WARNING: DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH BATES ELECTRIC. If you do prepare for headaches and some sketchy, unreliable work that will cost you more down the road. You've had multiple opportunities to rectify the issues. Number of issues: 1. Knew when we built the home 5 years ago that they poorly placed the electrical panel in the basement. They failed to install per the plans and they placed it between the egress window and bathroom. Pretty ill-advised common sense move. Now that we are finishing the basement about a dozen contractors have stopped by and looked at it and said something along the lines of "who is the idiot that installed your electrical panel" 2. Within a year of moving in INDOOR outlets that were NOT sealed properly and were freezing from the outside moisture. 3. There is an outdoor outlets that has never worked on the side of the house. 4. Breaker keep popping on outdoor outlets. They went 15A instead of 20A. Once again, not great common sense for outdoor outlets. Overall, this is not a company I would do business with. Once they cashed the check, there is no follow up or even communication to warranty their work. One positive is that the electrician working on our home was flexible and always tried to meet our request. read more

Matt was excellent. What I needed done was a challenge but he did the job in a professional and friendly manner. He was respectful and great. I would definitely recommend him. Thank you Matt. read more

I purchased a new townhome and it needed lots of electrical work. They sent two men they have worked tirelessly for a couple weeks on my house .... This is not a flyby night company everything is done by the book. It was not cheap. It was very reasonable. Don't forget in today's world you get what you pay for! Electrical work is very important to be done properly with permit and an inspection. read more

Electrician came out, could hardly speak English, had to call boss to tell him how to do the work. I only wanted estimate, but decided I definitely did not want to do business with them. This guy had me telling him when lights were off, then doing same thing in every room, I should have been paid for things he should have known! Worst if all, they charged me $125.00 for nothing! Horrible! read more

Job well done Bates electric (Frankie). Bates is very good job and cost is very reasonable in comparison to other companies. AAA rated read more

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Called Bates to checkout my electric panel due to getting soaked from rain after a tornado. Asked to get a report for the insurance company damage. Technician came out took a picture of panel and wanted $125.00 for that. I asked him to take the cover off to check for corrosion, he did and then didn't want to put the cover back on. Had to ask him to put the panel cover back on. He took pictures and then charged me $125.00. I've never gotten the report. I would not recommend Bates for anything, they just want money, for doing nothing. I've called them a couple of times never received a call back. I recommend finding someone else. read more

I have a 8Kw generator that needs yearly service. I always have relied on Bates Electric. Today's appointment was no different that the past - do what needs to be done to keep it running and include the owner in the process. I called a few weeks ago to make the appointment. It was set for today, and today the tech called to remind me that I was on his list. He got here within the promised work window and promptly went to work. We talked a bit about the generator then I left him to do what he came for. He finished quickly and recommended some other preventive work - like replacing the 5 year old battery. I have owned enough motor vehicles to know I was probably running it on borrowed time so agreed to replace it. He cleaned the area and left it looking like he was never there. The generator again runs well. I also need to mention that the tech was the same one as the last time out - nice to know companies are managing to keep talent around. read more

Used this company several times for various projects, however, after my most recent experience, I would never use again. They do not stand by their warranty. Had an issue with a visit and was promised a prompt call back. Been well over a week and they have refused to even provide a call back. If you're looking for an honest and professional electrician, look elsewhere. Complete rip off. read more

Warnings of insurance mandates coming, and we wont touch anything without an upgrade. More concerned with exploiting an electrical issue than fixing them, no matter how simple. Sleazy business practices. read more

Jack Ryland As you can see I have an issue with my led lights that Bates Electric installed on 4/6/2020. As of now 5 of the lights have failed. Bates will not will not live up to the customer commitment that they post on the website. read more

