Current Electric handles electrical work for homeowners, landlords, property managers, and businesses throughout Menlo Park and the surrounding Peninsula. From everyday repairs and outlet installs to full panel upgrades and EV charger circuits, we cover the full range of residential and commercial electrical needs. Work is performed by licensed electricians who know the local housing stock and the code requirements that apply here in California.
We're open daily from 5:30 AM to 9:30 PM, and same-day service is available for calls that can't wait. Real electricians. Real pricing. Real fast response.
Call (650) 614-5391 for a quote.
The hardest part of an electrical problem is knowing when to call, but flickering lights, dead outlets, and breakers that keep tripping are all signs that something needs attention. These problems don't fix themselves, and waiting usually makes them worse.
We handle the full range of electrical diagnostics: tracking down the source of a fault, testing circuits, replacing worn breakers, and checking that your GFCI and AFCI protection is doing its job. Grounding and bonding issues come up often in older homes, and we address those as part of a thorough inspection rather than patching around them.
Same-day electrical service is available for most repair calls in Menlo Park. Call today and we'll get the power back where it belongs.
Menlo Park has a mix of housing stock that spans several decades, and many of those older homes are running on panels that were never designed to carry today's electrical loads. When a renovation adds a kitchen, a home office, or an EV charger circuit, the panel has to keep up.
We handle panel repair, breaker replacement, and full panel upgrades including 200-amp service upgrades when the existing capacity isn't enough. That includes service-entrance and meter upgrades, subpanel installation, load calculations, and dedicated appliance circuits for dryers, ranges, and other high-draw equipment. Every upgrade gets wiring work checked against code before sign-off, so you're not left with a panel that passes today and causes problems later.
We'll get the job wired and finished.
Your home deserves wiring that's safe and up to code, and that starts with the basics: outlets that work, switches that respond, and lighting that does what you need it to do.
We install standard and GFCI outlets throughout the home, replace outdated switches, and add outlets to rooms where there simply aren't enough. Kitchens, bathrooms, garages, and outdoor areas all have specific code requirements for ground-fault protection, and we make sure the work meets those standards.
For lighting, we install recessed lighting, replace fixtures, and wire ceiling fans throughout the home. AFCI breaker installation is often part of this work in bedrooms and living areas, where arc-fault protection is required under current California code. Whether you're updating a single room or working through a whole-home renovation, we handle the electrical side start to finish.
Outdoor and landscape lighting, security lighting, and exterior fixtures all need wiring that holds up to the conditions outside. We run the circuits, set up the controls, and make sure everything is properly weatherproofed and code-compliant.
For major appliances, we install dedicated circuits sized to the load. Dryers, ranges, dishwashers, and refrigerators all benefit from their own circuit rather than sharing capacity with the rest of the house. If you're adding a hot-tub circuit or wiring a home addition, we handle those as well.
We work with homeowners, property managers, and contractors on remodel and renovation projects throughout Menlo Park. A straightforward choice for homeowners and property managers who need electrical work done right without the back-and-forth. We're ready to get your circuits working again.
The Bay Area's mild coastal climate keeps heating and cooling loads moderate in Menlo Park, but the electrical demands here run in a different direction entirely. EV adoption in San Mateo County is among the highest in the country. Rooftop solar is widespread. And California's wildfire-season public-safety power shutoffs have made battery backup a real priority for households that can't afford to go dark. These three services come up constantly in this area, and we're equipped to handle all of them.
A Level 2 home charger is the practical choice for daily EV driving, and the installation involves more than plugging in a unit. We assess your panel's available capacity, run a dedicated EV circuit, and upgrade the panel if the load calculations show it's needed. We handle the wiring from panel to charger location and make sure the circuit is sized correctly for the charger you're installing. If you're adding a second vehicle or planning ahead for future capacity, we factor that in from the start.
