I work at a local business that has high traffic and many electrical needs. It is an older building with a commercial lease, which means we are responsible for all maintenance costs. In the years I have been care taking for the building, I have learned that sometimes it is okay to spend an extra few bucks hourly for the right guy to do the job. Tom traced down our biggest issues in no time, and I had been through two years of electricians trying to find this short. He also replaced a few ballasts, installed an outlet, rewired a switch, and generally left me with more knowledge than I had before and a piece of mind that we were doing it right. In a world of impersonal big business where you never know who they will send, I know Tom saved us some dough in the long run and that I also have someone to call that took the time to learn the building and that I know I can have an honest conversation with. read more

Take those other reviews with a grain of salt. It is simple enough for a company to generate fake users and reviews. Barker & Son Electric is overpriced, rude, and unprofessional. At $140/hour with a two-hour ($280) minimum, and two electricians, you would think they could install a simple, lightweight chandelier in the minimum time. Instead, I was treated to a 4.5 hour ($660!!) bill, accidental disconnection of another circuit, failure to return my phone call afterwords, and a rude email. They did later reduce my charge to 3.5 hours, and I managed to reconnect my other circuit myself. But the high price and bad taste remain. Other, more professional, companies have lower minimums, and will not disappoint you with false phone estimates. Following is the last email I have sent to them. ################################################### Barry, I sent off a check, and you should receive it Monday or Tuesday. I always wanted to pay for the service rendered, but first wanted my phone call returned, some help with the landscape lighting your company seemingly accidentally disconnected, and an explanation of why hooking up a chandelier took two electricians 4.5 hours when I was promised it would almost certainly be done in less than 2 hours. At this point, I have given up on having my phone calls returned. I managed to reconnect the landscape lighting myself, so because of this and your deduction the difference is not worth disputing. However, you can count me as one extremely dissatisfied customer, who reserves the right to inform others about my poor customer experience. Let me tell you why. 1) I do not know what your people told you, but I made it very clear that there was no existing chandelier, other than a ceiling fixture 10 feet away that could be tapped for power. No one was "led to believe" (as you accuse) otherwise. According to my notes and my clear recollection, it was acknowledged that a hole would be drilled, and a supporting brace may need to be installed - all before the phone estimate was offered. And this was read back to me, also very clearly. In fact, I was told that, barring any extenuating circumstances, the job would "almost certainly" take less than two hours. In fact, I was encouraged to offer some other tasks so as not to waste the two-hour minimum. 2) The trade-off between my patching, and being billed $140/hour, was alluded to on-site, and I agreed to do any painting and patching myself. I can do that for free, and already had the materials to do so. Further, there was never any question of opening up the ceiling, no matter what course of action was taken. 3) Your employees left my landscape lighting disconnected, and you never even responded to this point. 4) You never returned my call which I believe I placed to your associate, a good humored call during which I was promised I would get a call back. 5) I never collected the registered mail because a) I was told I would get a call back shortly to clear everything up, b) I work long hours far from my post office, and it was therefore rather difficult to pick up the letter, and c) I was trying to avoid going down a litigious path. It would have been far easier for you to pick up the phone. So telling me that I did not "bother" to pick up the letter is a bit unfair. 6) I have seen the wiring in situ, and you have not. You never bothered to call me. Therefore, the only information you have about the job was your employees' say so, which it seems I myself am disputing. It simply beggars belief that this job should have taken 4.5 hours, or 3.5 hours for that matter. Two hours for two men at $140/hour for a total of $280, plus $30 for materials, would have been generous for this job. But at least at THAT price point I would not be so upset. 7) My earlier email was not rude or personally attacking, but simply laid out my dissatisfaction. A good businessperson should be thankful for customer feedback, positive or negative, and you should not respond "in kind" as if you were having a personal discussion. All and all, I am very unhappy with the high cost of this job, and your company's poor customer service and rudeness. I do not need a reply at this point, and do not expect or even want one. Dan read more

