The short answer
A licensed electrician in Boston charges $62 to $160 an hour, plus a service call of $125 to $245. A 200-amp panel upgrade runs $1,600 to $3,450, and a Level 2 EV charger $925 to $3,200 installed. Your utility, Eversource or National Grid, sets how a service upgrade, solar hookup or charger gets approved.
What electricians cost in Boston
The table covers labor and standard materials for a single-family home. The figures start from national cost data and apply the Boston factor of 1.23 from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Area Cost Factors. Construction costs here run about 23% above the US average.
| Job | Boston (typical range) | US average |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly rate (licensed electrician) | $62–$160/hr | $50–$130/hr |
| Service call | $125–$245 | $100–$200 |
| Small repair, outlet or switch | $185–$490 | $150–$400 |
| Replace an outlet with a GFCI | $110–$245 | $90–$200 |
| New GFCI outlet | $185–$430 | $150–$350 |
| Ceiling fan installation | $185–$430 | $150–$350 |
| Light fixture or chandelier | $270–$4,200 | $220–$3,400 |
| Dedicated circuit | $310–$1,100 | $250–$900 |
| EV charger installation | $925–$3,200 | $750–$2,600 |
| Panel upgrade to 200 amps | $1,600–$3,450 | $1,300–$2,800 |
| Rewiring or grounding a house | $2,450–$12,300 | $2,000–$10,000 |
| Electrical permit | $62–$430 | $50–$350 |
Estimates for 2026, including labor and standard parts. Boston prices use the metro's construction cost factor of 1.23 (US average = 1.00) from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Area Cost Factors. Your quote depends on access, materials and the condition of the home.
Small jobs, like swapping a switch or adding a GFCI outlet in a bathroom, are mostly the service call plus an hour of labor. A panel upgrade takes most of a day on site. The permit office and the utility set the rest of the schedule, and in a triple-decker the meter bank can add a day of coordination with the other owners.
Use the cost estimator to see a figure for your ZIP code and your job.
Eversource or National Grid: which utility serves you
Greater Boston has two investor-owned utilities, and which one serves you changes the paperwork for any job that touches the meter. Homes in Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Newton, Quincy and Brookline sit in one territory or the other. A few municipal light departments serve their own towns. Check the name on your power bill before you collect quotes. Tell the electrician which utility you have.
A new panel, a meter change, a solar system or a battery needs both the utility's approval and a city permit. The electrician files the service request with the utility and pulls the local electrical permit. Quincy's Wiring Department says anyone planning a service installation or alteration should contact the electric utility in addition to filing for a permit. The electrician runs both tracks at once.
Panel upgrades in Boston's older housing
Much of Boston's housing was wired for a household with a few lights and a radio, and it has not been updated since. A 60-amp or 100-amp fuse box is common in triple-deckers and older single-families, and it rarely has room for a heat pump, an induction range, a dryer and a car charger together. If you plan to add more than one of those, ask the electrician to run a load calculation for everything at once. That way you pay for one upgrade instead of two.
A 200-amp upgrade in Boston runs $1,600 to $3,450 in our price data. Angi's Boston page puts a 200-amp panel upgrade at $1,410 to $2,170, a narrower figure for a straightforward swap. The difference usually comes down to whether the service entrance cable, the meter socket and the grounding electrode all need replacing. In a multi-unit building, the meter bank and the common-area panels belong to all the owners. The work needs the other owners' agreement before the electrician orders equipment.
What the utility and the city each require
The city issues the electrical permit and inspects the work. The utility handles the service drop or lateral, the meter and the final connection. In Boston, the Inspectional Services Department lists Electrical Permit and Electrical Temporary Service among its permit types. You can check a permit's status in the city's Permit Finder by number. Cambridge requires at least two inspections on an electrical permit, a rough and a final. A building inspector cannot sign off on contractor steps until the electrical inspector has signed off on the utility work.
Solar, batteries and EV chargers
Solar and battery systems need three approvals in Massachusetts: the local electrical permit, the utility interconnection, and the state's net metering or SMART program paperwork. The electrician and the solar installer usually split this work. Ask in writing who files what.
For EV charging, the state energy code already requires new homes to be wired for it. The 2025 residential amendments to 225 CMR 22.00 require one- and two-family dwellings and townhomes to have at least one 50-amp branch circuit per dwelling unit for AC Level II charging, marked "EV READY" in the panel directory. In an older Boston home that circuit does not exist yet. A charger install often means a dedicated circuit and sometimes a panel upgrade.
