I've worked with James Holske twice. Once, about 6 years ago he ran a cable line for us so we could hook up our TV on a different wall. More recently, he completed an electrical check for us following a water leak. Both times he was on time, completed good work at a good value. Would recommend! read more

I called James around 3 on a snowy Friday afternoon because of a burning smell coming from my circuit breaker. He shoveled out his truck and was here in the South End by 5 to diagnose and replace a very old breaker that had stopped working and showed signs of arcing. While in the panel he tightened things up and replaced a few other breakers. Given the late emergency call I thought I would be paying out the nose for the repair, but his price was unbelievably reasonable and he had everything fixed in an hour. Can't recommend James enough. read more

Not long after buying an old condo we hired James to update our old two prong outlets, tighten some loose wall sockets, check our sub-panel, etc. He was responsive, did the job quickly and properly, and had a great rate. In addition, he referred us to some other contractors for other work we were looking to have done. He definitely earned his five stars. I should note that while he was working for us, he went to his truck to grab something when the local fire department saw he was an electrician and grabbed him to help them try and shut off an alarm in a nearby building. He's in demand! Aside from doing a great job professionally, he was a lot of fun personally. He interacted with our young kid who found him funny, and we also learned about his karate studies and skills - he's the real deal! Should we ever need an electrician again we will hire him, and we refer him to anyone who asks. read more

Rewired my entire basement/Man cave. Added 4" LED flush mounted lights. Also ran CAT 6a Gigabit cable To all the rooms for wired gigabit service to every room in the house. Ran HDMI cables behind walls for the the Flat screen tv. James does amazing work in the most challenging places of this old house. He never treats you like a customer but more like your friend. read more

Knowledgeable, prompt, efficient, conscientious. Installed two ceiling fans and made several minor repairs of switches and outlets. His work is impeccable. He's definitely my go-to guy for anything electrical. read more

I had an outlet issue and called James early morning. He patiently explained to me how to trouble shoot by myself, and helped guiding me step by step. The problem was fixed without him coming out to my home. I really appreciate his knowledge and service although I didn't have to pay anything since it's all phone conversation. He will definitely be my go to person for electric projects. Thank you so much, James! You are the best! read more

Sunday afternoon, I lost power to half of my house but only one circuit breaker was tripped and my flipping it didn't fix the issue. James called me back within 10 mins of my leaving a message and patiently walked me through my meter set-up through FaceTime after his initial diagnosis at the beginning of the call that it was likely an Eversource issue. His instincts were spot-on -- turns out it was an outage. I really appreciated James's quick callback and attentiveness even though he knew there was likely no fee for him at the end of the day. Will definitely call James next time I need a electrician. read more

Called James on a Saturday with a mysterious electrical problem in my 1935 Colonial that was causing a warm light switch and no power in the bathroom. He walked me through the possible issues on the phone (given the age of the house, anything from a faulty switch to a major rewiring could be required) and then came out an hour later to check it out. Luckily it was a relatively simple problem, he fixed it, and charged a reasonable fee. James was personable, thorough, neat, and safe. Would definitely hire him again for small or large electrical jobs. read more

James is amazing: He installed a designer art piece/chandelier by Ingo Mauer - complicated enough - navigating through the German instructions, transformer re-orders and European-normed mounting sockets. His work is masterful - and reliable and affordable as well. He's my "Go To" guy for everything now, not just the European art pieces. read more

I had a bad switch that wasn't turn my lights on. He was very reasonably-priced. And it happened on Saturday. We were not in a major rush but we got him on the phone. When we described our problem, he walked us thru the common and simple issues that could be the cause. None of those things worked so he gave us an estimate over the phone and came over to fix it himself. Very easy to work with and definitely recommend. read more

When my dad and I ran into trouble replacing a dimmer switch, on a Friday evening, I was worried. Will I need to wait forever to get it fixed? Will the electrician be a pain to work with? Will he/she try to get me to fix something that doesn't necessarily need fixing? Will the electrician be visibly annoyed with my Dad hovering over him the entire time he is working, asking questions, and telling slightly too long stories? Luckily the answer to all of these questions was no! James was great to work with. When we called, he even tried to troubleshoot the problem over the phone first, before deciding he needed to make a visit. He was polite, professional, and even tolerated my sometimes overbearing dad. He fixed the problem quickly, took time to explain to me what he did, and even reassured me that our wiring was generally in decent shape. He was a huge help and I highly recommend him! read more

Janes is responsive, resourceful and affordable. I would definitely recommend his work to anyone. .