Courteous service. Fair and straight forward pricing. Diagnosed the problem and fixed it on the spot. I would absolutely call them again. Bravo to Yelp. read more

Very reliable, reasonable rate, honest, and knowledgeable. I had purchased an oven for my store and didn't know that the plug didn't match the outlet. I called around to see if there was an electrician available asap so I can get my oven up and running for the business. Most places had me scheduled at least two days after getting a quote. I called very busy Tom and he was nice enough to accommodate me because he understands how having a small business is. He immediately came the next morning, and got my oven set up. Next thing that broke down, Ice Machine. Perfect! Ice is one of my main ingredients as I have a cafe that sells delicious drinks! I called Tom that night and he showed up the next morning, again! Who you gonna call? Tom Barker! Thanks Tom! read more

I used these guys for my company. Within 2-3 days, they had the department of water and power at my building. They had checked both inside and outside for an electrical issues and did it quickly and painlessly. This may be the first time I've used an electrician because I rent instead of own, but these guys were great. read more

I have had to use Barker & Sons a couple of times now. Tom the owner came out at the scheduled time as Tony was still tied up on another job. Tom is an excellent and professional guy. His knowledge is amazing as he has been doing this for many decades. I had an electric gate guy tell me 1 thing and then Tom show up and it is not what the gate guy said. Tom proceeded to troubleshoot the system which all worked well, including the gate. Tom suggested that we use 1 of the spare breakers and then promptly did it. Yes they have a 2 hour minimum, but remember you are paying for a professional not a run-by-night guy. Barker and Sons will continue to be my go to electrician. read more

Tom Barker and Tony are the best! They charged a fair price for top quality work. They really listened to us and fulfilled our requests, even changing certain things after completion to make sure we were totally satisfied. Tom is also a really funny dude, I enjoyed chatting with him. All communication and scheduling went really smoothly and I couldn't be happier with the end results. I'd definitely recommend these guys. read more

I wish I never needed to write a bad review. My policy is: if I have a bad experience, share it. But make sure to write 5 good reviews for each bad one. The short version: Tom arrived in a bad mood and was unable to do what he'd planned because of his emotional state. Everyone has a bad day. And when you add in LA traffic and all the stresses of life - it happens. But Tom showed up and was very unpleasant. To the point of being unprofessional and I had to send him away. Background: I called the top four electricians listed on yelp to have a dedicated 20amp electrical outlet installed in a garage to power a sauna. Tom called me back more than a week later and apologized for taking so long. We had a very nice phone conversation. We're basically neighbors and talked a bit about Santa Monica. And we discussed the work I wanted done. A dedicated 20amp electrical outlet for an infrared sauna. I answered all his questions about the job. We picked a day for him to come and assess the work that needed to be done. I told him that either I would be there to let him in. Or my mother would be there. Or that both my mother and I would be there. He said that was fine. Tom arrived a little later than I expected on the day of the appointment. Not a big deal. But that meant that I would not be able to be there while he assessed the work that would need to be done. My mom was going to be there. I went outside to leave and got a call from Tom: "where is the house?" It was obvious he was already in a bad mood. The street IS very dark (the house is right next to Clover Park in SM - not up in some hidden topanga valley...) . It's hard to see the house numbers. Tom was having a hard time finding it. I talked with him and guided him to the house. He was clearly frustrated. And his frustration quickly grew. I told him that the unit was straight down the lighted path on his left. And that my mom would be inside and help him find the electrical box. He started with questions about what work needed to be done... which we had already discussed. And he either didn't take notes or didn't review them. I told him again: dedicated 20amp outlet for a sauna. Tom: "how many bolts???" Me: "I'm not sure. But I can look it up and get you that info in a few minutes. I'll text it to you." Tom: getting more frustrated, "we'll, I need to know that! And... you're not even going to be here...?!?" And it continued to go downhill from here. Tom unloaded a ton of negative emotional energy onto me and my 8yr old daughter who was standing next to me :( In my view it was completely unprovoked - Tom just showed up in a bad place and took it out on us. No apology ever. There are enough electricians around that I'd recommend working with someone who is able to maintain their kindness and cool. read more