Better Business Bureau of Eastern & Southwest Missouri & Southern Illinois 211 North Broadway Suite 2060 Saint Louis, MO 63102-2741 Subject: Official Complaint Against Bates Electric, Inc. Bates Electric, Inc. has the following advertisement: "Our emergency crew is there for you. Emergency brings out the worst of some and the best in others. If you have an emergency, bring out the best with Bates Electric by using our 24-hour emergency service. We restore power as QUICKLY as possible. NO CRISIS is too large. NO JOB is too difficult for our experienced technicians to bring out the best to help you. Bates Electric - providing solutions no matter how quickly you need them!" I did not have that experience, at all, with Bates Electric. On Saturday, July 1st, 2023, there was a terrible rainstorm with heavy showers. This caused my electricity to go out, and my generator was not working. I called Bates Electric, Inc. and left a voicemail. No one called back. Due to no electricity being available, my sump pump was not working, causing my basement to flood. The electricity was off for four days, without a single returned telephone call from Bates Electric, Inc. On Friday, July 14th, 2023, there was a worse storm than on July 1st, 2023. My electricity went out again. I called Bates Electric, Inc. and left a message. No one returned my telephone call. On Saturday, July 15th, 2023, I called again and spoke with a staff member named John, requesting for someone to come out to repair my generator. John told me that no one was available because a service technician was on vacation. John informed me that if he could find someone to come on Sunday, July 16th, 2023, I would be charged a $350 service fee, plus $350 per hour for labor with a one-hour minimum, but if I scheduled service for Monday, July 17th, 2023, the fee would be half that amount ($175 per hour). I scheduled a service call for Monday, July 17th, 2023. A technician arrived on Monday, July 17th, 2023, but quoted the rates I was given for Sunday service. It was only after I stated that I was quoted a different rate did the technician agree to the $175.00 per hour rate. The technician claimed that "everything was fixed" at 4:00 p.m., and left my home. At 7:00 p.m., I found out that the technician was not truthful, because the generator still was not working. I called Bates Electric, Inc. at 7:00 p.m. on July 17th, 2023 after I saw that the generator was not working. No one answered the telephone, ergo I left a voicemail message. On July 18th, 2023, I saw a weather report that there would be a storm that evening. I called Bates Electric, Inc., and a person named Paige answered the telephone. I informed Paige that my generator still was not working, even though the technician claimed that it was. Paige told me that no one was available to come out. I asked to speak with a manager. A person named Stacey got on the telephone, and told me that no one is available. I advised Stacey that I have a library of rare, out of print books and recordings that would be at risk for the storm. I also informed Stacey that I had multiple religious artifacts, educational materials, and recording equipment that would all be at risk if my basement flooded. Stacey then said that a technician named Steve would come over to fix the generator. Upon arrival, Steve did not ring the doorbell announcing that he was here. He called and stated that he was outside working on the generator. I did not see his truck parked outside my house. I walked around to my generator and he was not there. I looked down the street and there Steve was, pulling apart someone else's generator. I called him and informed him he was at the wrong house. He stated he assumed that was the right house because he has done work there before in the past. Steve then came to my home for an hour, working on the generator, and then abruptly ended service, citing that he has another job to do, and did not have time to fix my generator. I pleaded with Steve to finish the work at my home, because I had property at risk. Steve told me to, "Call the office," and left without completing the repair of my generator. I called Bates Electric, Inc. again and spoke with Stacey. I asked to speak with Andrew Bates, the CEO of Bates Electric, Inc. Stacey was told by someone in the background, "Tell her I am in a meeting." I informed Stacey that the technician left without repairing my generator, claiming that he had another job that he had to get to. Stacey told me that the only way that someone would come back out on July 18th, 2023 was to charge me the rate that is charged on Sundays, otherwise I need to "wait until they get someone that actually has time to fix the generator." On July 19th, 2023, someone finally came and repaired the generator, giving me a total bill of $1,894. I am an elderly widow, a person of color, and have complex health issues. In this entire experience, I felt dismissed, unheard, and given horrible service read more

