Emergency electrician in Santa Cruz County — a person answers, day or night.
Sparks, burning smell, smoke from an outlet, no power, exposed wires — call us. During business hours our office picks up; after hours, our answering service answers around the clock and reaches the on-call electrician. Anywhere in Santa Cruz County.
- 1You call the main number, any hour. A person answers — not voicemail.
- 2If it's after hours, that's our answering service. They take the details and immediately reach Branden or whoever's on call.
- 3The on-call electrician calls you back fast, talks you through making it safe, and heads out if it can't wait for morning.
- Sparks from an outlet, switch, or panel
- Burning smell (electrical)
- Smoke from any electrical component
- Exposed live wires
- A hot or warm panel or breaker
- Electrical shock from any device or surface
- No power to your home (when neighbors have power)
- Arcing or popping sound from any electrical component
- Smoke detector beeping at a single device that won't reset after a battery change (could be a hardwired issue)
- Circuit breaker repeatedly tripping the moment it's reset
- Loss of partial power (half the house dark)
- Flickering lights when a major appliance turns on
- GFCI outlets that won't reset
- Burning smell that comes and goes
When in doubt, call us — we'd rather have you call and we say “that's not an emergency, but here's what to do” than have you wait on something that turns out to be one.
Self-safety steps
Sparks or smoke from anything electrical
If there's smoke or flame, get everyone out and call 911 — even if you can't see where it's coming from. If it's sparking with no smoke, switch off that circuit's breaker if you can reach it safely, keep clear, and call us.
A wire is exposed and live
Stay away from it. Don't touch anything metal that could be in contact with it.
A person has been shocked
Don't touch them while they could still be in contact with the source. Switch off the breaker or unplug the device first. If you can't, push them clear of the source with something dry that doesn't conduct, like a wooden broom handle — never anything wet or metal. If a power line is involved, stay at least 20 feet back and call 911. Call 911 if they're unresponsive, struggling to breathe, burned or confused. Anyone who's been shocked should see a doctor, even if they feel fine.
A burning smell, or a warm panel, breaker or outlet
Switch off that breaker — or the main — if you can reach it safely. Don't open the panel, and call us today. If the smell gets stronger or you see smoke, get everyone out and call 911.
Never water on an electrical fire
Water conducts. Only tackle a fire that is small and not spreading, with an extinguisher rated for electrical fires (Class C or ABC) and a clear way out behind you. Otherwise get out and call 911.
After-hours, weekends, and holidays carry a higher service-call fee than business hours. We tell you the fee on the phone, before anyone rolls — no surprise pricing.
What's included: diagnosis, safe-it-up (make it safe to leave), and a clear recommendation for next steps. Larger repair work is scheduled for the next business day unless the situation genuinely can't wait.
Mountain calls (Boulder Creek, Felton, the San Lorenzo Valley) can carry a modest travel addition late at night — again, quoted up front on the call.
- Flickering lights with no other symptoms — likely a loose connection, can wait
- A single outlet that doesn't work — could be a tripped GFCI, can wait
- Wanting to add a new circuit or outlet — schedule for next business day
- EV charger isn't working — usually not an emergency unless smoking or sparking
- Smoke detector chirping for battery change — battery change first
We're not trying to talk you out of calling for an emergency, but if you call after-hours for a non-emergency, we'll charge the after-hours rate AND we may ask you to schedule for the next business day instead. Saves you money.
5 questions. Real answers.
Pulled from what we actually hear on quotes and on-site. If yours isn't here, ask us — we'll answer in plain English.