What electrical work costs around Puget Sound
Every price range printed anywhere on this site is on this page, with the source it came from and the date it was checked. Ranges are published Puget Sound market anchors, not HB Power Electric quotes. Every job is priced after a site visit or a plan review, because what is behind the wall decides the number.
Read this first. The ranges below are compiled from published local and industry sources, listed beside each row, and last checked 5 September 2026. They are here so you can sanity-check any electrician’s quote, including ours. They are not a quote and they are not a claim about what we charged anyone.
EV charging
Residential Level 2 first, then the commercial and multifamily anchors. Utility incentives can cover most of a commercial site — see the rebates page.
| Work | Typical range | What moves the price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 2 EV charger, residential | $900–$2,500 about $1,600 for a straightforward install on a panel with spare capacity | Distance from the panel to the parking spot, whether the run is surface conduit or fished through finished walls, hardwired versus NEMA 14-50, and whether the panel needs a load-management device. | source ↗ 5 September 2026 |
| Level 2 EV charger with a long or difficult run | $1,800–$4,500 | Detached garages, trenching, 60–100 ft runs, or a subpanel added to feed the charger. | source ↗ 5 September 2026 |
Commercial and multifamily EV charging
Port count and the distance from the service drive the number more than the hardware does.
| Work | Typical range | What moves the price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial or multifamily EV charging, 2–6 ports | $5,000–$25,000 | Port count, networked versus non-networked hardware, distance from the service, trenching and bollards, and whether the service has capacity. Utility incentives often cover most of it — see /rebates/. | source ↗ 5 September 2026 |
| EV-ready parking space, code model | about $5,084 per space including the charger | This is the RSMeans figure the State Building Code Council used to price Table 429.2, useful as a budget anchor for new construction. | source ↗ 5 September 2026 |
Panels, subpanels and services
A panel swap and a service upgrade are different jobs with different prices; the utility’s disconnect schedule usually sets the date.
| Work | Typical range | What moves the price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200 A panel replacement, like for like | $3,500–$6,000 | Circuit count, whether the meter base and mast are reused, aluminum branch wiring, asbestos or knob-and-tube found behind the panel, and the utility's disconnect schedule. | source ↗ 5 September 2026 |
| 100 A to 200 A service upgrade | $8,000–$16,000 | Overhead versus underground service, meter or mast relocation ($10,000–$20,000 when it moves), utility coordination time, and trenching. | source ↗ 5 September 2026 |
| Subpanel installation | $1,500–$3,500 | Feeder length and size, whether the main panel has a spare double-pole slot, and finished-wall routing. | source ↗ 5 September 2026 |
Backup power
A ladder, from a generator inlet to a whole-home battery. The cheapest tier solves most of the problem.
| Work | Typical range | What moves the price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| EcoFlow Smart Home Panel 2 with a Delta Pro Ultra battery | $6,000–$15,000 | Number of battery modules, how many circuits move onto the smart panel, and whether a subpanel is added. | source ↗ 5 September 2026 |
| Tesla Powerwall 3, installed | $13,000–$16,500 | Labor runs $3,000–$6,100 of that; a backup subpanel adds $400–$1,750. Powerwall is one of the brands eligible for the PSE Flex battery incentive. | source ↗ 5 September 2026 |
| Generator inlet with interlock, or a 6-circuit manual transfer switch | $1,200–$3,000 | Inlet location and conduit run, panel brand (interlock kits are panel-specific and some panels have none), and how many circuits move to the transfer switch. | source ↗ 5 September 2026 |
| Standby generator, installed | $10,000–$19,000 14 kW $10,000–$14,000; 18 kW $12,500–$17,000; 22 kW $14,000–$19,000 | Gas line sizing and the plumbing scope, pad and setback requirements, automatic transfer switch, and the electrical service size. | source ↗ 5 September 2026 |
Tenant improvements
Priced per square foot of leased area. Electrical is typically 15–25% of a tenant-improvement budget.
| Work | Typical range | What moves the price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office tenant improvement, electrical | $8–$15 per square foot | Whether the ceiling is open or hard-lid, the density of the lighting-control scope under WSEC C405, and how much of the existing distribution is reusable. | source ↗ 5 September 2026 |
| Retail tenant improvement, electrical | $6–$14 per square foot | Track and display lighting count, signage circuits, and POS and data rough-in. | source ↗ 5 September 2026 |
| Restaurant or bar tenant improvement, electrical | $15–$30+ per square foot $30,000–$90,000 for a 2,000–3,000 sq ft space; kitchen equipment circuit packages alone run $8,000–$25,000 | Equipment schedule length, three-phase versus single-phase service, hood shunt-trip and Ansul interlock, and how much of the existing panel capacity survives. | source ↗ 5 September 2026 |
| Dental or medical suite tenant improvement, electrical | $20–$40+ per square foot Confidence: medium — national and out-of-region sources; Puget Sound values not independently verified | Operatory count, imaging equipment (CBCT typically wants a dedicated 220 V/30 A circuit), isolated-ground receptacles, and three-phase compressor and vacuum feeds. | source ↗ 5 September 2026 |
| Med spa or salon fit-out, electrical | $8,000–$40,000 | Laser and IPL equipment usually needs dedicated 208–240 V circuits sized from the cut sheet; pedicure stations need GFCI protection with no more than two chairs per 20 A circuit; a 240 V spa tub wants 40–60 A GFCI. | source ↗ 5 September 2026 |
| Warehouse or light industrial tenant improvement, electrical | $3–$8 per square foot | High-bay fixture count and mounting height, three-phase machine circuits, and motor controls. | source ↗ 5 September 2026 |
Commercial services and distribution
| Work | Typical range | What moves the price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial 400 A or three-phase service | $15,000–$50,000 | Converting single-phase to three-phase adds roughly $10,000–$30,000; utility transformer work, CT cabinets and switchgear lead times dominate. | source ↗ 5 September 2026 |
Lighting retrofits
Before incentives. Utility programmes cover up to 70%, or up to 100% for Tacoma Power small business.
