel has capacity, we run the circuits from there. If it does not, we scope the panel work alongside the circuit additions so you have one price for the full job.
Is my home ready for the electrical load of an EV charger or solar system?
That depends on the current service size, how loaded the existing circuits are, and what the new equipment will draw. A 100-amp service carrying a full household load plus an EV charger is a common mismatch in Davis's older neighborhoods. We run through the load calculation on the call and tell you whether the existing panel can carry it or whether a service upgrade is part of the picture.
How are urgent electrical calls handled outside of a scheduled appointment?
We are available every day from 7 AM to 8:30 PM, and that includes urgent calls. Call during those hours and describe what you are seeing. We will tell you on the call whether it needs immediate attention or whether it can be safely managed until a scheduled visit. A sparking outlet, a burning smell, or a panel that is warm to the touch are all reasons to call right away.
Call (530) 298-9565 to get a price and schedule a visit. We are available every day from 7 AM to 8:30 PM for both urgent calls and planned work.
(530) 298-9565