FAQ
Electrician FAQs for Brooklyn, NY
These are the questions Brooklyn Electrician answers on the phone every week. If yours is missing, call (929) 460-9789 or send it to us.
Hiring an Electrician in Brooklyn
The Department of Buildings keeps a public license search. Open the DOB's Know Your Construction Professional page, pick Master Electrician, and type the name or the license number. The record shows whether the license is active. Check before you sign, every time.
No. New York City requires a licensed master electrician for electrical work, including small jobs like replacing a defective switch. A handyman can change a light bulb. Anything past that belongs to a licensed electrical contractor.
Yes. An electrician looks at the job, then you get a written quote with line items. Nothing starts until you approve it. Send the details through the contact page and we reply within one business day.
Electrical Permits and Inspections in Brooklyn
The electrician does. Owners cannot file an electrical permit themselves in NYC. General work, such as new circuits or a rewire, also gets a DOB inspection. The DOB lists minor replacements that need a permit and no inspection.
Only when the service itself changes. A bigger service for a panel upgrade goes through Con Edison's Project Center, and a licensed contractor has to submit it. Work on your side of the meter - outlets, lighting, new circuits - does not involve Con Edison.
Your landlord. Building wiring is the owner's responsibility, so report the problem to the super or the management office first. A hazard the owner ignores can go to NYC 311. Owners and managers call our electrical repair team directly.
Questions Brooklyn Electricians Hear Every Week
A burning smell, a hot outlet, sparks, or a breaker that will not stay reset. Call our emergency electrician line at (929) 460-9789. Smoke or flames mean 911 first. A block-wide outage belongs to Con Edison at 1-800-75-CONED.
The AC shares a 15-amp circuit with other loads, and the total runs past what the breaker allows. The breaker is doing its job. The fix is a dedicated circuit for the air conditioner, which our rewiring electricians install.
They work, but they have no ground, so surge protectors and three-prong adapters give false comfort. Swapping in a three-prong outlet without a ground wire is a code violation. The legal options are a GFCI outlet labeled as ungrounded, or a new grounded circuit.
The swap itself takes most of a day with the power off. The calendar is the slow part. The DOB permit and Con Edison's review can add weeks before the install date, so start early if a kitchen renovation depends on it. Our electrical panel upgrade page walks through the steps.
Yes, slowly. A standard outlet adds a few miles of range per hour, which suits short commutes. A Level 2 charger on a 240-volt circuit refills most batteries overnight. Our EV charger electricians check the panel first.
Yes. Slim LED lights need about two inches of depth, so they fit under old joists. Our lighting electricians cut each opening carefully and work around medallions and crown molding.
Yes. The job needs new cable from a switch and a fan-rated box fixed to a joist or a brace. Our ceiling fan electricians handle both, and the wiring is the larger half of the bill.
Still Have a Question for a Brooklyn Electrician?
Ask it. Call (929) 460-9789 or send the form, and a real person replies within one business day.
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