San Mateo's housing stock tells a story in wiring. Older neighborhoods carry circuits that were laid down when a household might have had one television and a toaster, and the loads those circuits were designed for are a fraction of what runs through them today. Current Electric handles electrical work throughout San Mateo, from quick repairs in older homes to full panel upgrades and EV charger circuits in newer construction. Same-day service is available, and we're open every day from 5:30 AM to 9:30 PM.
Whether you're a homeowner dealing with a panel that can't keep up, a property manager coordinating work across multiple units, or a landlord getting a rental ready for a new tenant, the call goes to the same place. You get a price before anything is scheduled, and a licensed electrician handles the work.
A lot of San Mateo's residential neighborhoods were built in the postwar decades, and the electrical systems in those homes reflect the era. Knob-and-tube wiring, aluminum branch circuits, and ungrounded two-prong outlets are all common findings in homes that haven't had a full electrical review. None of those are automatic emergencies, but each one creates real limitations on what the system can safely carry and how it responds to modern demand.
The hardest part of an electrical problem is knowing when to call, and the answer in older homes is often before something fails rather than after. A safety inspection identifies where the system is holding up and where it isn't, and that information shapes every decision that follows. We handle the assessment and explain what we find before any work is recommended.
San Mateo is a city with a wide mix of housing and commercial premises. A call from a single-family home in an older neighborhood involves different considerations than a call from a newer condo building or a retail space in a mixed-use block. The work is not the same from one property to the next, and neither is the approach.
Most calls start with something that stopped working or started behaving strangely. A dead outlet, a breaker that won't stay on, lights that flicker when a large appliance kicks in. These are symptoms, and the repair starts with finding the cause rather than replacing the obvious part. We trace faults back to their source, whether that's a loose connection, a failing breaker, a wiring problem behind the wall, or a circuit that's simply being asked to carry more than it was designed for.
A panel that was sized for a 1960s household is not sized for a home that now has an EV charger, a heat pump circuit, and a battery backup system. When the load outgrows the panel, tripping breakers and limited circuit space are the first signs. A panel upgrade addresses the capacity directly. A service upgrade changes the amperage coming into the home from the utility. Sometimes the job calls for both. We handle the load calculation, the upgrade, and any subpanel installation needed to get power where it needs to go.
New appliances, workshop equipment, EV chargers, and outdoor outlets all need circuits sized for the load they'll carry. Running a dedicated circuit for a dryer, a range, or a garage charger is a different job than adding an outlet to an existing circuit, and it's the kind of work where getting the sizing right from the start matters. The service page carries the full breakdown of what each installation type involves.
For residential and commercial electrical work alike, lighting is one of the most common reasons for a call, and also one of the most variable. A recessed lighting installation in a living room is a straightforward job. Outdoor security lighting with motion sensors, landscape lighting on a timer, and driveway lighting that holds up to the elements all involve their own considerations around weatherproofing, circuit placement, and controls.
What's worth doing at the same time as other work: if we're already in the panel for an upgrade or a circuit addition, adding a ceiling fan circuit or a dedicated outdoor lighting circuit while the panel is open is a practical move. Ceiling fan installation is a common add-on to a lighting job, and it's simpler when the wiring is already being touched. We'll tell you on the call whether the timing makes sense for your situation.
Swapping out standard switches for smart switches or dimmers sounds simple, but the wiring in older San Mateo homes sometimes doesn't include a neutral wire at the switch location, which some smart switch models require. We assess what's in the box before recommending a solution, and we handle the wiring if a neutral needs to be run.
A welder, an air compressor, or a table saw draws a load that a standard household circuit isn't built for. Running a dedicated circuit for workshop equipment means sizing the wire and the breaker correctly for the equipment, and sometimes means adding a subpanel in the garage or outbuilding to keep the load off the main panel. We wire these circuits to handle what you're actually going to plug in.
Ground-fault protection is required in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, and exterior locations, and arc-fault protection is required in bedrooms and living areas under current California code. Older homes often have neither. Bringing a home up to current protection standards is a common part of a larger electrical update, and it's also work that stands on its own if the goal is safety rather than a full renovation.