We work on the electrical side of solar and battery storage installations: wiring the system, running dedicated circuits, and upgrading the service entrance or subpanel when the additional load requires it. California's net-metering environment makes rooftop solar a practical investment, and battery storage adds a layer of resilience when the grid goes down. We also handle backup generator hookups and transfer switch installation for households that want a broader outage plan.
The Bay Area's grid infrastructure is aging in places, and the density of smart-home devices, EV chargers, and solar equipment in a typical Menlo Park home means a voltage spike can cause serious damage. A whole-home surge protector installs at the panel and catches surges before they reach your equipment. We pair surge protection with a check of your grounding and bonding to make sure the protection is actually doing its job. An electrical safety inspection can identify other vulnerabilities at the same time.
For residential and commercial electrical work alike, availability matters. We're open daily from 5:30 AM to 9:30 PM, including weekends, and same-day service is available for urgent electrical repairs that can't be pushed to next week.
Homeowners dealing with a tripped breaker, landlords managing a rental property issue, and property managers coordinating work across multiple units all get the same response: a real answer on the call, a clear explanation of what the work involves, and a price before anything is scheduled.
We answer when you call. We explain the work. We leave it safe.
The next job gets earned by doing this one right. That's how we approach every call, and it's why people in Menlo Park call back when the next problem comes up. We're a local electrician for homeowners and property managers who want the work done without the runaround.
We handle commercial electrical repair and service for offices, retail spaces, and small businesses throughout the area. That includes troubleshooting and repair, lighting upgrades, panel work, outlet and circuit installation, and wiring for build-outs and renovations.
For landlords and property managers, we handle rental property electrical inspections, pre-purchase electrical inspections, and code inspection work for properties going on the market. If a tenant reports a problem, we can often get someone out the same day. If you're preparing a property for sale or a new tenant, we'll document what we find and explain what needs to be addressed.
We'll get your lights back on fast.
Keeping a home safe starts with the wiring behind the walls, and understanding what the work will cost is part of making a good decision. We give you a price on the call, before anything is scheduled, so you know what you're agreeing to.
What affects the cost of electrical work: the complexity of the job, whether the panel needs to be involved, how much wiring needs to be run, and whether any code upgrades are required along the way. We explain what we find and what it takes to fix it, and you decide how to proceed.
There's no pressure and no guesswork. Call (650) 614-5391 for an estimate and we'll walk through the scope with you.
We serve Menlo Park and the towns around it throughout San Mateo County and the broader Peninsula. That includes Palo Alto, Redwood City, Atherton, East Palo Alto, Woodside, Portola Valley, Belmont, and San Carlos. If you're just outside Menlo Park, call and we'll confirm coverage for your address.
An inspection makes sense before buying a home, after a renovation, or any time an older home hasn't had its wiring reviewed in several years. Menlo Park has a lot of mid-century housing where the original wiring is still in place, and an inspection identifies arc-fault and ground-fault gaps, grounding and bonding issues, and panel conditions that aren't visible from the outside. It's a practical step before adding load to a system you haven't had evaluated.
A Level 2 charger installation starts with a load calculation to confirm your panel has the capacity to carry the added circuit. We run a dedicated 240-volt circuit from the panel to the charger location, install the charger, and confirm the circuit is sized correctly for the unit you're using. If the panel needs an upgrade to support the load, we handle that as part of the same project.
Knob-and-tube wiring is a safety concern in most modern contexts because it lacks a ground conductor, was not designed for today's electrical loads, and degrades over time. Whether it needs to be replaced depends on its condition, how it's been modified, and what the home's current load demands are. We assess the wiring and explain what we find before recommending a course of action.
Common signs include breakers that trip frequently under normal load, limited space for new circuits, nuisance tripping when multiple appliances run at once, and a service entrance that can't support an EV charger or other high-draw addition. Many Menlo Park homes were built with 100-amp service that was adequate at the time but isn't sized for how people use electricity today. A load calculation confirms whether an upgrade is needed.
