Electrician recommendation

[Bas]

It's been a long two years without a shop, finally ready to convert my 20x20 garage into a place where I can make sawdust! 'm looking for a recommendation for a good electrician in Cary to run some some new circuits. Anyone have some work done recently?

Thanks!

 

[Mike Davis]

Get ready for sticker shock…

 

[Craptastic]

Get ready for sticker shock…

Yeah. Prices for pieces parts, while not as bad as at the peak of the supply chain BS haven't dropped down to anywhere near what they were before 2020. And the labor costs will eat you alive now-a-days.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not against the labor market and fair commerce. It's just having that work done will take a significantly more amount out of your pocket than it did just a few years ago.

 

[Phil S]

I am also converting a 20 x 20 space into a workable shop. I had a 100 amp sub panel installed by an electrician and I am installing circuits and lighting myself. 90% done - i have about 300 feet of EMT run and 15 of 20 circuits installed. I would be glad to help you

 

[kelLOGg]

Are you looking for someone fully equipped to help ( someone with conduit benders, wiring, receptacles, etc.) or are you looking for help using stuff you already have? I could certainly help but I don’t have above-mentioned equipment. I could offer help with wiring, etc. I have stud finder, voltmeter, etc. I am not skilled with wiring codes but I can certainly wire safely. I wired my barn/shop years ago and have had no issues. If this works I can help.

 

[Rwe2156]

I can’t help you with an electrician, but suggest you surface mount the boxes and run either conduit or armor flex. It will be cheaper in the long run and will give you flexibility ti add/change circuits. Circuits should be 12ga wire and 20a beakers.

The electrician that wired my shop made the outlets so each half is a different circuit. That avoids things like a shop vac and mitersaw running off the same one. I have lots of 4 gang outlets, especially over benches.

And do not use arc fault breakers, but he should know that.

You may know all this I’m just assuming since you‘re not doing it yourself you may not know. I’m not an electrician but I’ve seen enough electricians to know you cannot assume they know how to wire a shop. You can’t wire a shop like a house, other than maybe lights. I remember one wired my 5 horse compressor with 12ga on a 30a breaker. I knew this was wrong and questioned him but was told it would be ok. The capacitor blew within a month ans I changed the wire to 10ga myself.

 

[Bas]

Are you looking for someone fully equipped to help ( someone with conduit benders, wiring, receptacles, etc.) or are you looking for help using stuff you already have? I could certainly help but I don’t have above-mentioned equipment. I could offer help with wiring, etc. I have stud finder, voltmeter, etc. I am not skilled with wiring codes but I can certainly wire safely. I wired my barn/shop years ago and have had no issues. If this works I can help.

Right now, I'm looking for someone fully equipped to do this for me. I did the work largely myself in my previous shop. I had an electrician install the subpanel but I hauled, cut, bent and mounted the EMT myself, wired all 21 receptacles, mounted the lights, installed new switches, etc. It was a good experience, I learned a lot, but if I want to get back to making stuff I'd rather pay someone and get it done before I have to move again

I appreciate the offer to help!

 

[Bas]

Get ready for sticker shock…

Yeah, it's not going to be cheap, that's for sure.

 

[Bas]

I am also converting a 20 x 20 space into a workable shop. I had a 100 amp sub panel installed by an electrician and I am installing circuits and lighting myself. 90% done - i have about 300 feet of EMT run and 15 of 20 circuits installed. I would be glad to help you

Phil, you're a fun guy to work with, and if the sticker shock is bad as everyone fears I may take you up on it after all. But after doing one of these projects you're looking for MORE electrical work...in a garage...in the summer.... ????? Are you atoning for some sins in past lives?

 

[Bas]

I can’t help you with an electrician, but suggest you surface mount the boxes and run either conduit or armor flex. It will be cheaper in the long run and will give you flexibility ti add/change circuits. Circuits should be 12ga wire and 20a beakers.

The electrician that wired my shop made the outlets so each half is a different circuit. That avoids things like a shop vac and mitersaw running off the same one. I have lots of 4 gang outlets, especially over benches.

And do not use arc fault breakers, but he should know that.