When the wiring throughout a home is original and has been modified over decades without a clear record, a full rewiring addresses the problem at the root rather than chasing faults one by one. Partial rewiring targets specific areas, such as a kitchen or bathroom update, or a section of the home where aluminum branch circuits need to be replaced. We assess the scope before recommending either approach.
In a multi-unit building, the electrical picture is more complicated than in a single-family home. The panel for an individual unit is often in a shared corridor, a utility room, or a basement rather than inside the apartment itself. What the tenant can access and what the building controls are two different things, and work that touches the main service or the shared distribution equipment involves the building's ownership or management rather than the individual unit.
We work with property managers and building owners on the building side of these jobs, and with tenants on the unit side. If you're not sure where the boundary falls for your situation, call and describe what you're seeing. We'll tell you what we can handle and who to contact for the rest.
Keeping a home safe starts with the wiring behind the walls, and understanding what the work costs is part of making a good decision about it. We give you a rate on the call, before a visit is booked, and we explain what it covers. What affects the quote: the scope of the job, how much wiring needs to be run, whether the panel is involved, and whether any code upgrades are required along the way.
We're a straightforward choice for homeowners and property managers who want to know what they're agreeing to before anyone shows up. Ask what the quote covers and you get a direct answer. Call (650) 614-5391 to get one.
Same-day electrical service is available for most repair calls. Urgent problems, including outlets that aren't working, breakers that won't hold, and anything that involves a burning smell or visible damage, get priority. We're open every day from 5:30 AM to 9:30 PM, and we can often work around a schedule that requires someone to be home during the visit.
For property managers and landlords with tenants in place, we coordinate the visit to minimize disruption. For businesses that need to stay open during the work, we'll talk through what's practical before the job is booked. The next job gets earned by doing this one right, and that starts with scheduling it in a way that actually works.
San Mateo is our focus on this page, but the surrounding communities are covered too. That includes Hillsborough, Baywood Park, Foster City, Belmont, and Highlands, along with other addresses throughout San Mateo County. If you're in the area and aren't sure whether we cover your address, call and we'll confirm. Most of the county falls within our service area.
the page covering electrical jobs describes what happens once the work starts.
A full rewire involves opening walls, ceilings, and floors to run new cable throughout the home. We work in stages where possible to keep parts of the property livable, and we explain the sequence before starting so you know what to expect each day.
We are open daily from 5:30 AM to 9:30 PM, which covers early morning start times that work for many commercial properties. If your situation requires work outside those hours, call us and we will discuss what can be arranged.
We look at whether the original fault was fully resolved or whether there is an underlying issue that was not caught the first time. A recurring fault is not treated as a separate billable problem without first understanding whether it is connected to prior work.
We work on both the unit side and the building side of multi-unit electrical jobs. For tenants, that typically means outlet repairs, circuit additions, lighting, and anything within the individual unit. For property managers and building owners, we handle panel work, shared circuit repairs, and electrical upgrades that affect the building's distribution equipment. If you're not sure which category your job falls into, describe what you're seeing on the call and we'll sort out the scope from there.
The most common calls involve circuits and panels that were never designed for today's electrical loads, outlets that lack ground-fault protection, and wiring that has been modified over the years without a clear record of what was changed. Knob-and-tube and aluminum branch circuit wiring both come up in San Mateo's older neighborhoods, and each requires a different approach. An inspection identifies what's in place and what, if anything, needs to be addressed.
We separate what is a safety concern from what is a code gap from what is a maintenance item, and we explain each category clearly. You decide what to address and in what order, with our input on which items carry the most risk if left alone.
In some situations, yes. Whether a temporary supply is practical depends on the scope of the job and the layout of the property. Call us with the details and we will explain what is possible before the work is scheduled.
The panel itself is de-energized for the duration of the swap, which is typically a matter of hours for a straightforward replacement. We give you a clearer estimate when we scope the job, because the time depends on the size of the panel and whether any related work is being done at the same time.
Not necessarily. Which circuits need to be de-energized depends on where the work is and what it involves. We isolate only what needs to be off, and we restore power to unaffected areas as quickly as the work allows.
Current Electric handles the full range of electrical work in San Mateo, from fault tracing in older homes to panel upgrades, EV charger circuits, GFCI and AFCI protection, and whole-home rewiring. We answer when you call. We explain the work. We leave it safe.
Call (650) 614-5391 for a quote. We handle it.