The electrician reviews the problem or the scope of the installation, inspects the relevant circuits and panel as needed, and explains what the work involves before starting. For repairs, that means diagnosing the fault and correcting it. For installations, it means confirming the circuit capacity, running any new wiring, and testing the finished work before leaving. Wiring work is checked against code before sign-off.
A burning smell near an outlet or panel is a sign of heat where it shouldn't be, which can indicate a loose connection, an overloaded circuit, or wiring that's failing. This is not something to wait on. Call (650) 614-5391 and describe what you're experiencing. Same-day service is available for situations like this.
For most jobs, yes. The electrician needs access to the panel, the affected circuits, and the work areas throughout the visit. For property managers coordinating access through a tenant or building contact, call ahead and we'll work out the logistics before the visit is scheduled so the job doesn't stall on access.
A whole-home surge protector installs at the panel and intercepts voltage spikes before they reach your circuits and equipment. In a home with EV charging equipment, solar inverters, and connected devices, a surge can cause damage across multiple systems at once. Protection at the panel covers everything in the house rather than relying on individual power strips at each outlet.
A repair is appropriate when the problem is isolated and the surrounding wiring is in good condition. When the fault is a symptom of older wiring, an undersized circuit, or a pattern of recurring problems in the same area, patching around it doesn't fix the underlying issue. We explain what we find and what the options are so you can make an informed decision about how to proceed.
Permit requirements vary by job type and by whether the work is in the city of Menlo Park or in the surrounding unincorporated county. We confirm what applies at your address before the work is scheduled. When a permit is required, we handle the process and the work is inspected before sign-off.
An outlet that doesn't power devices, feels warm to the touch, shows discoloration or scorch marks, or sparks when something is plugged in needs to be looked at. These signs can indicate a loose connection, a wiring fault, or an overloaded circuit. We test and replace outlets as part of a standard service call and check the wiring feeding the outlet as part of the same visit.
Aluminum wiring used in residential construction during the 1960s and 70s expands and contracts differently than copper, which can loosen connections at outlets, switches, and fixtures over time. Loose connections create heat, and heat creates a fire risk. Remediation typically involves installing CO/ALR-rated devices at every connection point or replacing the branch circuit wiring. We assess the extent of the aluminum wiring and explain the options before any work is done.
The Bay Area's mild climate means outdoor electrical work is practical in most months of the year. Rain can delay work that requires open trenching or exposed connections, but most outdoor fixture and outlet installations are not weather-dependent in the same way they would be in colder regions. We confirm the conditions and scheduling with you before the visit.
Current Electric is ready to take your call. Whether you need a repair, a panel upgrade, an EV charger circuit, surge protection, or commercial electrical service, we handle it all from a single call. We're open daily from 5:30 AM to 9:30 PM, and same-day service is available.
Pick the date. We do the wiring. We clean up after.
Call (650) 614-5391 for a quote. We're ready to get your circuits working again.
Below is a quick look at the electrical services we handle for homes and businesses in Menlo Park 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 Menlo Park 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 | Menlo Park 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. |
What causes a breaker to trip repeatedly, and when does it become a problem?
A breaker trips when it detects more current than the circuit is rated to carry. That can mean the circuit is overloaded, a device on it is drawing more power than expected, or there is a wiring fault somewhere in the run. An occasional trip under heavy load is normal. A breaker that trips repeatedly under ordinary use, or that trips right after being reset, is telling you something is wrong. We diagnose the cause rather than just resetting the breaker and moving on.
What do flickering or dimming lights usually mean?
Flickering lights can point to a loose connection at the fixture, a failing switch, a voltage drop on the circuit, or a problem at the panel. Dimming that happens when a large appliance starts up is often a sign that the circuit or service entrance is undersized for the load. Occasional minor dimming is common. Persistent flickering, especially if it affects multiple rooms or comes with a buzzing sound, is worth having checked.
How do I know if my home needs rewiring, and what does that process involve?
