I used Yelp to get bids for putting an EV charger in my garage. Elvin showed up the following day and did a thorough review the electrical wiring. He determined that I needed to upgrade my electric panel and do additional work before my house could handle the increased amperage needed to run the charger. I decided against doing the additional work but appreciated the prompt, honest assessment. read more

Had Five or Free come and install a hardwired EV charger and certify an old panel was decommissioned for insurance purposes. Both Elvin the estimator and Evan the installer did an excellent job. On time and the decommissioned panel letter was free (thanks Elvin!). The work was done really well, very clean install. Evan even swept the entire garage for me when he was done. read more

Here's a fun story: On Sunday, May 24th, I replaced a lightbulb in a standing lamp in my bedroom and tried to turn it on. It didn't go on. I discovered that about 2/3 of my outlets and lights weren't working. I flipped switches on my electrical panel multiple times; power was not restored. I called Five or Free, went through a screening with an AI assistant, and got through to Chloe, a dispatcher/scheduler (i.e. not an electrician) clearly working from home, with a baby in the background. Chloe was sweet and helpful and got me an appointment on Tuesday, May 26th. I had to take the 2:00-4:00 slot (I work mornings), canceling a tutoring session to do so. This was my choice, of course, but I did want to get lights and internet working in my home. The electrician was a no-show on Tuesday. Soon after 4 PM (the outer end of the window), I called Chloe (again the AI rigmarole first); she apologized. She said that there'd been a miscommunication and that the electrician had gone to another job. I asked if he could come to me next -- despite it probably being outside of the electrician's working hours -- since it was Five or Free's mistake; she said no, contritely. She set up a visit for the next day. Electrician Tommy Wilson came on Wednesday, May 27th, checked the electrical panel, noticed that one breaker was loose, and said that he or another electrician would need to come on a different day and conduct a more involved inspection, probably going into the garage and checking out the panel therein. He did a write up of the issue and showed it to me (but didn't email it to me, as I later discovered). He said he'd contacted the scheduler and gotten me an appointment for Friday, May 29th, and that I'd need to pay $475 up front, which I reluctantly did. After the second inspection, Tommy explained, the electrician would give me an estimate -- in other words, the $475 was just the base fee; there could potentially be an additional charge depending on the nature of the problem and the scope of work required to repair it. I got stood up yet again on Friday the 29th and called another electrician, JC Electrical Repair Services. Juan Carlos (JC) squeezed me in on Saturday morning before his other appointments. He whooshed in, identified the problem (a standing lamp that needs to be retired), replaced the loose breaker, let me confirm that all lights and outlets were now working, gave me a safety recommendation (a space heater I'd been using was too powerful for my circuits and thus dangerous to use), and tightened all the screws on the electrical panel, noting that any electrician should do that during a visit regardless of the purpose of the visit. He did all of this over the course of about 25 minutes. Later on Saturday, Vincent from Five or Free called. (He had called a few days earlier to check in.) He apologized profusely, explaining that they were short-staffed and stretched thin. He mentioned that they'd hired an electrician who's in the military; this fellow had recently been called to active duty, leaving them an electrician short. I noted that I had actually missed out on income twice, canceling a tutoring session on Tuesday because I needed to book the 2PM-4PM window, then doing so again on Friday for the same reason, and was out $160 as a consequence. Vincent again apologized and said that my payment ($475) would be refunded, emphasising the need to wait 3-5 business days before the refund would go through. I explained that because the charge was still pending, I couldn't yet dispute it. (I will check my credit card activity every day until this is resolved.) Conclusion: Five or Free is a terribly-run company, understaffed and with too many parties attempting to coordinate with one another. It also hires less-than-competent electricians. JC Alameda Electrician Services, on the other hand, rocks. It's just one electrician, I think: Juan Carlos Curisinche Gonzales, 510 828-4993. Give him a call if you need an electrician in Alameda County. read more

Just had a great electrician, Carlos, come and updated all of the switches in my home. He was extremely professional, respectful and focused. He went above and beyond and completed valuable work that you don't often see nowadays. Thank you Five or Free for sending out a competent, skilled professional electrician:) read more

They were wonderful. Fast appointments very knowledgeable. Took time to understand what was needed and showed up on time kept us informed. They were very kind to my elderly neighbor who i got the service for. Thank you so much . read more

I had an electrical issue in my kitchen, and Five or Free did an amazing job fixing it! They were professional, knowledgeable, and got the problem taken care of quickly. I really appreciate their great service and would definitely recommend Five or Free to anyone looking for a reliable electrician! read more