Several Boston-area towns have adopted the state's Specialized energy code. It requires new construction to be all-electric or pre-wired for future electrification. If you are renovating, Newton's Fossil Fuel-Free Ordinance has been in effect since January 1, 2025. It requires new construction and major renovations to be all-electric. From January 1, 2026, additions and renovations over 1,000 sq ft must be fully electric with no gas cooking. Somerville follows the Specialized (Opt-In) Energy Code, which has applied since July 1, 2023 to new construction and major renovations. For a gut renovation, the electrical plan has to match the energy code your town enforces.
Do you need a permit?
Yes, for nearly anything beyond replacing a fixture or device. Only a master or journeyman electrician licensed by the Board of State Examiners of Electricians can be legally hired to do electrical work at your home. In Somerville, a licensed electrician must apply for and obtain all electrical permits. Homeowners cannot obtain electrical permits themselves.
Each city runs its own fee schedule. Boston's Building Division charges a $20 application fee plus $0.25 per amp for a new or upgraded service up to 240 volts. A 200-amp service permit is about $70. A permit with no change in service costs $20 plus $1.00 per fixture, plug or outlet, and $5.00 for all meters approved. A permit that fits no other category costs $20 plus $10.00 per $1,000 of estimated cost. Starting work without a permit, or undervaluing the job, doubles the fee.
| City | Permit office | Fee basis |
|---|---|---|
| Boston | Inspectional Services Department, Building Division | $20 plus $0.25 per amp for a service up to 240V; $20 plus $1 per device otherwise |
| Cambridge | Inspectional Services, 831 Massachusetts Ave. | $10 per 100 amps for a new service; $25 per unit for residential data wiring; fee tripled if work starts before the permit |
| Somerville | Inspectional Services Division, 1 Franey Rd., through CitizenServe | Licensed electrician must pull the permit; online application |
| Newton | Inspectional Services, 1000 Commonwealth Ave., through NewGov | $20 per $1,000 of estimated cost, rounded up, $50 minimum |
| Quincy | Wiring Department, DPW Complex, 55 Sea Street | Online permits; free permit help clinics Thursdays 2 to 4 p.m. |
| Brookline | Brookline Building Department | Check with the town before work starts |
Cambridge triples the permit fee when electrical work starts before the permit is issued. Boston doubles it. Newton charges $50 for a first re-inspection and $100 for a second or later one. A job that fails inspection twice costs more than the permit did.
Construction hours vary by city. Cambridge allows residential construction Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. No Sunday work without a special permit from the Police Department. Somerville allows Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Plan noisy work, like drilling for a new service, around those hours.
How to check a electrician before you hire
Massachusetts licenses electricians through the Board of State Examiners of Electricians. The board issues journeyman and master licenses. A journeyman needs 8,000 hours of work over at least four years under a licensed Massachusetts journeyman, plus 600 hours of Board-approved education. A master electrician must hold a Massachusetts journeyman license, have at least one year of work experience and 150 hours of Board-approved education. Electrical and systems businesses also need a business license from the state.
There is a second check for any contractor working on your home. Contractors doing work on an existing, owner-occupied residential property with one to four units in Massachusetts must be registered as a Home Improvement Contractor (HIC). The HIC registration is different from a Construction Supervisor License. The two are not interchangeable. The HIC program also runs an arbitration process. It can pay eligible homeowners up to $25,000 from the Guaranty Fund for unpaid judgments against a contractor.
Before you sign:
- Look up the electrician's license number on the state's eLIPSE platform. Check that the name matches and the status is active.
- Check the HIC registration if the work is on your own home of one to four units.
- Ask for the certificate of insurance. Quincy's Wiring Department requires certificates of insurance from electrical contractors unless the property owner signs a waiver.
- Get a written price that lists the permit fee as its own line and says who files the utility paperwork.
Massachusetts electrician licenses expire on July 31 each year and renew online through eLIPSE. A lapsed license can affect a contractor's ability to pull municipal permits. Check the date.
GOLDGCP checks each electrician's state license, insurance, background and references before they get a job. You pay in milestones as the work is approved. For more on how payments are protected, see our guide to payment protection.