Signs that a home may need rewiring include recurring electrical faults with no clear cause, wiring that has been modified repeatedly over the years, aluminum branch circuit wiring that has not been remediated, or knob-and-tube wiring that is no longer in safe condition. The scope of a rewire depends on how much of the original wiring is affected and what the home's current load demands are. We assess the wiring, explain what we find, and outline the options before any work is recommended.
Work Performed by Licensed Electricians
Every job is handled by licensed electricians who know the code requirements that apply in California. We confirm what permits and inspections are required at your address before the work is scheduled.
What is GFCI protection, and where is it required in a home?
A GFCI outlet or breaker detects ground faults, which occur when current takes an unintended path, and cuts power in a fraction of a second. California code requires GFCI protection in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, outdoor areas, crawl spaces, and anywhere outlets are near water. Older homes often have these areas wired without GFCI protection, and updating them is a straightforward part of a standard service call.
Can you add a circuit for a workshop, garage, or large appliance without upgrading the whole panel?
Sometimes, yes. If the existing panel has available capacity and open breaker slots, we can add a dedicated circuit without a full panel upgrade. If the panel is already at capacity or the load calculation shows the service entrance cannot carry the added draw, a panel or service upgrade becomes part of the project. We run the load calculation first and tell you what the panel can support before recommending a scope.
What is the difference between a panel upgrade and a service upgrade?
A panel upgrade replaces the breaker panel itself, adding capacity and modern overcurrent protection. A service upgrade increases the amperage of the electrical service coming into the home, typically from 100 amps to 200 amps, and involves the service entrance, the meter, and the panel. Many jobs require both. We assess what the home currently has and what the new load demands require before recommending one or the other.
Scope Agreed Before the Panel Is Opened
We explain what the work involves and give you a price before anything is started. You decide how to proceed with full information, not after the fact.
How long does a panel upgrade or service upgrade typically take?
Most panel upgrades are completed in a single day. A service upgrade that involves the utility company may require a brief outage and coordination with the utility for reconnection, which can extend the timeline by a day depending on scheduling. We confirm the scope and the expected timeline with you before the work is scheduled, so you know what access is needed and how long the work is expected to take.
What are the risks of warm, buzzing, or discolored outlets?
An outlet that feels warm, makes a buzzing sound, or shows discoloration around the face plate is showing signs of heat where it should not be. This can indicate a loose connection, an overloaded circuit, or wiring that is failing. These are not cosmetic issues. We test the outlet and inspect the wiring feeding it as part of the same visit, because the outlet itself is often not the only place where the problem shows up.
Experienced With Older and Newer Homes
Menlo Park's housing stock ranges from mid-century construction with original wiring to newer builds with solar and EV infrastructure. We handle both, and we know where the differences show up in the work.
When should I call an electrician instead of attempting a DIY fix?
Replacing a light bulb or resetting a tripped breaker is straightforward. Most other electrical work, including replacing outlets, installing fixtures, running new wiring, or working inside the panel, involves live circuits and code requirements that carry real safety and liability consequences if done incorrectly. In California, permitted electrical work is required to be performed by licensed electricians. If you are unsure whether a job requires a permit, call us and we will tell you what applies.
What is grounding and bonding, and why does it matter in an older home?
Grounding provides a safe path for fault current to travel in the event of a wiring failure. Bonding connects metal components of the electrical system so they stay at the same voltage potential. Both are required by code and both degrade or go missing in older homes that have been modified over the years. Grounding and bonding issues do not always cause immediate problems, but they can make a fault more dangerous when one occurs. We check both as part of a safety inspection.
Is my home ready to handle the added electrical load from solar, a battery system, or an EV charger?
That depends on what the panel currently has available and what the service entrance is rated to carry. A load calculation tells us whether the existing system can support the added draw or whether a panel or service upgrade is needed first. We run that calculation before recommending any installation, so the scope is clear from the start. Homes in this area are adding EV chargers, solar, and battery storage at a high rate, and panel capacity is the most common factor that affects the project plan.
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