Tommy, the Technician, arrived at our home at 12:30pm and performed diagnostic testing of our electrical system for our entire home- after which he reviewed his recommendations, estimated pricing and timing of the required work. Tommy was very professional and thorough. He completed his assessment, which took 3-1/2 hours of his time-- at no charge -- and did so with a smile on his face. He maintained his professionalism and courteousness the entire time. I highly recommend him and his company! read more

Sent a service request through yelp for an electrician to diagnose a problem I had with outlets in the kitchen. The team not only responded quickly, but offered me solutions through yelp to help me troubleshoot on my own. After confirming I could not resolve it, it was very easy to schedule someone to come take a look immediately after the weekend, and unlike other services they offered a free evaluation to diagnose. Elvin came on time, and provided excellent support helping me diagnose and resolve the issue. He was extremely informative and helped teach me what he was doing to diagnose and why. Would absolutely reach out to the team if I ever need additional support going forward. read more

There were two parts: the assessment and the service. The electricians who came by to provide an assessment and quote were great at explaining the work to my husband and I but definitely pressured us to sign and agree to the work on that date. We had to push back and ask for time to think about it 2-3x. This is why I am only providing 4 stars. However, Evan did an amazing job with the service. He had great communication, made sure we understood how the outlets worked, and provided easy to understand explanations. He went above and beyond. We will be asking for Evan next time we need electrical work completed at our house. read more

Avoid - Aggressive Sales Tactics and Inflated Pricing We had a negative experience with Five or Free Electrical and strongly do not recommend them. When the electricity went out on the upper level of our home, we called them for help. Instead of sending an electrician, they first sent a salesperson who couldn't assess the issue, only confirm that there was a problem. We were told we had to pay $475 just for a diagnosis, which could be applied to repairs, and that an electrician could come later that day. With no power, we felt pressured to agree. When the electrician arrived, he initially said our 10-year-old electrical panel was in bad condition and needed to be replaced for over $7,000, with a two-day wait. When we explained we couldn't wait, he tightened some wires on the spot and turned the power back on. He then changed his recommendation and said we didn't need a new panel, just a "cleanup" for $6,500, which he said would take 3-6 hours with two electricians. He also quoted $4,500 to clean up our downstairs panel. On the day of service, only one electrician showed up, and it took about three hours to complete the panel cleanup. Based on what we paid, this came out to over $2,000 per hour. I decided to get a second estimate for our downstairs panel, and the work was completed this morning for $360. That is a huge difference from the $4,500 quote we were given. Our experience with Five or Free was misleading, inconsistent, and extremely overpriced. AVOID! read more

I really think these guys are great! I probably could have gotten a cheaper quote, but hey--I got two ceiling fans installed for $750 (including all hardware) and the two guys were so professional, fast and prompt it's easily worth an extra $100 or whatever. read more

This company sent a very nice young man to assess our doorbell problem. Unfortunately, he couldn't diagnose the problem. He called for consultation, but didn't receive a call back from his co-worker. Several days went by without a call. I called them, and the owner said he'd send a specialist over for $400 foot unlimited time. To be fair, they didn't charge for the visit by the first tech. read more

We had such a great experience with this team! Elvin and Carlos came out for a consultation. They did a very thorough inspection, explained everything clearly from start to finish, and made recommendations based on our specific needs rather than trying to upsell anything unnecessary. Elvin gave us a detailed, itemized quote within minutes. Explaining what everything is for. Once the parts ordered arrived, they scheduled us quickly and sent Chris Aguilar for the installation. He was just as professional, knowledgeable, and friendly as Elvin and Carlos. The whole process was smooth, and they made sure we felt safe, comfortable and confident in the work being done. Carlos even taught me a few things about how the house was built which explains what would happen in case of emergencies. We are happy with the service they provided. It's such a relief to find electricians who are honest, reliable, and genuinely care about their customers. We never felt worried about being overcharged or scammed--just grateful that we picked the right team. Highly recommend them! read more

