Commercial Electrician Across British Columbia
The Wire Guys are commercial electricians for shops, offices, warehouses, restaurants, clinics and strata buildings across the Lower Mainland, the Fraser Valley and Greater Victoria. We handle lighting and ballast work, tenant fit-outs, equipment circuits and strata common areas, pull the permit ourselves and attend the inspection.
4.7 from 137 Google reviews Read them on Google
Licensed Electrical Contractor
Licensed and insured in British Columbia.
WorkSafeBC Registered
Active and in good standing.
BBB Accredited
Accredited since 2023.
Canadian family owned, working across British Columbia since 2019.
Get a quoteHow does a commercial electrical job run, from the layout plan to the finished installation?
The Wire Guys Electrical Ltd. provides commercial electrician services for shops, offices, warehouses, restaurants, clinics and strata buildings in Abbotsford. We start with the layout plan for the space, rough in the circuits while the walls and ceilings are open, complete the installation, and test it with you before we leave.
- We show you what we found and explain why it needs replacing.
- We test the work and show you it working before we leave.
- An apprentice's work is checked by a Red Seal electrician or a Field Safety Representative, every time.
- If we find a hazard unrelated to the job, we tell you and get your approval first.
The four questions
How much does a commercial electrician cost?
The same job often quotes higher in a shop than in a house, because of conduit labour and material, not a markup.
Houses are wired with Romex, a plastic-sheathed cable. Commercial electrical wiring runs inside metal conduit, which takes longer to install and uses more material.
What we charge
We charge $135 an hour for a Red Seal electrician plus a helper, the same rate at 3am as at 3pm. Many jobs get a flat rate once we have seen the work, and the estimate is free. For commercial electrical repair, a $165, 45-minute diagnostic tells you what the problem is and how we will fix it, and the same applies to urgent commercial repairs.
What changes the price on a commercial job:
- A longer conduit run takes more time and material.
- A high ceiling or a tight space above it slows every run.
- Equipment that needs more panel capacity adds work.
- A permit and an inspection add a step to the job.
Commercial electrical services for shops, offices, warehouses and strata buildings
Business owners, property managers and strata councils book this work, and it covers restaurants and clinics as well:
- We take on lighting, ballast and LED work in retail units, warehouses and parking areas.
- New circuits and outlets go in for equipment, including commercial kitchens.
- When a business outgrows its panel, we carry out panel upgrades for new equipment.
- Staff and customers can charge on site once we install EV chargers for your parking lot.
- With a standby generator installation, chosen circuits keep running in an outage.
Tenant improvements and new fit-outs
Tenant improvements, sometimes called leasehold improvements, start with the layout plan for the unit. We place outlets, lighting and equipment circuits where the counters, desks and machines will sit, and rough them in before the ceilings close.
Strata electrician for common areas and individual units
Strata electrical services split two ways. The strata council books work in common areas such as hallways, lobbies and parkades, and an owner books work inside their own unit. Councils planning commercial electrical maintenance can book electrical safety inspections for shared areas.
Do commercial jobs need a permit, and who handles the inspection?
As your commercial electrical contractor, we file the permit with whichever authority covers your address.
We pull the permit wherever your premises are.
We pull the permit ourselves, in whichever municipality the job sits in. You fill in nothing.
We attend the inspection on the job.
We are there for the inspection too. You are not left explaining someone else's wiring to an inspector.
Vancouver, Surrey, Burnaby and Victoria issue their own electrical permits. In Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission, Langley and Coquitlam, the permit comes from Technical Safety BC.
What to check before you hire an electrician for your business
WorkSafeBC has covered us continuously since 30 September 2019. A date you can confirm says more about a commercial electrical company than any adjective.
- Ask who pulls the permit and attends the inspection. We do both.
- Ask if they are a licensed electrical contractor. We are, in British Columbia.
- Ask if their WorkSafeBC account is active. Ours is in good standing.
- Check for BBB accreditation. We are BBB Accredited.
- Read reviews on a profile the company does not control. We hold 4.7 stars across 137 Google reviews.
Commercial lighting
Commercial lighting: failing ballasts and LED retrofits
In fluorescent commercial lighting, the ballast controls the power each tube draws. As it wears out, the first sign is usually a flicker or a buzz.