Tom of Barker Electric was just here extending an outlet for us from our workroom through the wall and into the garage so we can plug in our hybrid car. He went way past his two-hour minimum but he only charged the minimum two hours. Nice job, and very friendly guy. Esther C. read more

I would definitely recommend Barker & Son Electric. Tony is not only really good at what he does, but he's a cool guy who explains to you how things work. He's highly skilled and an excellent communicator. We love how things turned out. For sure, I'm calling Barker & Son again when we need something else done. read more

Tom is responsive, knowledgable and super friendly. He squeezed in an appointment to check out the wiring in an outlet that was damaged during the removal of our old countertops. Fortunately, he was able to fix it immediately, which proved to be very timely, as the "safer-at-home" rules went into effect soon after. Thanks for being a good neighbor, Tom! read more

First of all, Tom struggles w the electrical code. His lack of knowledge on the subject actually shocks me how he's made it this far. You can find much better local electricians for cheaper than his rate of $140 an hour. Trust me his work is not worth the money. read more

Being lured in by their perfect Yelp rating, I hired Barker & Son to install 2 ceiling lights in my house. All-around AWFUL experience. They dragged this small project out over 3-4 weeks, let my dog out of the yard (who got into a fight they failed to tell me about), put holes in the wall without asking, straddled the line between rude & patronizing, then charged me $1600 (even tho' we had agreed upon an overpriced flat rate of $1100) after they finally finished. I would never use them again. AVOID. read more

Professional, reliable, prompt. A client needed an electrical outlet installed into an odd place which had me doing some Yelp research. I came across Barker & Son Electric. Barry returned my call in a very timely fashion. They are/were very busy so we went back and forth a couple times to make sure my availability matched theirs, but they always called me when they said they would. I never had to pick up the phone to follow up on a "we'll call ya back" retort. Tom and Barry were personable over the phone. Alex showed up to survey the potential outlet area; nice, knowledgeable (and cute!). At the end of the day, my client did not decide to have the outlet installed (too much work and effort for the end result) and they were fair with rate charges. For sure, I recommend. read more

These guys are AWESOME!!! I found these guys on Yelp while searching for someone to help plan and install landscape lighting in our yard. I was impressed by their ratings and comments here on Yelp and they definitely lived up to their rave reviews. Tom, Jake and Barry really are the cream of the crop. Very knowledgeable and gave us outstanding customer service to make sure that we were satisfied and happy from beginning to end. I was especially impressed by their efforts to try and fix and use our existing equipment that we already had in place instead of telling us that we just need to start over and replace everything. I had received quotes from 3 other companies and they all wanted to take the easy route and just start from scratch telling us that we needed to purchase a new Transformer box, timer, etc.... Jake, who is one of their superstar electricians was our point person throughout the job and he is outstanding at his craft and very personable. He was able to utilize the existing equipment we already have and built us an amazing landscape lighting system around our yard. We couldn't be happier!!! Can't say enough good things about these guys! Tom, Jake and Barry really are incredible and I highly recommend them!! read more

I own a duplex and am always on the look out for professional and reliable contractors to handle the maintenance of my property. I had Barker and Son out to finish a job that my previous electrician left me high and dry on. Tom even worked around my sched. coming out later in the evening to take a look and give me a quote. Workmanship is top notch and needless to say they're now my go to electricians. read more

These guys are the ultimate in professional. We used them in our new home to install several lighting fixtures, repair outdoor lighting, and do some general electrical maintenance work. They're fully licensed, seasoned, and trustworthy. I'd recommend them highly for any job and will certainly be calling them for any additional electrical work. read more