I made an appt for a Bates technician to come do an estimate on several things in the 82yr old house I just bought. The soonest appt was 2.5wks out, but I took it anyway. I made a sooner appt with another company too. I was told when making the appt with Bates, that it would be $125/hr, so that is what I was expecting to pay. Despite the Bates fee of $125 being higher for a quote, my electrical safety concerns were great enough to want a 2nd opinion. I hadn't received a reminder text or email for Bates to come, so I had to call back the day before to confirm. The lady confirmed the appt & reminded me again of the $125 service fee (I still only heard of $125, despite the different terminology). The technician was on time & friendly, telling me what he suspected the quotes would be (cheaper than first company). When we were settling up, he asked if I knew it would be $250. I told him I was told $125/hr, to which he stated the customer is usually surprised at the $250 quote fee, implying that this info is not made very clear at the time of scheduling. Apparently, it's $125/hr AND a $125 service fee, when the guy was only here for 30min! Maybe I should've noticed the different verbiage from the scheduler, but I've worked in customer service for years & many people would've made this mistake. I would NOT have made an appt with Bates had I known the cost of a quote. I received an email same day with my invoice, but I never received a quote. I called the next day to inquire & was told that quotes take 5-7 business days to receive! I can't wait that long, plus another 2-3wks for another appt. I wasted an extremely valuable $250, & I am still waiting for my quote after 9 business days. This company's schedulers need to make it clear what exactly quote cost will be & how long it will take to receive quote. Most families cannot afford $250 for a quote. The other company cost $69 for a quote that I received same day. That's better customer service. read more

Worst electric company I've ever worked for. They literally stole money out of my pocket, underpaid and overworked me for years and offer TERRIBLE EdUcAtIoN ( if you even call it that ) to their employees. It was only until I worked for a real electrical company that I realized this. If they spent half the money on training that they do promoting their false image they would be a little better. Just another money hungry business that does sketchy work. ( I know because I was instructed to do so regularly ) read more

A Bates Electric Truck just about caused a pile up on South 55 at the Lindbergh exit. I wish I could have gotten the license plate, but the driver was so erratic he cut through and cut off cars across two lanes as he was excessive speeding. He drove over the median and other double white lines (illegal) and about sideswiped two vehicles. If they are that careless on the road, I can't imagine how careless they are on the job. No thanks. read more

Their professionalism and ability to adapt to our schedule in a timely manner was impressive. The electrician that was assigned to our project was always polite and unobtrusive; we felt confident in his ability to perform the job in a timely manner and felt he was trustworthy. We are in the service industry as well, and appreciate exceptional service. Thank you Bates Electric! read more

I received several estimates for a Generac whole house generator and decided to go with Bates Electric. They were not the highest bid nor the lowest but they were Authorized dealers for the Generac where the others were not even though they would have installed a Generac. Everyone from the office staff, the estimator, the installers and later on the yearly maintenance man Josh were a pleasure to deal with. They were all informed about the product and happy to talk to me and answer all of my questions, and I did have a lot of them. They were right on target with everything from starting date to show up times and finishing date. The installation process was painless and very professional and my home was left nice and clean when they were finished. I would not hesitate to recommend Bates Electric to anyone and I would use them again for any future project I might decide to do. read more

Found the right company in Bates Electric. Did a project in St Louis and out of all the electrical companies bidding the job I chose the right one. Professional and clean work is what we expect and that's what we got. My Thanks to Tony and Kevin for their clean and excellent work. Look forward to the next one in St Louis. Bates will be my electrical company Thanks from Dallas TX read more

Called for service, tech showed up 10 hours later charged me $375 to tell me that my electrical issue was a city problem, city came out and fixed for free. The tech was great but $375 for advice is highway robbery. read more

I found these guys through yelp and decided to use them due to their wonderful rating on here. I couldn't be happier with their service. I've had them out to my house twice to set up a new outage underground meter and 200 AMP fuse box. Both guys that have come to my house were very professional and helpful. The ladies I've made the appointments through have also been extremely patient and helpful. Good price points. I've told everyone in my family if you need an electrician these are the guys for you. They have a lifelong client now. A++ read more