I'm not so sure my five promises were fulfilled, to be honest. Five or Free was a mixed experience for me, but I want to start out by saying Damell (my primary technician) and Pablo were excellent and did fantastic work at the end of the day. I have no concerns about their professionalism, communication, or technical skills, all of which were top-notch. Where my experience fell short was mostly in communication and timing. When I selected Five or Free from my competing bids and was trying to move forward in the project, they ghosted me for about a week at a critical juncture when I was trying to get an updated quote and move forward. My project manager contact was out of the office, and when I emailed the alternate contact specified in their out-of-office reply, I never heard back. I ended up having to email/call the company 3 times over the course of a week to get them to finally commit to giving me an answer the next day, during which point I was stressed about possibly having to give the project to a different company and find another way forward. So that was unfortunately not an experience that aligned with their promise to always have 24-hour responses to their customers. Once the work actually began, we planned it to be split across two days. The first day they were running late and had to leave with less progress than expected. When we scheduled the second day, they were even more backed up and were unable to finish the work that day. They were then unable to come back for another 3 days, and when they came back that day, they were also running late again. That day, they discovered an issue that required contacting customer support for the manufacturer on the equipment that was being installed, which wasn't possible because it was after 5 pm on a Friday by the time they discovered the issue. This then created another week delay before they could come back and finish the work, which would have been avoided if they'd been able to complete the work on the second day and discover this issue sooner to contact the customer support team. So, instead of getting my work completed on time, it was completed a week and a half late and less than 24 hours before I left the country, which has left me in a stressful position of trying to verify the work (much less enjoy its completion) in a very short time before being away from my property for several weeks. To say that I'm disappointed is an understatement. Five or Free was one of the most expensive bids I received, but I chose them because I believed they would do the best work and be the least stressful to work with. I do think they did excellent work in the end, but the experience of communication and timeliness left a lot to be desired. read more

Five of Free did my service panel upgrade. Promptly, courteously, competently. Very personable employees. There was a challenging situation with a neighbor which they managed gracefully and helped find a solution. I would hire them again in a flash. read more

Both Carlos and Elvin were super helpful. They were on time and very quickly figured out our problem, which fortunately was minor. They were very professional and gave some pointers as well for any future issues. I'd highly recommend them and will definitely call them Five and Free again if there are ever any issues. read more

I've was lucky to have chosen Five or Free Electrical to help me upgrade my entire house. Their professionalism, responsiveness, estimates for solutions and quality work have made them my go to when I need something analyzed, upgraded or put in net new. I was reminded again today, when Elvin came out this morning after easily making an appointment online late last night. He tested all the potential causes and found the issue and we made a plan to complete the job quickly. Really glad they service the East Bay and hope to work with them for all my electrical needs. read more

I had a great experience with this company. Everyone I spoke with or interacted with was very personable and professional. The communication was timely and clear. They were able to book an appointment for me immediately the same day. The two techs who came out (Tommy and Elvin) were very nice and professional and I felt they were thorough. It didn't take them much time for them to figure out there was a switch that accidentally got flipped off that controlled the outlet I thought was broken (oops!). They did not charge me for the visit, which I was grateful for. I didn't actually have any work done, so can't speak to the quality of it. But I had a very positive experience with this company. read more

Our experience so far has been excellent. Evan did a thorough evaluation of our antique wiring, and gave us several options for the scope of the project. He also did some incidental work (replaced switches, removed an old doorbell) which was done neatly and quickly. We look forward to having Five or Free fixing our poor old house. read more

This review is for the friendliness and good attitude of the guys that came by -- Michael and Elvin. They diagnosed the circuit breaker panel box and outdoor GFCI outlet for our jacuzzi and sprinkler system because the breakers had been tripping. They weren't able to replicate the problem and pinpoint the issue, but they advised me on my options for long term resolution. They spent about an hour at my house but didn't charge me anything, which I appreciate very much. read more

I had a GREAT experience with Five or Free on a big electrical project for my recently remodeled home. I first met with Elvin who provided the estimate to upgrade my main panel, and he was very friendly and knowledgeable. He was also super quick to respond to my texts and calls when I had questions, even some that were after business hours. Soon after starting the process for the main panel, I added jobs to replace some faulty recessed lights, to rewire all the outlets throughout the house, to bring the sub panel up to code, and to add two dedicated lines that were constantly tripping the breakers. (This was all needed to correct the faulty job done by my terrible contractor 2 years ago.) With so many electrical projects, I ended up working with Christian, Isaac, Oscar, Damell, Brandon, Josh, and Carlos. Everyone was polite, friendly, respectful of my house, clean, and quick. In particular, Carlos, Damell, and Christian were exceptional! Also, a huge shoutout to Eric who had the frustrating task of coordinating with PG&E and the city for permits. Too long to explain here how much effort he invested in getting these done for me as quickly and affordably as possible, but he is a saint for successfully accomplishing this! And it was done with no effort needed from me! Thank you all! read more

