Electrician Burnaby BC — Licensed and Open 24 Hours
Need an electrician in Burnaby? The Wire Guys is a licensed electrical contractor that takes every kind of electrical job in Burnaby, in houses, condos and businesses. We give a free written quote, pull the City of Burnaby permit and meet the inspector.
4.7 from 137 Google reviews on our Abbotsford profile. Read them on GoogleAcross Burnaby: Metrotown · Brentwood · Capitol Hill · Burnaby Heights · Lougheed · Edmonds
Licensed Electrical Contractor
Licensed and insured in British Columbia.
WorkSafeBC Registered
Active and in good standing.
BBB Accredited
Accredited since 2023.
Open 24 hours.
What counts as an emergencyDo you take electrical work in Burnaby, and what kind?
Yes. We are The Wire Guys Electrical Ltd., a licensed electrical contractor in British Columbia, and we take residential, commercial and strata electrical work across Burnaby. The City of Burnaby issues the electrical permit here, and we pull it before the work starts. The phone is answered at any hour on 778-708-0451.
- One outlet or a full rewire
- Free written quote
Who issues the electrical permit in Burnaby
The City of Burnaby
Burnaby issues and inspects its own electrical permits, one of a small number of BC municipalities that do. The City’s rule is that any electrical work in a single-family or duplex dwelling needs an electrical permit application.
What does an electrician cost per hour in Burnaby?
The electrician hourly rate for work in Burnaby is $135 an hour for a Red Seal electrician plus a helper, and it is the same rate at 3am as at 3pm.
An electrician quote from us is priced on what we can see, and if the scope changes, such as something found once a wall is opened, we tell you before we do it.
Hourly labour
$135/hr
This rate pays for a Red Seal electrician and a helper, which puts two people on site for the hour. Many jobs are priced at a flat rate instead, and we tell you which applies once we see the work.
Quote and consultation
Free
778-708-0451The quote is free, and so is the consultation. You get the price in writing before you decide anything.
Hidden-fault diagnostic
$165/45 min
Tracing a fault you cannot see is charged at $165 for a 45-minute diagnostic. It tells you what the problem is and how we will fix it.
Does your job need a City of Burnaby electrical permit?
In Burnaby the permit comes from the City, not from Technical Safety BC, and the City also does the inspection. Any electrical work in a single-family or duplex dwelling needs a permit application before it starts.
We pull the permit before the work starts, so you fill in no forms, and we attend the inspection that closes it.
How a permitted job runs
- 01 We take out the electrical permit from the City of Burnaby before the work starts.
- 02 The inspector checks the wiring at rough-in, before the walls close, and again at the final inspection.
- 03 If an inspection finds a deficiency, we fix it and book the re-inspection until the work passes.
Doing the work yourself? The City of Burnaby publishes its own guide for homeowners taking out an electrical permit. In a strata building, the strata council has to approve work that touches common property, such as a circuit to a parking stall, before it starts.
How to check you are hiring a licensed electrician in Burnaby
Ask any electrician these questions before you accept their quote:
Ask for written confirmation that the company is a licensed electrical contractor in British Columbia. Ask who pulls the permit, whether it is filed before work begins, and who meets the inspector on site. Check that the crew has WorkSafeBC coverage.
Our credentials, in full:
- We are a licensed electrical contractor in British Columbia, licensed and insured.
- Jasjot Kohli, the owner, is Red Seal certified and our designated Field Safety Representative.
- We are WorkSafeBC registered, with continuous coverage since 30 September 2019, which is workers' compensation and separate from insurance.
- We are BBB Accredited.
- We are Canadian family owned and have served British Columbia since 2019.
What happens if something is wrong after we leave
If something we installed is not right, we come back. We give a one-year guarantee on new construction, six months on renovations.
If an inspection does not pass
After a failed electrical inspection on our work, we put it right, call the inspector back and cover the cost. The permit stays open until the work passes.
If we find something else
If we find a hazard unrelated to the work you booked, we tell you what it is and get your approval first. Nothing is done about it until you say yes.
Four checks before we leave the job:
- If we find anything unexpected, we talk it through with you and get your approval before any extra work begins.
- A Red Seal electrician or a Field Safety Representative checks an apprentice's work, every time.
- We test the work before the tools are packed up.
- We show you it working before we leave.
Older Burnaby homes, and what is behind the walls
Burnaby mixes strata towers around Metrotown, Brentwood and Lougheed with detached houses and duplexes in areas such as Capitol Hill and Burnaby Heights.
Early 1900s to the 1940s
Knob and tube wiring was the standard across Canada from roughly 1900 to the late 1940s. It carries no ground conductor, and insurers ask about it: some restrict cover on a house that still has it, and some decline outright.
Mid-1960s to the late 1970s
Houses built in those years often have aluminum wiring, because high copper prices pushed builders to switch. Aluminum is not automatically a hazard, but the connections at outlets, switches and the panel are where it gives trouble.