While in the process of movers delivering furniture the overhead light in the primary bedroom (vaulted ceiling) stopped working. This was 2-3 pm on a Friday afternoon. Bates Electric saved my rear end by being able to get an electrician out to my house to get us back on track and able to assemble our furniture and not be without a light for an entire weekend. There was a $135 emergency/after hours service fee and the emergency/after hours rate of $135 an hour but I had light. I actually had a list of electrical work I needed taken care of prior to this emergency and they offered to waive the standard service fee when another electrician came out a few days later as long as I scheduled both the emergency and the standard appointment at the same time. The hourly rate was only $90 for the electrician to come back over to address my original list that included installation of wiring and replace receptacle so I can use my electric dryer (it is a 4 prong), take down three overhead lights and install ceiling fans in their places, and fix a broken receptacle. This was appreciated by my hubs and I and seemed more than ethical. We would have paid a senate service fee. Anyway I didn't interact with the guy from Friday night, I was exhausted from other moving drama, but he did good work and my husband seemed pleased. Tony P. came yesterday and I was on point for the service because I work from home, and he was phenomenal. He offered great solutions that were to code and least invasive for the dryer line (we have two different electric panels) and was fast and efficient with the other work. He paid great attention to detail and asked a few questions about the fans to make sure we would be happy with the results when he could have simply followed the original directions and hoped for the best. He especially earned bonus points for being cognizant of my house rabbits who live in one of the bedrooms where a fan was installed. He took great care to ensure he was as quiet as possible and tested the fan as limitedly as needed so as to not chill them with the draft. He went above and beyond by offering to do more clean up than I thought was required of him. I hope to not have electrical issues in the future and I don't think I'll be changing out fixtures anytime soon, but if I do, there is no hesitation with going back to Bates. read more

I've been struggling to get some minor electrical work done at my house. Because I am out of town frequently it is imperative that I be able to schedule on fairly short notice. I have had a number of electricians either fail to show when promised and/or fail to respond to my voicemail messages. Yesterday I called Bates Electric and was able to get an appointment for the following day. This afternoon I had the pleasure of meeting Danny Layfield who showed up as scheduled and completed the work in a timely manner. This was a welcome relief. Danny was pleasant and professional and since I also work in the service industry I really appreciated it. I was so impressed that I will request Danny for my next appointment with Bates as I anticipate having some additional work done. read more

I wanted a Stand by Generator installed in my home. Ben from Bates came to my home and explained everything to me very clearly and professionally. He gave me a fair bid. I then contacted Page and she helped me through the process. Within two months Steve came out and installed the system in 3 days. From start to finish everyone I worked with was professional and friendly. I couldn't have been happier with my experience read more

Highly recommend. Jason was right on time, professional but very nice, competent and efficient. These were small jobs that needed to be resolved for home inspection sale. Taylor set up the schedule-for the NEXT DAY!- and Ashley made sure the lien waiver was emailed to realtor. Outstanding services. read more

I would like to recommend Bates Electric.They were on time, professional, and cordial.Thanks so much guys. Kelly read more

Horrible experience. The electrician they sent was a complete, crazy hustler. Made threatening calls to me after they fired him. Overcharged me, kept leaving the job. Charged for me for the time he was out fooling around. Charged for 100 feet of wiring when only 10 feet was needed. Nightmare trying to get refunded for overbilling. Still billing me for extra money. Months later still trying to get credit. Put huge wholes in walls when not needed. Disaster. You could not pay me to use this company again! read more

My electrician, Murray, fixed all my problems in one day. He worked hard and I am giving him a shout out. The problems were not easy to fix but he came through with flying colors. read more