I found these guys on Yelp and hired them to come install a motion sensor on the front door of the company I work for based on their good reviews here. I was not disappointed! From the gentleman to took my call to Alex, the electrician they sent, I couldn't have been happier. Everything in the store is white and we really wanted to avoid an eyesore and Alex did a fantastic job of hiding all the wiring for the unit. You can't even tell that its there! We also had him install a new on/off switch for a grinding machine we use to make shoe insoles. This is not a common machine but Alex had no problems with it and was able to install the switch without any difficulty. I priced 5 other electricians in the area and found their hourly rates to be right in the middle of the other quotes I got, so I felt good getting such great service at a competitive price. These guys are awesome and I highly recommend them!! read more

So happy to have found them! EXCELLENT customer service and quality. Tony replaced more than 10 outlets in my unit today; he was professional, personable and knowledgeable. Tom the owner stopped by with more supplies. He couldn't have been nicer or more knowledgeable himself. I will be adding another outlet in the future and they walked me through the option, process & cost. Not only will I use them again, but I will refer them to my clients as well. THANK YOU Tony & Tom! I deeply appreciate your service. read more

Tom came over and added a 220 line to our apartment. Very friendly and professional. He's obviously a true pro. Will get my first call next time. You can't go wrong. read more

I didn't expect much since my landlord had picked the company and set up everything but the honesty and just all around excellent customer service blew me away. The electrician that came explained everything he did and needed to do. Very fair price and doesn't try to tell you to replace things you don't need. I'd definitely trust these guys to do work for my family and friends. Not a lot of small family businesses like this left. Highly recommend! read more

Terrific service from Tom Barker and technician Tony. Tony got called away during my exhaust fan replacement job for an emergency call and, to make up for that, did not charge me for going to the supplier and getting the new fan that they discovered I needed. In addition, Tom Barker himself came the next day to make sure the installation was correct and discovered that the fan had not been exhausting to anywhere but into the ceiling joists -- there was no flue to the outside! For no extra charge than the regular hourly rate he and Tony drilled a properly sized hole through the 2 x 4 joists and outside wall, installed ducting to the fan unit and voila! perfect exhausting of the damp shower steam (and all the other gases produced in a bathroom, ahem)! The fan is reliable and comes on with the light switch and no more worries about mold or moisture buildup. They also checked for that in the timbers inside the ceiling, by the way, luckily all was dry and good. Tony also installed dimmer switches in two rooms for me and a surge protecting outlet. Terrific work, two days of effort by the team and all under $350! Highly recommend. I'd have given five stars except that Tony left on day 1 in the middle of the job due to that emergency call, and did not call to tell me he wouldn't be back that day, so I sort of waited around all afternoon to hear from him. Minor quibble, but if I had had other things to do it might have been a problem. I didn't, and it wasn't, as it happens. read more

We have used them several times over the past few years and are always very happy with Barker & Son Electric. They're prompt, professional, courteous, and very neat. And Tom will always go the extra mile to do the job right. They are fairly priced too and we recommend them highly. Will definitely use them again for all our electrical needs. read more

I've had random power surges in my house for the last few weeks and it had gotten so bad that at any point, day or night, electricity in any room might go off. Or only the outlets would go off, or only the lights in the kitchen and bedroom. Random things. I checked the breakers but because of the randomness of the power I knew the problem wasn't inside the house Santa Monica Power was no help as they told me I needed to hire an electrician to come out and diagnosis the problem before they would come out - even though I would have to hire someone to tell me what I already knew. Yelp had decent recommendations for Barker & Son, plus referrals from Carlson's so I gave them a call. Turns out Barker & Son is a small outfit from Santa Monica. Tom Barker went to SM schools and they are really nice people. Even better, Tom Barker told me that he knew exactly what the problem was, that he didn't need to charge me for coming out, to call the power company back and tell them it was a bad connection at the pole. I did, the power company came right out, Tom was right, and I now have full-time electricity in every room. I'll give them my business from now on read more