Common electrical jobs in Boston homes
| Job | Boston price range | Permit and utility steps |
|---|---|---|
| Replace an outlet with a GFCI | $110 to $245 | Usually no permit for a like-for-like swap |
| New GFCI outlet | $185 to $430 | Permit if new wiring is run |
| Ceiling fan installation | $185 to $430 | Permit if a new circuit is run |
| Dedicated circuit | $310 to $1,100 | Electrical permit; space in the panel |
| Level 2 EV charger | $925 to $3,200 | Electrical permit; utility service request; 50-amp circuit |
| Panel upgrade to 200 amps | $1,600 to $3,450 | Electrical permit; utility meter and service coordination |
| Rewiring or grounding a house | $2,450 to $12,300 | Electrical permit; rough and final inspections |
| Running electric from the road | $4,332 to $21,660 | Trench permit in Boston ($60); utility coordination |
The road-to-house figure comes from Angi's Boston page. It puts the average at $13,267 and notes that underground lines cost about twice as much as overhead. Trenching alone runs $5 to $12 per linear foot. Boston charges a $60 trench permit that needs signatures from the applicant, the owner and the excavator. It is valid for six months.
If your project also touches plumbing, see our Boston plumbing guide.
Areas we cover
GOLDGCP electricians work across Greater Boston:
- Boston, including Dorchester, Roxbury, Jamaica Plain and the North End
- Cambridge
- Somerville
- Newton
- Quincy
- Brookline
- The North Shore
- The South Shore
Type your ZIP code below to see whether a vetted electrician covers your street.
How GOLDGCP works
- Tell us about the job through the form, by phone or on WhatsApp. Mention your utility and your panel size if you know it.
- We match you with up to 3 vetted, licensed electricians and show prices for your ZIP code before anyone visits.
- The electrician you pick pulls the local electrical permit and coordinates with Eversource or National Grid.
- You pay in milestones, each one after you approve that stage, and the last after the final inspection.
For a burning smell, sparking, a downed line or a dead panel, use the 24/7 emergency line at the top of the page. If you smell gas, leave the building and call your gas utility first.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an electrician cost per hour in Boston?
Usually $62 to $160 an hour for a licensed electrician, plus a $125 to $245 service call. Rates here run about 23% above the national average. Evening, weekend and holiday calls cost more. Jobs that need a permit add the city fee.
How much does a panel upgrade cost in Boston?
Upgrading to 200 amps costs about $1,600 to $3,450 here. Angi's Boston page puts a straightforward 200-amp swap at $1,410 to $2,170. The utility may also need to change the meter. In a multi-unit building, the meter bank work needs the other owners' agreement.
Do I need a permit to install an EV charger in Boston?
Yes. An EV charger needs a local electrical permit, and the electrician files it with the city where you live. The state energy code already requires new one- and two-family homes to have a 50-amp EV-ready circuit. Older Boston homes usually need a dedicated circuit and sometimes a panel upgrade first.
Can a homeowner pull an electrical permit in Massachusetts?
No. Only a master or journeyman electrician licensed by the Board of State Examiners of Electricians can be legally hired to do electrical work at your home. Somerville states that a licensed electrician must apply for and obtain all electrical permits. Homeowners cannot obtain electrical permits themselves.
What happens if electrical work starts before the permit in Cambridge?
Cambridge triples the permit fee when work requiring a permit starts before the permit is issued. Boston doubles the fee when work has started without a permit or the estimated cost is undervalued. Paying the higher fee does not excuse the contractor from meeting the code.
How do I check an electrician's license in Massachusetts?
Look up the license number on the state's eLIPSE platform, or search by name, license type or business. Check that the status is active and the license has not lapsed past the July 31 renewal date. Also confirm the HIC registration if the work is on your own home of one to four units.
Do solar and batteries need utility approval in Boston?
Yes. A grid-tied solar or battery system needs the local electrical permit, the utility interconnection and the state net metering or SMART paperwork. The electrician and the solar installer usually split this work. Ask in writing who files what before you sign.
How we calculate these prices
GOLDGCP starts from national price ranges for each job, taken from published 2026 cost guides and checked against local price guides where they exist. To get a local price, we multiply the national range by the construction cost factor for the metro from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Area Cost Factors (US average = 1.00). Where that table has no entry for a metro, we use the nearest listed location or the state value. For ZIP codes outside the 50 largest metros, the cost estimator uses the state's price level from the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities. Ranges include labor and standard materials but not unusual site conditions, so a written quote after an inspection is always the final price.
Sources
About this guide
Written by the GOLDGCP editorial team. Prices come from national cost guides adjusted with official construction cost factors for Boston; rules and statistics come from the agencies and reports linked in the text. We update this page when prices or codes change.