A disaster from the beginning. I've never dealt with a business with so little integrity. All we needed was our pool to be bonded and electric ran to the pump. Basically, the guys came out and ran the electric but didn't put our pool back together correctly. (They've decided they no longer put them back together (as of September 2021..I'm sure from not getting my pool back together correctly.) Bates tried to charge me for coming back out to put the POOL BACK IN THE TRACK and put screws back in. When they left the job the first time, we were absolutely told the pool was good. Evidently they thought it was "no big deal" that it was not in the track and there were no screws at the bottom post. One of his actual quotes were, "What does it matter if we didn't do it right...I'm gonna fix it, ain't I?" They literally lost pieces when taking it apart and rigged it back together hoping I wouldn't notice the bulging top and crooked screws. He tried to rig it the 2nd time, but I called him out. I literally had to babysit both appointments. I was told to try and find the missing part. He said he had no idea where it was even after acknowledging that he is the one who took it apart. It was actually unbelievable. They were caught in multiple lies. If you end up needing to call about the poor service, you get met with attitude and zero callbacks from the owner. We put aside the difficulty with actually getting them out to work on our job. They struggled to get locates planned out in conjunction with getting their men out. Once or twice I know we were rescheduled the morning of...pretty much the same time they were supposed to be there working. We put aside the fact that they charged us quite a few hundred more then their "average cost quote" ...even after charging us to come look at our job. Save yourself this headache. Wish we had. Sadly, I've since learned they actually don't have a good reputation in the area. With the lack of honesty and accountability from the technicians to the owner, I'm not surprised. read more

Rip off, Do not use. I had one light fixture installed total of 8' cable and 2 dry wall cuts. Total charge after 3 hrs was $500.00 First technician was late for 7am call and when he arrived and start working 30 mats late I was charged like he was on time. It is $98 per hour charge so right there I was out 50 bucks. Than he told me that he needs in store and buy simple electrical cable 10' long never mind they are electrical company he claimed he did not have it in van. After he came back 75 minutes later he was on phone with his company for another 20 mats. So I got screwed out 2 hrs of work per $ 98 that is 200 without anything being done. When left after 3 hours I was handed $ 500.00 bill for him working total of 90 minutes. When I called company to complain they were very defensive of this practice basically telling me that is my problem because electrical company does not have 8' cable in truck and that all their business is basically my problem. I was also told that it is not their fault that technician was 30 mints late and I need to pay him like he was on time which is absurd. So in short, If you want company to milk the clock and screw you out your hard earned dollars hire them. They even do not bring simple electrical cable with them. Yes I forgot one more item, They charge me for that cable additional $90.00 Customer service os bad and once they got your money they really do not care about anything Do not hire them! Service: Installation read more

Accepted appointment after discussing project then they cancelled after waiting multiple days to respond. I now have to find an alternative company. read more

Would give then no stars if possible. They don't do quotes according to the owner because they don't want to get on a job and incur any extra cost, better the customer pays . Told me a standard price and wound up being 3 times initial price. Horrible customer service, and had to hire another person to fix the work they were suppose to do. Please look online and see how many complaints they have, DO NOT USE THEM! read more

I was totally satisfied with everyone at Bates Electric in connection with an electrical project to replace an entire circuit board. It required permitting, parts acquisition, interaction with Florida Power and Light and coordination of schedules to get the job done. I was impressed with Taylor Bates for her persistence in dealing with FPL but most impressed with the technician, Alirio Chang who solved every unforseeable problem and completed the job on time and on budget. I would not hesitate to recommend Bates Electric, especially Alirio for any electrical project. I give them my highest rating. Carl C. Naples, FL read more

I purchased a Generac 22kw Guardian and had it installed by Bates. Ben did a great job scoping the requirements. Paige coordinated the installation. And Steve and Mike installed the system with two transfer switches. These folks are knowledgeable, friendly, and demonstrate integrity and exceptional workmanship. If you're looking for a backup generator I strongly recommend Bates Electric for a quality system installed by a professional team. read more