The age of the building, not the neighbourhood, tells you which wiring to expect. A house from the 1970s can carry aluminum branch wiring, and an older house can still have knob and tube in the walls. In a condo, most of the wiring behind your walls is yours, while the feeders and the parkade belong to the strata.
Have an electrician open an outlet, a switch or the panel and look before you plan a renovation or an electrical panel upgrade around it.
Electrical services in Burnaby
As an electrical contractor Burnaby homeowners, strata councils and businesses can call, we take every kind of electrical job, from one dead outlet to a whole-house rewire:
We take on basement suites, additions and kitchen renovations as a residential electrician Burnaby homeowners and landlords can book. Our residential electrician work also covers single repairs and new outlets.
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EV chargers in strata and houses
Since 1 September 2018, Burnaby has required every residential stall in a new building to be ready for EV charging. In an older strata building, installing an EV charger starts with council approval and a load calculation. We install Tesla, Leviton, ChargePoint, Wallbox and Grizzl-E chargers, and Grizzl-E units are built in Ontario.
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EV charger rebates
A power-management device can let a charger share a circuit and avoid a costly service upgrade. We can help with the paperwork for EV charger rebates in BC, and your invoice is itemised with the permit number.
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Panels and service upgrades
A heat pump, a charger or a new suite can push an older panel past what it was built for. A load calculation tells us first whether you need a new panel at all. Our electrical panel upgrade work uses Eaton, Square D and Schneider equipment.
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Condo and house renovations
A kitchen or a bathroom in a Burnaby condo needs a City of Burnaby permit and, where common property is involved, the strata’s approval. Our renovation electrical work covers new circuits, moved outlets and suites.
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Faults and repairs
A tripping breaker, a flickering light or a dead outlet usually means a loose connection or an overloaded circuit. Our electrical repairs find which one it is. The estimate is free, and tracing a hidden fault is $165 for a 45-minute diagnostic.
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Shops, offices and lighting
Since 8 July 2024, 45% of stalls in new non-residential buildings in Burnaby must support Level 2 charging. Our commercial electrician services cover fit-outs, charging stalls and lighting installation.
Where we work across Burnaby
We take work across Burnaby, including these six areas:
Choose an area to move the map.
Next door, New Westminster runs its own electric utility, one of five BC municipalities that do, while Burnaby is served by BC Hydro. We also work as an electrician in Vancouver and take jobs in Coquitlam homes and businesses. The company is run from our Abbotsford head office.
How to reach us from Burnaby
Our head office is in Abbotsford, and we take jobs across Burnaby. Have the job and the address ready when you call.
What our customers say
Both are from our Abbotsford profile, word for word:
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We had an outstanding experience with The Wire Guys Electrical Ltd.! Their team is incredibly professional, punctual, and highly respectful of your time. We initially hired them to replace the lights in one of our commercial warehouse units, and their fair pricing and excellent service quickly convinced our entire team to proceed with them for the second unit as well.
Since this was a commercial project, they took all the necessary steps to ensure compliance, including verifying their insurance with the strata, confirming their license, and meeting all strata restrictions. Their attention to detail and professionalism gave us complete peace of mind.
What truly set them apart was their flexibility and commitment to our needs. Since shutting off electricity during working hours wasn’t an option, they went the extra mile to complete the entire job during night shifts, allowing our operations to continue uninterrupted.
If you’re looking for a reliable, professional, and customer-focused electrical company, we highly recommend The Wire Guys Electrical Ltd.!
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The wire guys installed this chandelier and an external electrical outlet for us. They put down a cloth and cleaned up after themselves and did a great job.
Frequently asked questions
Two of our four electricians hold a Class B Field Safety Representative certification.
Any questions? Call 778-708-0451The Wire Guys Electrical Ltd. is a licensed electrical contractor serving Abbotsford, Vancouver, Victoria and communities across the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley and Greater Victoria, handling residential and commercial electrical work for homeowners, landlords and business owners in British Columbia.
Do I need a permit for electrical work in Burnaby?
Yes. The City of Burnaby requires an electrical permit application for any electrical work in a single-family or duplex dwelling, and the City issues and inspects it rather than Technical Safety BC. We pull the permit for every job that needs one.
Can I get an EV charger in my Burnaby condo?
Usually, yes. The strata council has to approve a circuit to your stall first, and a load calculation shows what the building can carry. A power-management device can often avoid a service upgrade.
How much do electricians charge per hour in Burnaby?
We charge $135 an hour for a Red Seal electrician plus a helper, and many jobs are quoted at a flat rate instead. The estimate is free, and tracing a hidden fault is $165 for a 45-minute diagnostic.
Does a new building in Burnaby need EV charging?
Yes. Since 1 September 2018, every residential stall in a new building has to be ready for EV charging, with secondary-suite and visitor stalls exempt. Since 8 July 2024, 45% of stalls in new non-residential buildings must support Level 2 charging.
More from us
Other electrical services we offer
Tell us about the electrical job in Burnaby
Call and tell us the job: the estimate is free, and tracing a hidden fault is $165 for a 45-minute diagnostic.