Electrical Troubleshooting and Repairs Across British Columbia
Homeowners, landlords, strata councils and businesses call The Wire Guys to fix electrical issues like dead outlets, dead switches and circuits that keep tripping. As an electrician for small jobs and big ones, we come out for one outlet or a full rewire.
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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 quoteWhat does electrical troubleshooting involve?
The Wire Guys Electrical Ltd. provides electrical troubleshooting and home electrical repair for homeowners and landlords in Abbotsford. We trace the cause of a fault before any parts get swapped. Many electrical problems in house wiring come down to one loose connection, worn switch or failed breaker. Once we have found it, the repair is priced before anything is replaced.
- Some faults can only be traced with the circuit live. That is why diagnosis is not left to an apprentice working alone.
The four questions
How much does an electrical diagnostic cost, and what comes after it?
Estimates on work we can see are free, but tracing a hidden fault is $165 for a 45-minute diagnostic.
An electrician service call to find a hidden fault is billed as that diagnostic. It tells you what is wrong and how we will fix it.
After that, the electrician cost for the repair is $135 an hour for a Red Seal electrician plus a helper, the same rate at 3am as at 3pm. Many repairs are flat-rate instead.
Common electrical problems in homes and what they point to
These signs of electrical problems in home wiring are mostly ordinary repair calls, and the last three are not.
- A light switch not working with a good bulb usually has a worn switch or loose wire, and a light switch repair fixes it.
- A loose outlet often has a broken mounting strap, and an outlet repair secures it.
- A dead light fixture with a good bulb has a wiring fault or a failed fixture, and replacing the light fixture fixes it.
- Items flagged by a home inspection are ours to fix, with a full electrical safety inspection first if you want one.
These can wait for a booked visit if nothing is warm, buzzing or smells like burning:
- Lights flickering often point to a bulb, a socket or a loose connection.
- A breaker that keeps tripping is usually overloaded or on a fault. AFCI breakers also trip on arcing.
- An outlet not working usually has a failed connection at or before it.
These belong with our emergency electrician service:
- A buzzing panel is a sign of arcing under load.
- A sparking outlet is a fire risk.
- A GFCI that won't reset or keeps tripping is sensing leaking current.
Does an electrical repair need a permit in British Columbia?
In British Columbia, swapping a worn switch or outlet like for like is usually a repair, but adding a circuit, moving an outlet or changing a panel needs an electrical permit and an inspection.
We file the permit before work starts, meet the inspector on site and keep the job open until it passes.
Technical Safety BC issues the permit for our Abbotsford electrical work, repair work in Chilliwack, electrical jobs in Mission and electrical work in Langley. Electricians we send to Vancouver and electrical repairs in Victoria use city permit offices.
Can you fix it yourself, or do you need an electrician for repairs?
Most homeowners can safely press the reset button on a GFCI outlet. Beyond a like-for-like switch in the home you own and live in, opening a box or touching a wire is a job for a licensed electrician. If a switch, outlet or panel feels warm, buzzes, looks scorched or smells like burning, stop and call 778-708-0451.
Where faults start
What we often find on repair calls
- DIY work by homeowners. Circuits a homeowner added without the right connections often need electrical wiring repair.
- Damaged or improper extension cords. A worn or undersized cord running a heater can overheat.
- Aluminum wiring in older homes. Its connections loosen and run hot, which our aluminum wiring repair service covers.
- EV chargers on thin wire. Undersized wire burns, so our EV charger installation work sizes the wire to the breaker after a load calculation.
When wiring has failed in several places, the fix is usually knob and tube rewiring or a full electrical panel upgrade rather than another repair. If a breaker still will not hold once the cause is found, it needs a replacement circuit breaker.
- Wire pulled free of its terminal — the connection heats and the circuit fails.
- The same wire remade tight under the screw — the circuit runs cool.
Our electrical troubleshooting process
- 01
We trace the electrical fault
We follow the circuit until we find the electrical fault. Nothing gets replaced on a guess.
- 02
We price the repair before we start it
You hear what failed and what it costs before work begins. Any new materials are raised straight away.
- 03
We raise anything unrelated with you first
A separate problem waits for your approval. You decide whether we fix it on this visit.
- 04
We make the repair
A new switch or outlet is connected to hot, neutral and ground.
- 05
We test it and show you it works
You see it working before we pack up. Where a permit applies, it stays open until the inspection passes.
For a quote, tell us what stopped working and what changed recently.
What happens if our repair is not right after we leave?
- You call the same number. We are open 24 hours, so call 778-708-0451 at any hour.
- A failed inspection is ours to fix. We correct it, rebook the inspector and pay for it ourselves.
If something we installed is not right, we come back.
What our customers say
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Replaced breakers and separated the microwave on a separate plug. This avoided the overload in Deming of light that we were experiencing. Great work. Jas and team will ensure renovations are properly wired!
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Jas and His Team did an amazing job in My new to Me Home of installation of 220v power and exhaust to accommodate a dryer and solved some other electrical issues. So grateful for Their work and professionalism.
Frequently asked questions
The Wire Guys Electrical Ltd. is a licensed electrical contractor based in Abbotsford that finds and fixes electrical faults in homes, strata buildings and businesses across British Columbia.
Any questions? Call 778-708-0451We are licensed and insured, BBB Accredited, and WorkSafeBC registered with continuous coverage since 30 September 2019.
How much does an electrician charge to fault find?
Fault finding starts with a $165 diagnostic of 45 minutes. It tells you what has failed and what the fix involves. The repair is then priced on that cause, at a flat rate or by the hour, and you approve it before work starts.
Do electricians come out for free?
For work we can see and price, yes: the estimate is free. Tracing a hidden fault takes time on the circuit itself, so it is a $165 diagnostic of 45 minutes that tells you what is wrong and how we would fix it.
Do I need an electrician to replace a light switch?
Not always. A homeowner may do a like-for-like light switch replacement only in a fully detached house they own and live in, under a homeowner permit. In a strata unit, a duplex or a rental, it goes to a licensed electrical contractor. If you are unsure, ask your permit office first.
Will an electrician leave holes in my walls?
Sometimes, yes. When a fault sits inside a finished wall or ceiling, reaching a buried junction box, a damaged cable or a loose splice may mean opening the drywall at that spot. Before work starts, ask where any opening will go and who is patching it.
Why is my final bill higher than the electrician quote?
A quote is priced on what can be seen, so it moves when a repair uncovers a second damaged connection or you choose a costlier fitting. Our quote comes in writing before work starts, and any change of scope is raised before it is done.
How do I check an electrician is licensed and insured?
Ask the company to confirm in writing that it is a licensed electrical contractor and insured, and ask who pulls the permit. Check the permit is filed before work starts, ask for proof of WorkSafeBC registration, and read reviews on a profile the company does not control.
More from us
Other electrical services we offer
A dead outlet or a tripping circuit? Call us and we will track down the cause.
Call 778-708-0451 to book a time with us.