Metcalf Electric

Casey S.

We purchased a home with aluminum wiring (which can be a fire hazard in certain situations if unrepaired) and as part of the purchase agreement we required that all aluminum connections in the home be repaired. Initially the sellers said they made the appropriate repairs but we discovered that this was in fact not the case. The sellers suggested hiring an independent party to inspect the wiring and make repairs if necessary; they recommended Metcalf Electric (we would later come to find out that the sellers and Metcalf had a previous relationship which involved exchanging services for reduced costs). I spoke to Norman Metcalf on the phone and he seemed like a great guy. I expressed my genuine concern about aluminum wiring because I have two small children and wanted to do whatever I could to reduce the risk of fires in the home (I work with pediatric burn victims and have seen first hand how devastating burn injuries can be). He said he empathized because of the nature of his business and that he specialized in repairing older homes with dated wiring. He said that he had inspected the wiring at the home we were purchasing and the previous repairs were not done correctly. He agreed to repair every single aluminum connection in the entire home to give us piece of mind. We modified the purchase agreement to say that all aluminum connections in the home were to be repaired by Metcalf Electric; Metcalf was then hired by the sellers to make these repairs and we were told that all repairs were completed so we proceeded with purchasing the home. The sellers then requested that we rent the home back to them for a few months so we didn't actually inspect the repairs until months later.

When the sellers finally moved out we discovered that there were still multiple unrepaired aluminum connections in places that were easily accessible, including one connection that had signs of prior burning and melting. It appeared to my untrained eye that little to no attempt was made to make the repairs agreed upon. I took multiple pictures and sent the pictures to Norman Metcalf. The following are quotes from his response:

""...We sincerely apologize for the undue stress and headache caused by our failure to complete the work we were asked to do. Our foreman had an incorrect notion of the scope of the work, and what constituted needing treatment. Regardless of that, it constitutes a failure on our part and we will refund you the complete contract price. This is not how we operate, and quite frankly we are highly embarrassed by this failure to perform. If there is anything else you feel we can do to make this right, we are happy to discuss it. Again, our sincerest apologies...""

He then offered to reimburse us an amount which, based on my research on how much it would actually cost to do all of the repairs after talking to multiple electricians, was completely insufficient. We were in the middle of negotiating an appropriate reimbursement when I received a letter from his lawyer which in part said Metcalf would only be willing to reimburse me a ""nominal fee."" This letter went on to say ""in closing, California is a Libel Per Se state, meaning that if it is defamatory Libel made on a public cite, an action will lie without proof of actual damages to Metcalf Electric."" I interpreted this as accusing me of being a liar and as a warning not to post about my experience on social media platforms to avoid being accused of libel. My response is that truth is a complete defense to a libel claim.

I attempted to deal directly with Norman Metcal and was met with a letter from his lawyer. I reported my experience to the California State License Board but the case was dismissed because I ""did not have a contract with Metcalf"" (the sellers of the home were technically the ones who hired him despite the fact that we had a signed purchase agreement with my name on it stating that Metcalf was to make all of the repairs). At this point it is not about the money I have spent (I ended up spending about $9,000 to rewire the entire house after this whole ordeal because I wanted to make sure my children were as protected from a home fire as possible and I did not trust any of the prior ""repairs"" that were done). It is about a company in Sacramento with a good reputation that did not do the work they were hired to do and then attempted to, as I see it, bully the customer into being quiet about it.

If Norman Metcalf has a rebuttal to anything I have written above I welcome it; I have photographs and documentation to corroborate everything I have written in this post, in far more detail than I have written about here. I have considered pursuing litigation but at this point I am so sick of dealing with the whole situation that it may not be worth it. I hope Norman Metcalf realizes that he made a mistake and should have dealt with this situation professionally instead of trying to (in my opinion) bully his customer to save face and a few bucks.

michael p.

Norman and Dave are the best.
They are so good,
new jobs are days out now,
so plan ahead,
and fix the roof while the sun is shining,
as the saying goes.
Norman knows his stuff,
but will call in anything
when he needs a boost:
motor shops, SMUD -
and *gets results*.
He cleared up some long standing
mysteries about the systems in my
32 year old coffee shop,
after an outage 4 years ago.
Today he consulted, tested,
and established a clear path forward,
for a motor failure that had stumped
my mechanical engineer and me for a week.
We are certifiable computer, electric,
and mechanical geeks with 60 years
adult experience between us,
and he brought everything into focus for us.
Personally and professionally,
I have the highest regard for this team.

Don L.

Without warning the electricity in my center room failed. I checked breakers, looked for tripped gfi's...nothing.
Then a few days later, another circuit failed... I was getting worried- ""rats, eating wires in the attic"" I thought.
Without a real troubleshooting plan I was lost.
Fortunately, I was referred to Dave by a friend who knew of his abilities.
Dave looked at a few pictures, spoke with me to ensure I understood his logical approach and within a few hours all had returned to normal.
I'm grateful for the way my job was assessed, executed and resolved. Please call Metcalf Electric when you need a professional resolution.

Andy A.

Metcalf Electric replaced 2 recessed hall lights, 2 aim-able recessed lights, replaced track lighting with recessed fixtures, and finally replaced a big ugly flourescent box lighting fixture in our kitchen with recessed lighting. They did a good job that was done on time and budget, and our house looks terrific. The price was reasonable, too. I would highly recommend them to anyone.

Grandma B.

Dave, Norman and crew at Metcalf have completed several projects for me, ranging from lights, dimmers, fans, new outlets, charging stations and hidden TV, cable, internet wiring. Their work has been professional, affordable, and friendly. They demonstrate integrity and accountability in everything they do. All of them pay attention to the details, treating their customers with respect and understanding. They found ways to save me money when several other electricians quoted me many thousands more! The Metcalf crew was extremely careful with my belongings. They even took the time to pet and talk to my dogs! Metcalf has a strong reputation for quality, and I saw it in the work they completed for me. I recommend Metcalf for any residential electrical work. They know how to take care of the oldest houses in Sacramento, and they can also set you up so you're ready for the latest technology. I won't call anyone else!

Mike F.

great folks!

quality work!

Had them move a chandelier and install a new fan. Excellent guys!

A X.

David Fischer came to my East Sac home and we agreed on a price and when he would call me back that afternoon. He did not call me.

The next day, when the work was to be done, I called the office repeatedly without an answer or a call back. Half way through the day, I finally found his cell number. He then said that the work would now have to wait almost a week because other jobs suddenly came up.

I recognize that other reviews are better. But this was my experience.

I found someone else who followed through on their word.

P Z.

Curt, Tony, Dave, and Norman (owner) all deliver good craftsmanship, fair prices, and professional attitudes. I had them do two dozen small jobs at my house (including recessed lights) and I found them to be dependable and ready to handle curveballs. They will advise you on a cheaper or more creative solution to the problem you have, and respect your design decisions fully. Great attitudes and on-time work are getting rare these days, and I wouldn't hesitate to call Metcalf again for a job done right.

D A.

Highly recommended! Norman was professional in service and exceptional at locating our problem. He will be my only electrician in the future. Love that he is a local business. He walked me through the issues, made suggestions, and was here quickly on a Saturday! He gets a Facebook posting!!!

Chris C.

Dave of Metcalf recently helped me with a project. He was quick to respond and work me into his schedule. He did an outstanding job with a fair price. I'd definitely use him again.