Berkeley Electric

Sean M.

We hired Berkeley Electric to do a substantial amount of electrical work in the home we purchased in North Berkeley. Our house was built in 1936 and had much of the original knob and tube wiring. I met with the owner, Zalman, who went over the most critical areas to be addressed as we had a set budget to work with. Zalman and his crew replaced our electrical breakers, re-wired much of the house, and made several improvements to the overall electrical system to make it more efficient and far safer. During the work our contractors for the general construction short circuited the new electric boxes BE put in. Zalman worked with us to replace them at cost even though it was not the fault of his crew. Zalman is very knowledgeable and trustworthy and a person of his word. I would recommend him to anyone in the East Bay looking for an outstanding electrician.

Meryl P.

Zalman installed our new service when we first moved into our house almost 5 years ago. He showed up on time, did the work quickly and for a great price. He was friendly, skilled, reliable and knowledgeable. He was also flexible with our schedule. 4+ years later we haven't had one problem with the service, he did great work.

Kevin S.

I had a small problem and they treated it like it was important for them even though I'm not a ""big money"" customer. I probably asked way too many questions but they were patient and helped me understand what I needed done. Looking forward to working with them when I do some sort of fancy upgrades down the road.

Michael S.

I recently called American Electrical for one of my clients. They were experiencing intermittent power outages and it was causing havoc with their computer systems, (which I service). Zalman did a thorough inspection of the office wiring and uncovered a very serious situation. The main power line into the building was rubbing on the masthead which caused the short, especially in the rain.

The American crew provided an estimate the next day, the client approved the work and it was fixed within a week. In addition, the crew recommended a dedicated circuit for the server and cleaned up some bad wiring left by the former electrician. Since the original work the client has called Zalman back out to add more circuits.

On time, on estimate, and very proactive. I plan to use them in all my clients when they need electrical work.

Patrick K.

Excellent outfit.

I needed a 220 circuit extended through a closet, stairwell ceiling, and wall to a rooftop deck -- for a hot tub heater.

It was a complex, delicate, job in a highly visible part of the house.

Zalman, at American, gave me a quote and proceeded. His crew was efficient, clean, and meticulous in their work. They covered and protected everything in the house, and patched the sheetrock and work areas expertly.

The final price was even a bit lower than the estimate.

In short, they were first rate. And reasonable.

Anita K.

I contacted them based on Yelp reviews. They showed up on time, trouble shot the problem and fixed it! Professional and friendly. After their visit, they sent ME a thank you note!

Chris G.

PROS: Zalman takes the time to explain things, give opinions, and talk you through large projects. He even invited us over to his house in the evening to look at some of his favorite light fixtures. He stopped by for free afterwards to help us trouble shoot some wiring (we had them rewire our entire new downstairs). I have complete confidence in his expertise and the quality of his work. The two-man crew that actually did the work were both extremely efficient, knowledgeable, courteous and helpful in every way. I had them do the wiring just up to the boxes to save $$ and then had him charge time and materials instead of fixed bid.

CONS: The only reason I dinged him a star is the price. His standard price is $100 per fixture, including new circuits, wiring, boxes etc. - or $1,200 a day for two-man crew. That's a whole lot of money for a major renovation like ours. Mind you that he did not charge for his consultation time (a significant chunk - several hours worth). Also - he gave my wife a bit of a hard sell at the end, trying to get in an extra half day for work on some minor tasks.

Overall, I would recommend him to anyone who is not on a super tight budget.

Cynthia W.

I had to move in 3 weeks and needed to replace all the wiring in the new condo, flooring, and paint the whole place. Zalman was personally responsive, explained everything in detail with great patience, gave me the options, prepared a detailed and handwritten offer, and got to work a few days later. His colleagues were focused, extremely orderly, and friendly. Everything was finished by Saturday night so the flooring people could start on Monday morning! If you want a team that gives you security, high quality, and clarity, this is the team!

Serena C.

When my new dryer was delivered, the guys who were supposed to install it told me I needed an updated plug and left. I called Zalman at American Electrical and he agreed to fit me into his weekend schedule. Not only did he install the new plug, he also installed the dryer -- all within 1/2 hour. He was ingenious in making the dryer vent fit my 25 year old townhouse-sized utility closet. Everything fits and works beautifully.

Kurt M.

I needed a new 220v hookup for a dryer. I called American Electrical and got to talk with Zalman personally to make my appointment. He was very helpful in giving me a ballpark estimate and getting me ready to welcome the electrician (and save some bucks by doing my own shopping).

the job was beautifully and professionally done the next day (less than 12 hours later). I could even pay with my credit card.

The only thing that could have been better about the whole thing would have been if I could have swiped my card instead of writing it down (but seriously...).