Common Questions From Twin Cities Homeowners

Yes — always. When a Harrison Electric technician arrives at your home, they assess the situation and present you with a firm, flat-rate price before any work begins. You decide whether to proceed. There are no estimates that turn into higher invoices later.

We do not offer free in-home estimates. Electrical diagnosis requires a licensed technician to evaluate your system in person — that takes time, expertise, and a fully stocked service vehicle. The service fee covers that evaluation and the presentation of your options with flat-rate pricing before any work begins. What we do guarantee is that you will know the full cost before a single wire is touched.

Yes. The service fee covers sending a licensed electrician to your home to evaluate the issue and present your options. We explain the fee when you call, before anything is scheduled. If you decide to move forward with the repair, the fee is part of the overall price conversation.

Electrical work is priced by the job, not by the hour. The cost depends on what needs to be done — replacing an outlet is a very different scope than replacing a panel. We use flat-rate pricing, so you know the full cost before we start. Call us and we can give you a better sense of what to expect for your specific situation.

Yes. For larger jobs — panel replacements, whole-home rewiring, EV charger installations — financing options are available. Ask your technician or call us to learn more about current financing programs.

For most calls in the Twin Cities metro, Harrison Electric can schedule same-day or next-day service. If your situation is urgent, call (763) 544-3300 and our answering service will assess the situation and get a technician to you as quickly as possible.

Yes. We have a live answering service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and technicians available for urgent dispatch including nights and weekends. If you have sparking outlets, a burning smell from your panel, or a sudden loss of power in part of your home, call us immediately at (763) 544-3300. Do not wait on electrical emergencies.

In most cases, yes. Our service vehicles are fully stocked with parts for the most common residential repairs, which means we rarely need to order parts or schedule a follow-up. If you call in the morning, there is a good chance we can be at your home that day.

We serve homeowners across the Twin Cities metro — Hennepin, Anoka, Dakota, Carver, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington Counties. Our headquarters is in Plymouth, MN. If you are not sure whether we cover your area, call us and we will let you know right away.

Yes. A responsible adult must be present for the technician to perform the evaluation, review pricing with you, and obtain your approval before starting any work. We cannot begin without your sign-off.

Yes. All Harrison Electric technicians are fully licensed journeyman electricians or registered apprentices working under direct supervision. Every technician is also insured, bonded, background-checked, and drug-tested before they enter any customer's home.

You can expect a uniformed Harrison Electric technician arriving in a clearly marked service vehicle. Before entering your home, they will put on shoe covers — something we do on every job, without exception. They will walk through the issue with you, give you a firm price before starting any work, and clean up the work area completely before they leave. We treat your home the way we would want someone to treat ours.

Harrison Electric invests in ongoing formal training for every technician — through structured programs, manufacturer training, and bringing trainers directly to our office. We hold our team to high standards because the work they do inside your home matters.

We cannot guarantee the same technician for every visit, but every Harrison Electric technician follows the same process and holds the same credentials. Whoever walks through your door will have been background-checked, licensed, and trained to our standards.

Call us if you notice any of the following: outlets or switches that are warm or buzzing, lights that flicker or dim when appliances run, circuit breakers that trip frequently, sparking outlets, a burning plastic or rubber smell near your panel or outlets, or outlets that have stopped working and will not reset. When in doubt, call us — a quick conversation can tell you whether the situation is urgent.

For most electrical work, no. Replacing a light bulb or a switch cover plate is fine on your own. But anything involving your wiring, breaker panel, or circuit connections carries real risk of shock, fire, and failed inspections. In Minnesota, most electrical work requires a permit and must be performed by a licensed electrician.

Yes — most electrical work in Minnesota requires a permit. Harrison Electric handles the permit process as part of the job. You do not need to navigate the permit system yourself. All of our work is completed to code and inspected as required.

In most cases, yes. Updated wiring removes a significant concern for buyers and home inspectors — outdated wiring is one of the most commonly flagged issues in residential home sales. Even if you are not planning to sell, modernizing your electrical system reduces fire risk and supports the demands of today's appliances.

Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) Stab-Lok panels were installed in millions of homes from the 1950s through the 1980s. Independent testing has found that these panels can fail to trip during an overload — meaning they may not protect your home from an electrical fire the way a breaker panel is supposed to. If your home has an FPE panel, we recommend having it evaluated. Harrison Electric specializes in FPE panel replacement.

Beyond Federal Pacific Electric, electricians commonly flag Zinsco, Sylvania, and certain Challenger models as panels that can fail to trip during an overload. If your home was built between the 1950s and 1990s and the panel has never been replaced, it is worth having a licensed electrician take a look. Harrison Electric can evaluate any panel and let you know whether replacement is recommended.

The Safety and Savings Plan is Harrison Electric's annual membership program. Members receive priority scheduling, a discount on all products and services, a complete electrical safety inspection every 12 months, a lifetime warranty on installations, and an extended two-year warranty on all repairs. It is designed for homeowners who want to stay ahead of electrical issues rather than react to them.

For homeowners who expect to need an electrician more than once a year, or who have an older home with aging systems, the plan typically pays for itself quickly. The priority scheduling benefit is particularly valuable during busy seasons when standard wait times increase. Ask us for current plan pricing when you call.

Your annual inspection covers your full electrical system — the panel, breakers, outlets, wiring, grounding, smoke and carbon monoxide detector placement, and any areas of concern the technician identifies. You receive a written report of the findings. If anything needs attention, your technician will walk you through the options before any work is authorized.

Yes. Contact us directly and we will walk you through the cancellation process. There is no pressure to stay enrolled.