Really exceptional service from Tom and his team. He took the time to come out personally after a small snafu in electrical service to my A/C unit. He dug into the issue beyond what I expected to help me try to understand the problem. Very professional service. read more

I needed to have a 240/60 amp breaker added to my breaker box and a disconnect box for a new split ductless HVAC system I was having installed. I called Tom and asked for an estimate and his availability. I sent Tom some pictures of the breaker box and location of the new disconnect box. Once we ironed out the details, Tom gave me a time and date and gave me updates as to his availability in case I wanted it done sooner. He was very professional, experienced, on time and did nice work. I would used Tom in the future and recommend him for quality electrical work. read more

Friends don't let friends use Tom Barker. We luckily did not pay for the work of Mr. Barker, but we are still the victims of his work. We live next door to a property where he updated the exterior lighting in early December. When asked about the extreme, not-to-code lighting he installed 3 feet from our window without shields to direct the glare strictly onto their property, he gave every excuse as to why it could not be fixed - including suggesting we tack up a blanket in our window as a solution (no joke). From the initial phone call (where he revealed far too many personal details about his client as a way to convince us to NOT call her) through completion of the job, it was like trying to get a kid to finish their homework. If you know nothing about lighting or code, he will certainly try to convince you of why what he did was acceptable and the best thing out there (new technology, etc..). He told us every reason why something could not be done to correct the work he had not finished to code. I even offered to research and solve the problem FOR him if he would kindly give me the make and model of the lights he installed and take it completely off his and his client's plate. Which he never did. After speaking to Code Enforcement myself and learning how this could be resolved amicably, I relayed the rather simple fix to his client. He then came back, and did work to correct it..... but only half way. Still not to code and still an ongoing issue 2 months later. If I had a tall ladder, a piece of properly cut sheet metal and permission from the neighbor, I could finish this job myself for $40. If this is how hard he fights to not fix something as simple as this, I would have rather strong concerns about what he is doing behind my walls if I were looking to use him as a vendor. If you do decide to go with Tom, I recommend being in the know yourself about the issue, keep an eye out and by all means, ask questions! He certainly is a talker and I myself would not take him at his charming word. Hope this helps. read more

I was lucky to find Barker & Son through Mike Nichols at Carlson's Appliances. I had an issue with an rental inspection that needed immediate attention. Tom knew just what to do and handled the work and permit in a professional, friendly prompt manner that fit my financial concerns. You need only one electrician in your contacts. This is one you can trust. Julia W Venice read more

I can't recommend Tom enough. He's a genuinely great guy, a lifetime local, and he is the definition of someone who goes above and beyond what is expected in order to ensure- not only that his work is top-notch- but that his customers are happy. If I could give him 10 stars I would : ) read more

I had an kitchen outlet that stopped functioning and was making a loud buzzing noise - it had me very worried. I searched on Yelp and found Barker & Son. I called and spoke to Tom, he took down my information and said he would be out the next day, probably after 1PM, but that he would touch base with me. He also explained that their policy was to charge customers a 2 hour minimum. I agreed to this because I felt that my situation was urgent. The next day I never received a call and no one ever showed up. When I called Barker & Son I only got the office voicemail. I called another electrician for the following day (another company with equally good Yelp reviews), and he showed up on time and fixed the outlet in 15 minutes. The new company was also about half the price as they charged only for 1 hour of work. read more

