The night line
Who answers at night
A person answers the night line, not a recording. After 4 p.m. and on weekends it is the electrician on call.
Nights cost more than the day, and the fee is stated up front. We say the figure on the phone and again on site, and we do not start a repair that runs past the first half hour until you have the price in writing.
Answered around the clock, every day
English and Spanish on the rota most nights
A call-out fee said before we leave
A written price before a longer repair
Tonight or the morning
What we do at night, and what waits
The night call is about making things safe. Finishing the work comes after.
| Next business day | Tonight | |
|---|---|---|
| Dead circuit or a breaker that will not hold | Next business dayFinish the repair if it is long | TonightFind the fault and make it safe |
| Burnt outlet, switch or plug | Next business dayCheck the rest of the circuit | TonightTake it out of use and replace it |
| Panel or meter damage | Next business dayPermit, power company, inspection | TonightMake the house safe |
| Storm outage on the whole street | Next business dayCheck your wiring once power is back | TonightNot ours: the power company's line |
A night call, written down
What the paper looks like
This is the text you get on site when a repair runs past the first half hour. Every line is itemized: the call-out fee, the labor and the parts.
A 20 amp breaker that will not hold, replaced overnight
A house in Kendall, 1:40 a.m. We were on site for an hour and a half.
- Overnight call-out fee, first 30 minutes included
- Labor, 1 hour after the first half hour, at the overnight rate
- Breaker and connectors, from the receipt
An example. Your quote is for your problem.
Questions about the night line
Do you really answer at night?
Yes. The night line rings the electrician on call, not an answering service. The hours in the footer are the real ones: the line is answered around the clock, while the office and scheduled visits keep weekday hours.
What happens when I call?
A person answers, takes the address and what is happening, and tells you the fee for that hour. On site we test first and make the fault safe. If the repair runs past the first half hour, you get a written price before we go on.
What does a night call cost?
The pricing page explains the call-out fee by the hour of the day. It is higher overnight and on holidays, and the dispatcher says the figure on the phone before anyone drives out. The repair is priced separately, in writing, before we start it.
What if the whole street is dark?
Then the fault is probably on the power company's line, not in your wiring. Call them first. If only your home or building is dark, call us.
Do you work during a hurricane?
We keep the phone on. We do not send crews out when the roads or the wind make it unsafe, and we book the waiting calls once it is safe to drive.
Do you replace panels or rewire at night?
No. At night we make the house safe and plan the project for daylight, with a permit where one is needed. A panel change or a rewire is not a job to rush in the dark.
The line is open
If you are not sure it is an emergency, call and describe it.