| Work | Typical range | What moves the price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial LED and controls retrofit | $10,000–$60,000 before utility incentives | Fixture count, whether networked lighting controls are added, and ceiling access. Utility programs cover up to 70% (SCL, PSE, SnoPUD) or up to 100% for Tacoma Power small business — see /rebates/. | source ↗ 5 September 2026 |
HVAC and refrigeration electrical
| Work | Typical range | What moves the price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat pump, mini-split or air handler electrical hookup | $500–$2,500 | Dedicated 30–60 A circuit length, disconnect location, whether a subpanel is needed, and controls or makeup-air interlocks. | source ↗ 5 September 2026 |
| Commercial refrigeration and rooftop control work | $3,000–$15,000 for control panel work; service visits $500–$3,000 | Contactor and controller count, enclosure build versus field modification, and whether the controls sequence has to be commissioned with the refrigeration contractor. | source ↗ 5 September 2026 |
Architectural lighting
| Work | Typical range | What moves the price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Millwork, cove and step LED lighting package | $5,000–$30,000 | Linear feet of channel, driver and dimming compatibility, whether the millwork is already built, and colour-temperature matching across rooms. | source ↗ 5 September 2026 |
| Whole-home dimming and lighting control system | $8,000–$25,000 for about twelve zones; large luxury systems run well past that | Zone count, keypad count, wired versus wireless, and integration with shades and AV. | source ↗ 5 September 2026 |
Residential service work
| Work | Typical range | What moves the price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly service rate, Seattle metro | $140–$200 per hour Confidence: market band, not HB's posted rate — owner confirmation pending | This is the published Seattle-metro market band for licensed electricians. HB Power Electric quotes small jobs as a flat price after a look, not by the hour, wherever possible. | source ↗ 5 September 2026 |
Permit fees
Where Washington L&I is the permitting authority the fees are published and predictable — the common line items are on the rebates page. Seattle SDCI, Tacoma Power and the self-inspecting cities set their own, so the permit line in a quote for a Seattle job and a Bothell job will not match even when the work is identical.
Prices shown are typical ranges for the Puget Sound area as of September 2026, compiled from published industry and local contractor sources. Every job is quoted after a site visit or plan review. Permit fees, utility charges and equipment are itemized separately unless stated.
Pricing questions
Are these your prices?
Not yet, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. These are published Puget Sound market ranges compiled from the sources linked beside each row, so you can sanity-check any quote — ours included — before you sign it. Our own figures replace them once the owner has confirmed them against recent invoices.
Why do you publish ranges instead of a price list?
Because electrical work is priced by what is behind the wall, not by the item on the invoice. The same 48 A charger is a four-hour job on a 200 A panel ten feet from the parking spot and a two-day job with a subpanel and a trench when it is not. A fixed price list would either be dishonest or padded to cover the worst case. Ranges plus the list of what moves them is the honest version.
What is not included in these numbers?
Permit fees, utility charges and the equipment itself are itemised separately unless a row says otherwise. Washington L&I's electrical permit fees are published — we list the common ones on the rebates page — and Seattle SDCI, Tacoma Power and the self-inspecting cities set their own. Effective 1 July 2026.
Do you charge for a quote?
No. A walkthrough and a written scope cost you nothing. What we ask in return is that you send whatever you already have — a drawing, an equipment schedule, a photograph of the panel with the cover off, the make and model of the charger or the battery — because a quote built on that is one we can stand behind rather than revise on the first day.
How do you handle changes once work starts?
In writing, before the work happens. Opening a wall or a panel occasionally reveals something the walkthrough could not — aluminium branch wiring, a double-tapped breaker, knob-and-tube behind a finished ceiling, a panel with no interlock kit available. When that happens we stop, tell you what it means for the price and the schedule, and let you decide.
Get a number for your actual building
Call or text and you will reach the owner, not a call centre. For anything with a drawing, an equipment list or a deadline, send it through the quote form and you will get a written scope back.
We reply as soon as we are off the job — usually the same day.