Statewide electrician referrals
Find Electrician & Electrical Repair Help in Pennsylvania
Connect with participating local electrical professionals for repairs, circuit breaker problems, panel upgrades, wiring issues, and other residential electrical services.
57% of homes in Reading were built before 1940 (49% in York, 54% in Lancaster). Older wiring is why so many Pennsylvania calls start with a fuse box or a breaker that won't stay on.U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024
Get Connected With an Electrician
If there's smoke, sparking, or a burning smell, leave the house and call 911 first.
2 Have your ZIP code ready and call
Call for Electrical Help(717) 409-6059- Free referral, no obligation to hire
- Routed to a participating independent electrician near you
- Availability varies by ZIP code and time of day
- Pennsylvania has no statewide electrician license; cities set their own
- Home improvement contractors doing $5,000+ a year register with the PA Attorney General
- Half the homes in York, Lancaster, and Reading were built before 1940 (Census)
- Burning smell, smoke, or sparks: get out and call 911
How the referral works
How our contractor-matching service works
Pennsylvania Electricians is an independent contractor-referral service. We don't do electrical work or employ electricians. We connect you with a participating independent electrician who does.
You call the number on this site
Have the property's address or ZIP code ready, plus a short description: what isn't working, whether a breaker keeps tripping, and anything you've seen, heard, or smelled.
Your call is routed to a participating electrician
Your call is connected with a participating independent electrician or electrical contractor who serves your area, if one is available. We do not send anyone ourselves.
You deal with that electrician directly
The electrician diagnoses the problem, quotes the job, and does any work you agree to under their own business name, license where one is required, and insurance. You decide whether to hire them; there is no obligation.
Good to know: availability depends on which participating electricians cover your ZIP code, and not every electrician takes every kind of job. Pennsylvania has no statewide electrician license, so ask whether your municipality requires one, for their PA Home Improvement Contractor (PAHIC) registration number, proof of insurance, and a written price. Our hiring checklist covers what to ask.
What goes wrong
Common electrical problems homeowners call about
These are the problems behind most residential service calls. Each one has a harmless explanation and a serious one, and telling them apart takes testing, not guesswork.
A breaker that keeps tripping
Usually an overloaded circuit, sometimes a short, a ground fault, or a breaker that's worn out.
Dead outlets
A tripped GFCI somewhere upstream, a loose connection, or a failed receptacle.
Flickering or dimming lights
A loose bulb is harmless. Flicker across several rooms can mean a loose connection at the panel or service.
Warm outlets or switches
Heat at a device means resistance at a connection. Stop using it and have it checked.
Half the house lost power
Partial outages can come from the panel, the service connection, or the utility side.
An old fuse box or small panel
Many older Pennsylvania homes still run on fuses or 60- to 100-amp service.
Old or damaged wiring
Knob-and-tube, brittle cloth insulation, aluminum branch wiring, and DIY splices.
Buzzing, crackling, or a burning smell
Treat as urgent. If there's smoke or sparks, leave and call 911.
Residential electrical services
Main residential electrical services
What each job involves, the warning signs, and what affects the price. Participating electricians take different kinds of work, so confirm the specific job when you're connected.
Electrical Repair
Dead circuits, flickering lights, buzzing, and problems you can't pin down. How electricians track down the cause, what repairs usually involve, and what they cost.
Learn more →Emergency Electrician
Burning smells, sparking, a hot panel, or a partial outage. Who to call first, what an urgent electrician visit involves, what it costs, and what can safely wait until morning.
Learn more →Electrical Panel Upgrades
Replacing a fuse box, an undersized 60- or 100-amp panel, or a panel brand inspectors flag. The warning signs, what the job involves, the permit and utility steps, and what it typically costs.
Learn more →Circuit Breaker Repair
Breakers that trip over and over, won't reset, or feel warm. What's usually behind it, why a bigger breaker is never the fix, and what repair or replacement costs.
Learn more →House Rewiring
Knob-and-tube, cloth-insulated, aluminum, and damaged wiring in older Pennsylvania homes. How to tell what you have, when partial or full rewiring makes sense, and what it costs.
Learn more →Outlet and Switch Repair
Dead, loose, warm, or two-prong outlets, switches that buzz or fail, and GFCI protection where it's needed. What causes each, what's safe to check yourself, and what repairs cost.
Learn more →Straight answers
When emergency electrical help may be appropriate
The safe homeowner steps are short on purpose. Anything past them, including opening the panel cover, belongs to an electrician.
| Situation | Safe for you to do | Call an electrician | Call 911 or the utility first |
|---|---|---|---|
| A breaker tripped once | Unplug what was running, then switch the breaker fully off and back on one time | It trips again, or won't stay on | It sparks, smokes, or smells hot |
| An outlet stopped working | Look for a tripped GFCI outlet nearby and press its reset button once | Still dead, or several outlets are out | Scorch marks with smoke or flame |
| Lights flicker or dim | Check that the bulb is snug and the right type | Several rooms flicker, or lights dim when appliances start | Flicker with burning smell or buzzing at the panel |
| Warm or discolored outlet, switch, or cover plate | Stop using it and unplug anything plugged in | Always: heat means a bad connection | Burning smell, smoke, or melting |
| Panel is hot, buzzing, or crackling | Stay back; keep the area clear | Right away | Smoke, sparks, or a burning smell |
| Downed line, damaged meter, or water reached outlets or the panel | Stay away and keep others away | After the utility has made it safe | Always: call 911 and Met-Ed, PPL, or your utility |
General guidance only, based on homeowner safety material from the Electrical Safety Foundation International. It is not a diagnosis. If something seems dangerous, treat it as dangerous.