We also work in: San Carlos, Redwood City, East Palo Alto.
Below is a quick look at the electrical services we handle for homes and businesses in San Mateo and the surrounding Peninsula. Each row covers what the service includes, who it fits best, and a practical note to help you decide whether to call. If you have questions about a specific job, call us and we will walk through the scope with you before anything is scheduled.
| Service | What It Covers | Best For | Things to Know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole-Home Surge Protection | panel-level surge protector installationgrounding and bonding checkprotection for EV and solar equipmentelectrical safety inspection pairing | homes with EV chargers, solar inverters, or a high density of connected devices | A surge protector at the panel covers everything in the house. Individual power strips at outlets do not provide the same level of protection. |
| Lighting Installation | recessed lighting installationfixture replacementAFCI breaker installationwhole-room lighting circuits | homeowners remodeling a room or updating fixtures throughout the home | California code requires arc-fault protection in bedrooms and living areas. We handle AFCI installation as part of lighting work where required. |
| Electrical Panel & Service Upgrades | 200-amp service upgradessubpanel installationload calculationsservice entrance and meter upgrades | older homes being renovated or adding EV chargers, solar, or high-draw appliances | Wiring work is checked against code before sign-off. Many San Mateo homes still carry 100-amp service that was never sized for today's loads. |
| Electrical Repairs & Troubleshooting | fault diagnosis and circuit testingGFCI and AFCI protection checksgrounding and bonding issuesworn breaker replacement | homeowners dealing with flickering lights, dead outlets, or recurring faults | Same-day service is available for most repair calls. Waiting on an electrical fault usually makes it worse, not better. |
| Dedicated Appliance Circuits | dryer and range circuitsdishwasher and refrigerator circuitsworkshop and garage circuitshot-tub circuit installation | homeowners adding major appliances or a workshop that needs its own power supply | Sharing capacity with the rest of the house causes nuisance trips and can shorten appliance life. A dedicated circuit fixes that. |
| EV Charger Installation | Level 2 charger circuit installationpanel capacity assessmentpanel upgrade if load requires itfuture-capacity planning | EV owners who want reliable home charging without relying on a standard outlet | EV adoption in San Mateo County is among the highest in the country. We size the circuit for the charger you have and plan ahead for a second vehicle if needed. |
| Outlet & Switch Installation | standard and GFCI outlet installationswitch replacement and upgradesadding outlets to underserved roomscode-required ground-fault protection | homeowners updating kitchens, bathrooms, garages, or outdoor areas | Kitchens, bathrooms, and outdoor areas all have specific code requirements for GFCI protection. We make sure the work meets those standards. |
| Solar & Battery Backup | solar system electrical wiringbattery storage circuit installationservice entrance and subpanel upgradesbackup generator hookup and transfer switch | homeowners adding rooftop solar, battery storage, or a generator for outage resilience | We work on the electrical side of solar and battery installations. California's public-safety power shutoffs have made outage planning a real priority in this area. |
| Wiring & Circuit Installation | new circuit runshome addition and remodel wiringolder-home rewiringconduit and cable work | renovations, additions, and homes where original wiring is no longer adequate | Rewiring scope depends on the home's age, the condition of existing wiring, and what the new load demands are. We assess before recommending. |
| Breaker & Fuse Repair | breaker testing and replacementfuse panel assessmentnuisance trip diagnosisload evaluation | homes where breakers trip repeatedly under normal use | A breaker that trips repeatedly is telling you something. We find the cause rather than just resetting it. |
| Ceiling Fan Installation | fan and wiring installationbox and support upgrade where neededswitch and control wiring | rooms that need better air circulation without adding a new circuit | Many older ceiling boxes are not rated for fan weight. We confirm the box and support before installation. |
| Electrical Safety Inspections | arc-fault and ground-fault gap identificationgrounding and bonding reviewpanel condition assessmentpre-purchase and pre-sale inspection | buyers, sellers, landlords, and owners of older homes that have not been inspected recently | San Mateo has a lot of mid-century housing where original wiring is still in place. An inspection identifies what needs attention before adding load to the system. |
Every job is different, and a quick call is the fastest way to get a straight answer about what your electrical work actually involves. Call (650) 614-5391 and we will walk through the scope with you before anything is scheduled.
(650) 614-5391