You may know all this I’m just assuming since you‘re not doing it yourself you may not know. I’m not an electrician but I’ve seen enough electricians to know you cannot assume they know how to wire a shop. You can’t wire a shop like a house, other than maybe lights. I remember one wired my 5 horse compressor with 12ga on a 30a breaker. I knew this was wrong and questioned him but was told it would be ok. The capacitor blew within a month ans I changed the wire to 10ga myself.

All excellent advice. My previous shop had 4 gang outlets using two circuits, so you can plug in the complementary tools like a router/ shopvac. I will not be staying in my current place more than 3-4 years so I'm looking for a minimal setup: 2 120V and 2 240V circuits. That should give me just enough to run everything, and there's room for that in the electrical panel.

 

[Gofor]

I had good luck using BMW Electrical Services out of Smithfield. (984.220.6075). The technician I had was Jay, and he did an outstanding job. He was the electrician provided by our pest control company to wire in a dehumidifier in our crawl space. I was impressed with his work and so hired him to install a new service panel with transfer switch for my back up generator. Very knowledgeable, and efficient worker that wasted no time during the job. Professional, and took care of all permit/inspection as well as coordination with Duke Energy for pulling/reinstalling the meter.

But, as Mike said, not cheap. I paid a 25% of the proposal deposit up front and the rest upon completion. I believe they also do financing, but I did not use that option.

 

[Vstrom]

Matt Goss, Goss Electric. 919-291-5951. I used Matt years ago I wire a laundry room I built in my garage. It included moving the main breaker box. I've also recommended Matt to a few other people and haven't heard a bad thing from them.

 

[tri4sale]

Phil, you're a fun guy to work with, and if the sticker shock is bad as everyone fears I may take you up on it after all. But after doing one of these projects you're looking for MORE electrical work...in a garage...in the summer.... ????? Are you atoning for some sins in past lives?

put the mini-split in first so that you can have AC running while doing the electrical work

 

[Doug C.]

Bas, if you find someone you like, please let me know! We're in the process of moving to Cary, and I need a few (conduit) circuits run similar to yours (2 or 3 120V and 2 240V) to a 200A panel which has plenty of room. in it. And maybe a few more ceiling lights, since apparently builders think a pair of 2' lights are "fine" for a 24x22 garage . I may try some of the 'Barrina' LED shop light fixtures (on Amazon) that you can link together easily if an electrician wants too much for that.

 

[Keye]

Is your garage attached to your house? If yes, at a minimum have an electrician inspect the work. Why you ask. I wired my barn but did not wire my garage/shop. The difference, I do not sleep in the barn but do sleep in my house.

Finding an electrician, or any tradesman, to do a small job is going to be difficult. Around here it is almost impossible.

Even if you are knowledgeable in the basics an experienced electrician will know so much more. I needed to change out a bad ceiling fan. I knew every quickly something was wrong but could not figure out what. I called in an experienced electrician and in 5 minutes he told me somewhere in the existing wiring a nail had been driven through the wire. He said it would be easier, quicker and cheaper to pull a new wire. He did and it fixed the problem.

 

[waitup]

Solutions Electrical
These guys have done great work for quite a few of my clients. Tell Luis you got his name and number from Matt Howard.

 

[SteveHall]

I've known Tim of Systematic Electric for many years, they do commercial and residential. Several contractors I've worked with recommend him, too.

 

[mikeyt]

Bas, if you find someone you like, please let me know! We're in the process of moving to Cary, and I need a few (conduit) circuits run similar to yours (2 or 3 120V and 2 240V) to a 200A panel which has plenty of room. in it. And maybe a few more ceiling lights, since apparently builders think a pair of 2' lights are "fine" for a 24x22 garage . I may try some of the 'Barrina' LED shop light fixtures (on Amazon) that you can link together easily if an electrician wants too much for that.

Not to derail the thread but I have those Barrina lights in my shop and they are awesome.
5 to one switch, a single to leave on at night and a single over the bench.
Not a darkspot on the whole place

 

[golfdad]

I can help to if the timing is right

 

[Bill J]

I had good luck with Dynamic Electric. my neighbor also used them to add some 220 to his garage for a shop.

Dynamic Electrical Solutions

Dynamic Electric is a locally owned and operated electrical contractor based in Hillsborough, NC. We offer both residential and commercials services including generator installation, electric vehicle chargers, electrical repairs, troubleshooting and installation.

www.dynamic-electric.com