Panel schedule
Every circuit of the job, from the meter base in.
Nine kinds of work, listed the way an electrician labels a panel door. Each one links to the details.
All servicesLocal knowledge
Triangle wiring, decade by decade.
Chapel Hill and its neighbors have houses from every era of American wiring. The year a house was built tells you a lot about what’s behind the walls.
- Before 1940
Knob-and-tube
Cloth-covered wire on ceramic knobs, no ground. Still live in some houses near campus and in old Durham and Hillsborough.
- 1940s–50s
Fuses & two-prong
Small fuse-box services and ungrounded outlets. Most have been upgraded once; many need it again.
- 1965–73
Aluminum branch wiring
Used in many ranches and split-levels of the era. Safe only with properly repaired connections.
- 1960s–80s
FPE & Zinsco panels
Panel brands that many electricians recommend replacing. Common in houses from these decades.
- 1990s–today
New loads
AFCI and GFCI protection, then EV chargers, heat pumps, generators and finished basements.
Built for the weather
Lightning in July. Ice in January.
Afternoon thunderstorms, the tail ends of hurricanes and the occasional ice storm all hit the Piedmont. Outdoor gear has to keep the rain out, the house needs protection from surges, and a generator has to connect without ever back-feeding the line.
- Generator inlets, interlocks and transfer switches
- Whole-home surge protection at the panel
- Meter base and outdoor disconnect replacement
Worth checking
Three things to check about any electrician.
Licensed in North Carolina
Electrical contracting in North Carolina requires a license from the State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors. You can look up any contractor on the board’s website.
Permits pulled
Panel changes, service upgrades, new circuits and generator hookups usually need a permit and an inspection from your town or county. The licensed contractor pulls it.
Plain answers
Older Triangle homes hide surprises. You should know what we found, what’s urgent, what can wait, and why.
Getting started
Four steps, plainly.
Call (919) 542-2672 or send a request. Tell us the town and what you’re seeing, and we’ll set up a visit.
(919) 542-2672- 1
Call
Call (919) 542-2672 or send the form. Tell us the town, the problem and anything you’ve noticed.
- 2
Look
We come out, test what needs testing and look at the panel and the wiring involved.
- 3
Explain
You hear what we found in plain words, what it will take, and the price before work starts.
- 4
Wire
We do the work, pull the permit when the job needs one, and stay on it through inspection.
Service area
Chapel Hill and the southern Triangle.
- Orange CountyChapel HillOur home town. Historic houses near Franklin Street, 1960s ranches off the bypass, and newer neighborhoods on the edges of town.Electrician in Chapel Hill
- Orange CountyCarrboroMill-village houses, bungalows and infill next door to Chapel Hill.Electrician in Carrboro
- Durham CountyDurhamEarly-1900s neighborhoods, mid-century ranches and a lot of new building.Electrician in Durham
- Orange CountyHillsboroughThe Orange County seat: a historic district in town, farms and wooded lots outside it.Electrician in Hillsborough
- Chatham CountyPittsboroThe Chatham County seat, from its courthouse-square downtown to fast-growing new neighborhoods.Electrician in Pittsboro
Straight answers
Electrical questions, answered.
35 questions about old wiring, panels, storms, generators, EV chargers, permits and North Carolina licensing.
All 35 answersI smell something burning near an outlet or the panel. What should I do?
Turn off the breaker for that area, or the main breaker, if you can reach it safely, then call an electrician. If you see smoke or flames, get everyone out and call 911.
How do I know if my house has knob-and-tube wiring?
Look in the attic, basement or crawlspace for single cloth-covered wires running separately along ceramic knobs and through ceramic tubes in the framing. Houses built before about 1940 are the most likely to have it.
How do I know if I need a panel or service upgrade?
Common signs are a full panel with no open spaces, breakers that trip under normal use, a 60- or 100-amp service in a house with central air and electric appliances, or plans to add an EV charger, heat pump or hot tub.
Is whole-home surge protection worth it in the Triangle?
For most homes, yes. Summer thunderstorms bring frequent lightning to central North Carolina, and smaller surges happen every day from utility switching and large appliances cycling. A surge protective device at the panel guards every circuit at once.
What does it take to install a Level 2 EV charger at home?
A dedicated 240-volt circuit sized to the charger, a panel with room for it, and a permit. Many chargers run at 32 to 48 amps, which calls for a 40- to 60-amp circuit.
How do I check that an electrician is licensed in North Carolina?
Look them up on the North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors website (ncbeec.org), which has a public license search. Electrical contracting in North Carolina requires a license from that board.