My landlord was taking hours to get the maintenance guy to come fix my power. I had lost all outlet power and 1 wall light was out. I called Tom after telling my landlord I could no longer wait. He said he could definitely help me and it wouldn't take long. He was right. I knew when he arrived he was potentially in for a difficult task based on the age of the apartment building and fact that the owners take care of nothing inside. That didn't stop Tom since he is extremely experienced and knowledgeable. He even taught me how to change the fuse that apparently had blown to my unit due to out-dated electrical care. In addition, he investigated and discovered it was my portable heater that was using the most amps, thus I could not use it while other things like the microwave was on. I explained that the heater in the unit never worked since I moved in a few months ago, which was the reason for the portable heater. It turns out Tom has just as much experience in plumbing and got the gas apartment heater working! The next day he came back, out of the kindness of his heart, just to fix the outlet in the bathroom which also wasn't working upon move in. He did all this for the 2 hours I paid him for. I think you get more than you pay for with Tom, which usually isn't the case for most, so I am grateful and I feel secure/confident in his work. We talked about potentially scheduling a few other things I need to have help doing, such as mounting my bike rack which I have no knowledge in. read more

I've had Tom (owner) and Tony over for several small to medium sized projects the past few months. I recently bought a house and Tom has been very engaged in ideas on how to "adjust" the 75 year old electrical situation - original, very limited power panel. To be honest he could have been like others and suggested an expensive project but instead worked with me on options, allowing me to choose based on where my journey with improving the property. They've not only done quality work but have been punctual and excellent at communicating. How may contractors do you know respond by text within minutes? Good real-time communication in an age where it should be mandatory for all contractors. I now have heaters, the new washer and hair dryers working pretty much all at once with no issue - all with the existing service. I've got many more projects ahead that involve electrical upgrades, replacement of older fixtures, etc. to bring the property into the 20th Century and I will entrust this work to Tom and his team. read more

Seriously professional. Punctual. Everything explained fully. They leave you with no doubt that the quality of their work is top notch.

Tom is a true professional with many years of experience. Efficiently diagnosed and fixed all of my electrical issues and taught me a lot in the process. Worth the money for quality work. This is my second time using him. Would call him again in a heartbeat. read more

I needed to have wiring done so we could install a tv over our fireplace. The electricians that came out were were personable and very professional. The did a great job on the install and cleaned up everything before they left. I would definitely recommend them! read more

I don't understand the negative reviews. I was more than happy with Tony's work. He was punctual to the max, polite, knowledgeable, efficient. The work he did was exactly what we wanted, and more! These are the only electricians we will call from now on and you can safely recommend them to your friends. read more

Tom and the whole team are professional, knowledgable and really nice people. Tom is quick to respond and has helped us through different electrical issues with ease and a little good humor. I would recommend them whole heartedly. read more

This is an amazing company. Professional, kind and knowledgeable staff. I had a melted socket caused by bad wiring before we moved in, and as soon as I called Barker and Son Electric, I spoke with Barry, who said it wasn't safe and sent someone over right away to disconnect that circuit - free! Once the circuit was disconnected, they sent over Alex to fix the panel. Alex was very professional and completed the job in under an hour. From the moment I first connected with them to the completion of the job, this company has been wonderful...and less expensive than some other electricians I have used in the past. I would highly recommend them to anyone in need of an electrician. read more

I had an electrical issue where two of the light wall switches only turned the ceiling lights partially (very dim). What seems so simple now had me stumped for several days. I checked the electric panel, but everything looked OK. After my wife researched some electricians on Yelp, I called Barker & Son Electric this morning. The first thing Barry asked me about my problem was: "Are these two switches dimmers?" It took about two seconds for me to realize that someone must have lowered the sliding dimmers on each switch. They're very small and not obvious to see. I raised both of them and ahaha! Let there be light! This avoided a service call and some made up reason for why the lights were so dim that would have probably fooled me. I know who to call when I need my next electrical work. Barry was honest and had the answer. What more could I ask for? read more

Born and raised in Santa Monica, Tom Barker, runs a small crew that is thoughtful, hard working, and efficient. The work is of the upmost quality and the service is everything that you would hope for from a small family business. I highly recommend using Barker and son for any electrical work that you need done. I know that I will be using them exclusively in the future. read more