Frequently Asked Questions

Pricing, Estimates, and How We Quote Work

Most EmergenServe residential service work is priced by the job, not by the hour. We arrive, diagnose the issue, and present a written quote with the total price before any repair work begins. This protects you from surprise charges and protects us from disagreements about how long a repair should have taken. For larger projects like panel upgrades, EV chargers, generators, and remodel electrical, we provide a detailed written estimate that breaks out materials, labor, permitting, and any optional upgrades.

We do charge a small diagnostic fee for service calls. That fee covers the trip out, the on-site diagnosis, and the written quote. If you authorize the recommended repair, the diagnostic fee is credited toward the work. If you decide not to proceed, you have a written assessment of what is wrong and what it would cost to fix, useful information whether you proceed with us or not.

Permits, Inspections, and Code Compliance

Charleston, Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, Summerville, and the surrounding municipalities all require electrical permits for any new circuit, service change, panel work, or major addition. Light fixture replacements, outlet replacements, and most simple device swaps do not require a permit. When a permit is required, we pull it in our name as the licensed electrical contractor and we coordinate the inspection. Permit and inspection costs are itemized in your written quote, never hidden.

• Permits required: new circuits, panel work, service changes
• Permits not required: like-for-like fixture and device swaps
• We pull permits in our name; you do not need to do anything
• Inspection coordination handled by us with the local AHJ
• Code compliance: 2023 NEC with South Carolina amendments
• Insurance documentation provided on request
• Final invoices include all permit and inspection numbers

Warranty, Insurance, and Standing Behind Our Work

Every EmergenServe job is backed by a written workmanship warranty. If something we installed or repaired fails due to our work, we return and fix it at no charge. Manufacturer warranties on parts (breakers, panels, EV chargers, generators, fixtures) follow the manufacturer's terms, and we help you process any warranty claims that arise.

We carry general liability insurance and workers' compensation insurance on every employee, and we are happy to provide certificates of insurance to property managers, HOAs, and commercial clients on request. This protects you from any liability if an incident occurs during work on your property.

Emergency Service and After-Hours Calls

EmergenServe answers the phone 24/7 for true electrical emergencies. A 'true emergency' includes complete outages with utility power confirmed on, smoke or burning smells from outlets or panels, sparking, exposed energized conductors, water intrusion into electrical equipment, and any condition that puts your family or property at immediate risk. Non-emergency issues (a single dead outlet, a flickering light, a planned upgrade) are scheduled for the next available business day to keep emergency capacity open for genuine emergencies.