How to choose an electrician in Pennsylvania

Updated November 10, 2026 · KeystoneProGuide editorial team

What is the first thing to check?

Whether your town requires a license, and whether the electrician holds it. Pennsylvania has no statewide electrician license, so the license question is local. The Department of Labor and Industry says municipal licensing typically covers electrical contractors and that the information can only be obtained from the municipality where the work will happen. One phone call to your township or borough code office settles it.

In Philadelphia the answer is always yes: electricians need a city trade license, and the Department of Licenses and Inspections runs an online lookup that lists every actively licensed contractor along with any licensing violations. The city also publishes a list of contractors whose licenses were revoked or suspended.

Where a town does license electricians, the license may come in grades. Lower Merion's code, for example, separately licenses master electrical contractors, journeyman and apprentice electricians, and a "master electrician limited special" who may do repairs and replacement in a single-family house but not new service or equipment. Ask which grade the person in charge of your job holds, and whether it covers the job.

What about the state registration?

For most home jobs over $500, the business should also be registered as a home improvement contractor. The Attorney General's office says electrical contractors who do repairs, replacements, installations or alterations on private homes must register. Look for the PA number on the estimate and check it on the state contractor search, or by phone on 1-888-520-6680.

Check the number against the name on the estimate, not just that a number exists. In a 2025 case from Montgomery County, the Attorney General said a contractor sentenced to prison had taken payments up front while giving another contractor's license information. That case was about remodeling, not wiring, but the check is the same.

How much insurance should an electrician carry?

State registration requires at least $50,000 of personal injury liability and $50,000 of property damage coverage. Philadelphia sets a far higher bar for its electrical license: $500,000 of general liability per occurrence, $300,000 of automobile liability and workers' compensation cover. The Federal Trade Commission's advice is to consider only contractors who are licensed and insured and to ask for proof of insurance, not take it on trust.

Who should pull the permit?

The electrician. The FTC lists "asking you to get any required building permits" among the tactics scammers use. A contractor who applies for the permit puts their own name on the work and books the inspection.

The state regulation requires a code official to inspect all construction for which a permit was issued, with a final inspection at the end, and a third-party agency working for the permit holder must give the owner a copy of the final report. Lower Merion requires the inspection agency's certificate within 15 days of completion. Ask at the start how you will receive proof that the work passed, and keep it with the house papers.

Does the job need a specialist?

Some do.

Car chargers. The Department of Energy recommends safety-certified charging equipment and a certified electrical contractor, and says an electrician can tell you whether your home has the capacity for faster Level 2 charging. In Philadelphia, from July 1, 2026, the contractor on any permit that includes a charger must have Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Training Program certification on file with the city license.
Aluminum wiring. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said in 2003 that the one connector repair it recognized as permanent was available only to electricians trained by its manufacturer. Ask how a company was trained on the method it proposes.
Safety devices. The National Fire Protection Association says arc-fault and ground-fault protection should be installed by a qualified electrician, and that devices should carry the label of an independent testing laboratory. The Electrical Safety Foundation gives the same advice on chargers and cords.

How many estimates should you get?

More than one, in writing. The FTC says a written estimate should describe the work, the materials, the completion date and the price, that you should not automatically choose the lowest, and that you should ask why when the estimates differ widely. On electrical work the gap is often a difference in scope: one quote includes the permit, an inspection fee or a new circuit, and another does not. What electricians cost shows the published ranges to measure quotes against.

What should the contract say?

Pennsylvania's home improvement law requires a written contract for work over $500, signed by both sides, with the work, approximate dates, the total price and your right to cancel. The FTC adds the contractor's name, address, phone number and license number, any promises made in conversation, and no blank spaces. Do not pay the whole price up front, and do not make the final payment until the work is finished and, for permitted work, has passed final inspection.

What about reviews and recommendations?

The FTC suggests asking people you trust for names, checking with consumer protection officials for complaints, and reading online reviews with a critical eye. Reviews tell you how a company treats customers. They cannot tell you whether it holds the license your town requires, so do the checks above first.

A short checklist

Local license confirmed with your town, or the Philadelphia lookup.
State registration number matches the business name.
Certificate of insurance in hand.
The electrician applies for the permit.
Right training for chargers, aluminum wiring or other special work.
Two or more written estimates covering the same scope.
Signed contract, no blanks, and proof of the final inspection before the last payment.

The Pennsylvania rules guide explains the law behind each step. Electricians serving the area are listed on the electricians directory page.

Sources

Contractor Licensing, Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry
Find a licensed contractor and contractor information, City of Philadelphia
Get an Electrical Contractor License, City of Philadelphia
Frequently Asked Questions: Home Improvement Contractor Registration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
Home Improvement Contractor Search, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam, Federal Trade Commission
34 Pa. Code § 403.64. Inspections., Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Pennsylvania Code)
Chapter 72: Electrical Standards, Township of Lower Merion (eCode360)
Charging Electric Vehicles at Home, U.S. Department of Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center
Prepare your Home or Business for Electric Vehicles, Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI)
May Is National Electrical Safety Month: Good News for Homeowners - Aluminum Wiring Fix Still Available, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Electrical Home Fire Safety, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
Pottstown-Based Home Improvement Contractor Jailed at Least 3 Years for Taking More than $156K for Jobs he did not Complete, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General