I had two rooms without power to the electrical boxes. The electrician troubleshooted all the boxes in the two rooms and eliminated them as the problem. Then he went into the attic (we have no basement) and found two boxes with disconnected wires. He had to go to Home Depot to get a box and small supplies which he didn't have in his truck. The whole thing took 6 hours plus service call for $645. I thought he took way too long to fix the problem and didn't have supplies in his truck, but the problem is fixed. read more

My positive review is more about my experience with Teandre, the electrician who came and serviced, than it is about the company, but I will say he made Bates look like a good company. He was on time, understanding, respectful, and had rich answers to all of my questions. He had a good hustle, which I like to see when I am paying someone 100$ an hour, and had no problem taking his time with my questions. after he was done, I talked his ear off and he answered all of the questions I had. Given that he is the only employee I have seen from Bates, I would be happy to recommend Teandre to someone else, but I would only be able to recommend Bates If I worked more directly with more of their electricians. Overall, great service! read more

Called for an electrical problem and received an estimate for $800.00 max. When the electrician arrived on Friday, he "fixed" the problem in record time for approx $500.00. Good deal, right? WRONG!!! Problem not fixed at all, and now unable to do laundry because somehow laundry room rewired and washer not getting enough electric, dryer outlet getting no electricity. Of course, this was discovered over the weekend, when I would typically be doing laundry. After accusing us of breaking the dryer and me explaining that I couldn't break the outlet and the dryer is 6 months old, she sent the electrician back out- on Tuesday. He returned electricity to the laundry room, added a breaker for one of the original overload issues, but was unable to do anything about the main problem and "had" to charge another $300.00 for the time he'd spent re fixing his mistake and taking measurements. He advised us he'd take the measurements back to the office and have his bosses get back to us to fix the wiring on our second level. Two weeks later I called back to see if they'd forgotten about us, and of course they hadn't. They were semi- apologetic and still checking into things. They never called back. And I didn't either. I'd found a few reviews on line that mentioned this company not returning calls, but I gave them a try anyway. Hopefully this will keep others from making the same mistake. Would have given zero stars but the tech was really nice and did fix a problem outlet in our kitchen. That, and zero isn't an option. read more

Mack did a great job. Friendly and quick. We had an additional breaker and outlet added in our garage for a freezer. Neat and just what we needed. Thanks for the great service! read more

We hired an electrician to come in & replace our electric panel the week before Thanksgiving. He was supposed to come the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, but cancelled & said he'd be there Thursday. We needed the job done yesterday. So, I called Bates Monday night, 5 minutes before they closed...they had a guy at our house the following day to do the work, this included them pulling a permit & getting Ameren UE out to turn off the electric before their guy arrived. They handled it all..He didn't leave until he was finished either, even though it took longer than they had planned on. Very impressed with this company & will continue to use them for all future electrical needs. read more

The way this company runs bussiness is a scam. I would be very cautious on any quotes they give you over the phone or in person. The price doubles after they do the job. Our guy came out with no ladder to do the job for hours we waited for another employee to bring a ladder that would reach my ceiling fan and we were charged for all that time. We added in a simple light fixture in dinning room the guy implied that was covered on the time frame we were paying for... some how it took their electrician 5 hours to hang a ceiling fan and a dinning light. If I could I would give them zero stars for the shady bussiness practices. Every minute they are in your home your being charged even if they don't have the right equipment to do the job. read more

Last summer we decided to purchase a backup generator for our home. Bates Electric handled the job start to finish in a very professional manner. Anyone who has attempted to find a generator in the last year, knows what a challenge it can be. Bates Electric, and specifically Paige (Pounds) Samples, did an excellent job communicating with us every step of the way. We knew exactly what to expect, and when to expect it. The job was completed on time, with no need for any follow-up repair visits. I would recommend Bates to anyone looking for a no-hassle experience. read more

Awesome!!! Steven arrived early. Was polite and professional. He tracked down the issue and had it repaired within a reasonable time. Price was quoted and reasonable. I would recommend them to anyone. I will definitely call Bates for all future problems. I'll ask for Steven!!! 5 read more