Connect With an Electrical Professional
Call and we will try to connect you with a participating independent electrician who serves your area.
Service areas
Pennsylvania service-area directory
Each city page covers local housing age, the utility, the permit office, and how licensing works there. You can call from anywhere in Pennsylvania; availability depends on participating electricians in your area.
Electrician in York, PA
York County · 49% of homes built before 1940
Electrician in Lancaster, PA
Lancaster County · 54% of homes built before 1940
Electrician in Reading, PA
Berks County · 57% of homes built before 1940
Electrician in Harrisburg, PA
Dauphin County · 43% of homes built before 1940
Electrician in Allentown, PA
Lehigh County · 38% of homes built before 1940
Electrician in Hanover, PA
York County · 32% of homes built before 1940
Electrical panels and circuit breakers, explained
The panel is where power from the utility meter is split into the circuits that feed your house, and each breaker (or fuse, in older homes) shuts its circuit off when it carries more current than it's rated for. A breaker tripping is the system working. A breaker tripping over and over is a sign to find out why.
- Amperage. Most homes have 100- to 200-amp service. Older Pennsylvania houses may still have 60-amp service, which struggles with central air, electric ranges, heat pumps, and EV chargers.
- Fuse boxes. Fuses still protect a circuit, but they're often "upsized" by past owners to stop them blowing, which removes that protection. HomeAdvisor puts fuse-box-to-breaker replacement at $1,500 to $2,000, up to $4,500 when wiring needs work.
- Panels with known complaints. Federal Pacific Electric (Stab-Lok) and Zinsco panels are widely flagged by home inspectors; HomeAdvisor lists replacement at $1,500 to $4,000.
- Newer protection. GFCI protection guards against shock near water; AFCI breakers detect the arcing that starts many wiring fires. Newer codes require both in more places than older homes have them.
Upgrade or replace? See electrical panel upgrades and circuit breaker repair, or read signs your electrical panel may need an upgrade.
Published panel costs
| Service size | Typical range |
|---|---|
| 100 amp | $800 – $1,500 |
| 150 amp | $1,300 – $1,600 |
| 200 amp | $1,300 – $2,000 |
| 400 amp | $2,000 – $4,000 |
National ranges from HomeAdvisor (updated June 2026), not quotes. Meter-base work, permits, and wall repair add to it.
Pennsylvania Cost GuideSafety
Electrical safety considerations for older homes
Pennsylvania's older cities have some of the oldest housing in the country. Age alone doesn't make wiring dangerous, but these are the things worth knowing about your house:
- Knob-and-tube wiring: Common in homes built before about 1940. It has no ground wire, its insulation gets brittle, and it was never meant to be buried in attic insulation.
- Aluminum branch wiring: Installed in some homes from 1965 to the mid-1970s. CPSC found these homes 55 times more likely to have a connection reach "fire hazard conditions" than copper-wired homes.
- Two-prong outlets: Ungrounded circuits. Swapping in a three-prong outlet without a ground or GFCI protection is a code problem, not a fix.
- Warning signs: Warm or discolored outlets, flickering, buzzing, frequent trips or blown fuses, and any shock, however small.
- Extension cords as wiring: A sign the house needs more outlets or circuits. Cords aren't meant to be permanent.
- Don't open the panel: The main lugs stay live even with the main breaker off. Panel work belongs to an electrician.
Sources: CPSC, Repairing Aluminum Wiring; Electrical Safety Foundation International.
Free tool
Old-home electrical checker
Tick what you see in your house (fuse box, two-prong outlets, cloth wiring, an older panel brand) and get a plain list of what's worth an electrician's look, and why.
Check My HouseThinking about rewiring? Read when to rewire an older home.
Questions
Frequently asked homeowner questions
Is Pennsylvania Electricians an electrical contractor?
No. Pennsylvania Electricians is an independent contractor-referral service. When you call, you are connected with a participating independent electrician who serves your area, if one is available. That electrician diagnoses the problem, quotes the job, and does the work under their own business name and insurance.
Does it cost anything to call?
We don't charge you for the referral. The electrician you're connected with quotes their own price, and you're under no obligation to hire them. We may receive compensation for qualified referrals.
Does Pennsylvania license electricians?
Not at the state level. Pennsylvania has no statewide electrician license; licensing is set by municipalities. Allentown, Reading, and Harrisburg, for example, license electricians, while many boroughs and townships only require a permit for the job. Separately, contractors who do $5,000 or more of home improvement work a year must register with the Pennsylvania Attorney General and show their PAHIC number on contracts.
How much does an electrician cost in Pennsylvania?
Angi's 2026 data puts the national average electrician job at $351, with most between $163 and $538, and hourly rates of $50 to $130 plus a $100 to $200 first-hour service call. Its Philadelphia figures run a little higher, averaging $377. Bigger projects cost more: HomeAdvisor puts a 200-amp panel at $1,300 to $2,000.
Can I get emergency electrical help?
Call and ask. Availability depends on which participating electricians cover your area and when you call, so we can't promise a response time or after-hours service. If anything is smoking, sparking, or smells like it's burning, leave the house and call 911 first. For a downed line or damaged meter, call your utility.
What should I ask an electrician before hiring them?
Ask whether your municipality requires a license for the work and for their license number if so, their PAHIC registration number, proof of liability insurance, whether a permit is needed and who pulls it, and for the scope and price in writing. Pennsylvania law requires a written contract for home improvement work over $500 and gives you three business days to cancel.
Find an Electrician Near You
Call and we will try to connect you with a participating independent electrician who serves your area.