I reached out to Five or Free Electrical Company to get a quote for switching some circuits and to evaluate my home's knob-and-tube wiring. The entire process was smooth from the start. It was very easy to schedule an appointment and communication was clear and efficient. They clearly care a lot about customer satisfaction and comfort. For instance, I got a call beforehand confirming that they were en route and also got a text from the company with a short bio of the electricians, which was unique. Elvin and Tommy, the electricians who came out, were outstanding. They arrived on time, greeted me with a smile, and immediately got to work. I showed them my electrical panel, and they quickly diagnosed the situation. They walked me through their findings and gave me clear, actionable recommendations--including options for upgrading the panel and what to consider if I decide to install solar in the future. They also came into the house to inspect some flickering lights and again were quick and precise in their assessment. I really appreciated that they were thoughtful enough to cover their shoes when entering--without me even asking. Overall, it was a very pleasant and professional experience. I'd highly recommend Elvin, Tommy, and the team at Five or Free based on this first visit. read more

Quick, punctual, and professional repair from Elvin and Carlos. They saved me from having to take cold showers for the whole holiday week. A Christmas miracle! read more

Christ and Rafael, Thank you so much for the excellent and efficient electrical work on our house! Getting it completed in just two days is incredible. My family is thrilled, especially my mother. We really appreciate your valuable service and high-quality work! read more

These folks do not abide by their promises or contracts. I paid $1000 for an electrical assessment/estimate. They came by and completed it (quickly) then provided me an estimate. I signed it and scheduled the work. When they came they discovered the work was more complex than they thought (which would have been made clear in the assessment) and promptly cancelled my contract and told me it would be 3x as much for the same scope of work. If this isn't bait and switch, I don't know what is. Unethical and possibly illegal. Do not trust this company. read more

A great experience overall with Five or Free Electrical. We first had Carlos come out for a consultation about installing a bathroom ventilation fan in our ADU in September last year, and he was friendly, informative, and helpful. However, it turned out not to be the right time for us financially to make the investment, so we didn't move forward with the project at that time. This year we reached back out again about the same project, and Elvin came out immediately to consult. He quickly provided us with a similar estimate and we moved forward with the project. Matt and Evan did the installation and rewiring work and they did a terrific job. They were fast, professional, and friendly as they installed a new switch and the ventilation fan. Our ADU has some quirks but they were able to work around them, and the work was done in plenty of time. Throughout the process, everyone at Five or Free was friendly and accommodating. It was easy to schedule work with them and they communicated clearly whenever anything needed to change. read more

Great service and communication. Both Elvin (estimator) and Carlos (installer) showed up professionally and on-time. Very friendly, helpful, and organized. My Ring video doorbell was not working for a while, so Elvin found the doorbell transformer needs replacement to match the voltage requirement and scheduled installation with Carlos. The installation went well. They also added surge protection for my whole unit, which was optional, but I'm glad they also did it. Overall, it was a great value. read more

This business is fantastic! Used them in 2016 to install ceiling fans and recessed lighting and their work was absolutely flawless. The worked efficiently as well and left the areas where the installs were performed spotless! Remembering that instance, I currently needed a switch replacement and rewiring in my bathroom. Still the same excellent work and efficiency today as back in 2016. Evan was knowledgeable and friendly and even went the extra mile and notied my vent in my ceiling fixture needed clean and offered to do that for free! Can't say enough good words about Evan and Five or Free! Skip the rest and get the best! read more

I needed power to the outlet in my laundry room so that my new washer can be installed on Thursday. I got a good response from this company and they sent out a technician Wednesday morning. Unfortunately, that technician could not diagnose the problem and had to get his supervisor involved. The supervisor came an did an amazing job in diagnosing the problem which involved tightening the wire in one of the circuit breakers which provided power back to the outlet. But then the supervisor began to use what I felt were high pressure sales and scare tactics to get me to replace the sub panel as well as the main panel for a cost of over $23K. I kept declining and he kept up the pressure. That part was not a pleasant experience. And I think they were too expensive in general. read more

Excellent service and timely! My breakers broke and they replaced installed new one within hours.

Josh is the man! Had a GFCI outlet that tripped the circuit breaker but it wasn't obvious. But Josh had an inkling on what was happening and had my power back on in the kitchen in no time. Friendly, efficient, and effective - there's not much more one could ask for. Thanks! read more

I am soo happy we chose Five or Free for our electrical. Firstly, every single person who was involved in the process was amazing, friendly and reliable from the quote to project completion. Second, the process was transparent and the work was completed on time. Third, I 100% trust the work the team did- it's superb and they took wonderful care of the house and our belongings as the work was happening. Lastly and most importantly Evan and Matthew are the absolute best. They went above and beyond expectations and provided amazing recommendations that have seriously made our home 100x better. Don't think about it- don't go looking around- pick Five or Free Electrical read more