How to tell if a ballast is bad
Try a new tube first, because a worn tube causes some of the same problems. If the fault stays, look for these signs:
- Tubes flicker, or take a few seconds to light.
- Fluorescent light buzzing comes from the fixture, not the tube.
- New tubes stay dark.
- New tubes burn out quickly.
Replace the ballast, or switch the fixture to LED?
Fluorescent light ballast replacement keeps the fixture and its tubes. A commercial LED lighting retrofit takes the ballast out and runs LED tubes from an LED driver. A ballast bypass removes the ballast and rewires the fixture for direct-wire LED tubes. When the housing is cracked or rusted, a new fixture is often the simpler job.
We replace and retrofit warehouse lighting and parking lot lighting. Offices and retail units get the same work, plus new indoor light fixtures. The brands we install include Lutron, Leviton, Legrand, Eaton, Square D and Schneider. At FIFO Innovations in Burnaby, we replaced the old lighting throughout, along with the kitchen, attic and crawl space electrical work.
- A fluorescent fixture, where the ballast feeds each tube.
- An LED retrofit, where a driver feeds the LED tubes and the ballast is gone.
Our commercial electrical process
- 01
We walk the space and read the layout plan
The quote is built from the layout plan and your equipment list.
- 02
The permit goes in before the wiring does
The job is not closed until it passes inspection.
- 03
Circuits are roughed in before anything closes up
Where a general contractor runs the site, we follow their schedule, as we do on renovation electrical work.
- 04
We get your approval before any extra work
If we find anything unexpected, we talk it through with you and get your approval before any extra work begins.
- 05
Tested, shown to you, then inspected
If an inspection does not pass on our work, we put it right, call the inspector back and cover the cost.
What happens if something is wrong after we leave
Call 778-708-0451 and you reach the same company that did the work.
If something we installed is not right, we come back.
We give a one-year guarantee on new construction and six months on renovations.
What our customers say
Word for word from our public Google profile, typos and all.
-
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.!
-
Jas and his team are highly professional and reliable, the pricing is very fair and reasonable. I have used Jas for 3 retrofit/renovation jobs now, 1 of them being fairly large. Highly recommend.
Frequently asked questions
Everything else we handle is on our full list of electrical services.
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.
What is a commercial electrician?
A commercial electrician installs and repairs the wiring in buildings used for business, such as shops, offices and warehouses, and in the common areas of strata buildings. Typical jobs include lighting and ballast work, new circuits for equipment, tenant fit-outs and repairs.
Commercial vs residential electrician: what is actually different?
A commercial electrician works in business premises, where wiring runs in metal conduit instead of the Romex cable used in houses. Circuits are sized for business equipment and planned from the layout of the space. For work on houses, see our residential electrician services.
How much does a commercial electrician cost per hour?
Our rate is $135 an hour for a Red Seal electrician plus a helper, so one hourly rate covers two people on your commercial job. Many commercial jobs get a flat rate instead, once we have looked at the space.
What is a tenant improvement?
A tenant improvement fits out a leased commercial space for the business moving in, such as a retail unit, office, restaurant or clinic. The tenant or landlord arranges it, and it covers the walls, ceilings, fixtures and electrical work the new layout needs.
How do I check an electrician is licensed and insured?
Get written confirmation that the business is a licensed electrical contractor, and ask who pulls the permit and attends the inspection. Check that it is registered with WorkSafeBC, and read its reviews on a profile it does not control, such as Google. We are licensed and insured.
Do electricians charge for a quote?
Some electricians charge just to give a quote, but our estimate for commercial work we can see is free. Tracing a fault is a different job: a $165, 45-minute diagnostic tells you what the problem is and how we will fix it.
Why is my final bill higher than the electrician quote?
A final bill climbs past the quote when the scope changes and nobody says so first. Our quote is in writing before work starts, and if the layout plan is revised or a run turns out longer, we tell you before we do the extra work.
Will an electrician leave holes in my walls?
Commercial spaces usually need fewer wall openings than houses, because conduit often runs along the ceiling or above a drop ceiling. A wall may still have to be opened to reach a run. Ask where any openings will go before the work begins.
More from us
Other electrical services we offer
Each one is done under the same contractor licence.
Call 778-708-0451, and we will come and look at the space
Have the layout plan and your equipment list ready when you call. We are open 24 hours. The estimate is free, and finding a fault is a $165, 45-minute diagnostic.