Five or free was recommended to us by our realtor. They were the most professional people I've worked with in a long time. Very friendly, informative and good on following up with any of the questions we asked throughout the process of rewiring our entire house. Evan, Matt, and Jake (Josh?) were all great at explaining what they were doing and fulfilling every request we had. We feel confident about the electricity in our home and they even went above and beyond in a couple of things we didn't even know we could do to upgrade our lights! read more

Elvin and Tommy were wonderful. Fantastic assessment, professional, prompt and kind. Thank you so much, we will definitely use Five or Free in the future! read more

I am very happy that I found Five or Free on Yelp! When I contacted them for a quote and project assessment, they sent Damell over and he quickly understood my very complex setup: I needed an automatic transfer switch connected to a new breaker box, which was then also connected to my solar inverter (and 75 kWh battery system). A few other electrician companies passed on my project because of the uniqueness of it, but Damell actually seemed excited to plan and help me realize my vision. They sent over several electricians including Isaac and Levi one day, then Evan and Matthew another, followed by Josh and Damell at various times. On the day a majority of the project was to be done, a crew was here from 8am till 10pm and, at one point, they had 6 electricians working to get it done. I was impressed with how everything was handled and that such a big task was completed in a single day. There were a few kinks that needed to be worked out after the installation was done, but they were extremely timely and resolved the few issues that I had. Hey - we're all human and sometimes things don't go as planned... I'm just happy that there was no arguing or making me pay any additional costs when things went awry. At the end of the day, I was extremely happy with how things look and function. I would definitely recommend them (and if you're a teacher like I am, you'd get a 10% discount!). read more

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Evan and Matthew did a fantastic job installing an EV circuit and an additional electrical outlet in my home. They arrived right on time and immediately explained all of the work they were going to do and went out of their way to ensure everything would be done to my satisfaction. They took great in ensuring everything was complete, functional and my house was left clean and tidy before leaving. I would highly recommend! read more

I'm giving them 3 stars because they do stay true to their motto: they gave me a prompt refund. But they did not properly diagnose or solve my problem. Here's the story: My power was going out, and then re-starting, several times a day. I had another electric company come by on a Tuesday evening, but everything was working fine at the time, so they couldn't see the problem. Unfortunately, the problem kept recurring, so I hired Five or Free to come out on Thursday. This time, the power went out several times when the electrician was here. He should have been able to diagnose the problem. Instead, he wrote up an estimate for $5,000+ worth of general repairs, which he scheduled for a week later. The next day, Friday, the power went out again, and so I called PG&E. They showed me that my main circuit breaker was going out. On Saturday I hired another electrician who changed my main breaker. Problem solved! When I hired Five or Free for the initial visit, the deal was $465 which would include several repairs. Had they solved the problem on that day, I would have been a lot happier! It's very stressful to have your power going out randomly throughout the day. So, bottom line, Five or Free is a very friendly company, and their refund policy is great. But as I mentioned, PG&E instantly recognized the problem, and Five or Free did not, even though both were here when the power was going out. read more

My house is a hundred years old. Every time I open a wall, I find a rat's nest of wires. I've found a ton of uncovered wires. We had Five or Free Electrical Solutions give us a bid. We had two other bids, none of the other bids found the fire hazards clearly present in my house. We had a lot of 20amp breakers on 10 amp wiring. We also needed an 50amp outlet for a car charger and a 30amp ceramic kiln outlet. They fixed all the problems and installed things in three days. They were prompt and asked a lot of great questions. It's clear that Matt and Josh are very skilled and take pride in their work. I should have taken a picture of their wiring--Clearly laid-out, clean, and solidly put together. I fully recommend Five or Free Electrical Solutions. They do great work! read more

I highly recommend using Five Or Free for your electrical needs. Carlos and Elvin were phenomenal in explaining everything to me and took care of my issues. I will definitely refer them to my friends and family. Thank you guys. read more

An electrical outage in two rooms of our home put us in a quandary. I called two well-recommended electrical service outfits. The first one scheduled an appointment for the following day, but could not keep the appointment. The second scheduled an appointment two days out, but then canceled because of an emergency in another project. I then called Five or Free Electrical Solutions and they scheduled an appointment for later in the afternoon of the same day. Evan Ruenz arrived at our home at 5 PM. He diagnosed and fixed the problem, a faulty circuit breaker, within an hour. He explained that he was a electrician supervisor and responded to our call because the other technicians were fully booked. It was refreshing to encounter a company that makes an extended effort to service a customer. read more