James replaced my bedroom ceiling light and hung a heavy wall lamp. I found him thorough, thoughtful, responsive, knowledgeable, professional, and respectful of the property. He came the next day after I called him. He even wore a mask and took off his shoes inside the house. read more

James was great to work with for our meter box replacement recently. Did it in 20 degree weather with a tshirt on , respect. Very responsive over text. Learned a lot talking with him and would definitely recommend him to anyone who wants a knowledgeable and easy to talk to electrician who gets the job done really well. Definitely better than previous electricians I've worked with and will come back again if we need more electrical work done. read more

I was impressed with his professionalism and knowledge even though my problem was tricky. He left and said I would get an estimate later on that evening but I didnt. I sent him a voicemail and text messages to which he never responded. I called him because of the great reviews on here but sadly my experience was different and disappointing. My problem still hasn't been fixed...I would not recommend him. Yes. You did not charge me but that was up to you. I was prepared to pay you a service fee like all the other electricians that came to my house. I appreciated that but what i didnt appreciate was NO response thereafter. When you have a business, backed up or not, you respond. A simple I'll get back to you would have sufficed. You DID NOT make it clear that I would hear from you in a couple of days or I would not have called you twice and sent you a text. Thanks for the free service. read more

On a Saturday morning we lost power to only some of our circuits even though circuit breakers weren't tripped. I called around to a number of electrician who either weren't answering or couldn't come out until Monday. Called James and he answered immediately, had me check a few things then diagnosed the problem right away. A problem that Eversource had to fix which they did within a couple of hours. James was super helpful and knowledgeable and saved me time and money since he didn't have to come out. Would highly recommend him to anyone needing an electrician. read more

Tried to change a light switch by myself. So glad I called this guy. He was nice, responsive, and honest. My cat even liked him which is always a good sign. read more

Sorry, have to agree with Ed D.'s unfavorable account here. James is very earnest and considerate on the one hand, clearly wants to help you out, but is extremely weak at customer relations when he has wronged his customer. The last thing he said to me on the phone, after being a no-show due to an apparent emergency on his end while saying that he forgot he committed to my appointment, 11 hours ago, (our last exchange last night was, me, "If anything changes, you'll let me know, right?" James, "/Oh/, yes, right.") was, "say what you want on Yelp, GO TO TOWN!" click. He was very upset that I referenced Yelp's unfavorable reviews stating that this sort of scenario happens with him. I simply wanted to know if he was going to show up (he wasn't, and I had to call HIM to find that out), and how he was going to make it up to me (nothing offered because he was too emotional). Maybe I caught him at a really bad moment, which we all have, but the other reviews here expressing the neglect make me think otherwise. Hope he figures it out, but other Yelpers should know, this is a distinct possibility: You may think you've covered the bases for not being stood up, but the rearrangement of your day, the time out of work, the travel, the inconvenience of others, could very well be all for not. RESPONSE to JAMES'S REPLY: What he's written says it all. Irrefutable, bottom line: I was treated with neglect, I was irate for that fact, I expressed that I was incredulous that the negative Yelp review was one I looked forward to discount but couldn't, and now I'm attacked again. I've had many, many, many dealings with great contractors that don't turn out this way. So when you're stood up by James with no notice, holding the bag, and he turns you into the culprit, you'll probably say, "I have to agree with Doug H's unfavorable account here." James is the common denominator, not I. 11.Dec.2014 UPDATE: Scheduled MW Burns from Medford for 8:30 this morning. Burns's electrician showed up at 9:00. He cheerfully rectified my electrical issues at a reasonable rate and departed. Good, ol' fashioned bit of scheduling that was *adhered to*. No tales of woe. No unbalanced, dramatic tirades. No, "You should expect to be left in the lurch -- it's your fault for counting on us!" Yep. Another one of my excellent interactions with a contractor that was the antithesis of James Holske. read more

James is AMAZING. My go-to electrician for as long as we live in Boston! I called him with an electric issue this morning. He picked up right away and came over that day. He is incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. I had a relatively small issue that he resolved very quickly. James went completely above and beyond! I could not be more pleased with the level of service he provided! read more

James sent Anthony out to setup a new breaker box for our new coolers. Our old setup was 30 years old and would short circuit breakers. Can't be any happier with their work! read more

James Holske Electrician - James sent Anthony out to setup new breaker box for our new coolers. Can't be any happier with his work! - Electricians Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

It took me several phone calls to reach out to James and schedule an appointment. Unfortunately, on the day of the appointment, he got held back and couldn't make it at the agreed upon time. After 2hrs, I called him. He apologized and told me he was still busy with his current customer but that his employee would call me back on the next day to set up a new appointment. I never heard back from his employee either. Looking at the reviews, I'm sure James is very capable and knows what he's doing. The challenge is rather to get a hold of him. read more

James is an amazing craftsman, and a very nice guy to boot. He was efficient, clean, and understood the aesthetic specifications of the project. He went out of his way to create a custom plate on which the light fixture will eventually be mounted. The price was also reasonable, considering the time he spent to complete the project. I'm very pleased with his work, and certainly call him again in the future. Rob, Old Boston read more

James is a great guy, and even though he didn't technically do "work" for my company, I felt I should at least give him a review. James did a fantastic job explaining an antiquated electric system in the building my company occupies, and went above and beyond what was asked of him. If we have any future electric work, I'll be sure to call him. read more

I just want to leave this man and business 5 stars since he saved me all my money. Circuit breaker was acting up and he walked me through it over the phone, 10 minutes later and finding the outlet that was the issue my lights were back on. read more

I tried to hire James Holske after reading good reviews. I filled out a form on his website but never got a reply. I called him and described the job and we arranged to hav him come take a look. He said he'd call and come by on a Saturday, but never did. I tried to follow up via phone and text and never heard back at all. If he was too busy, it would be good to just say that instead of leaving me hanging. read more

James Holske was a hero on our street last night after a storm caused some severe damages to trees and power lines. James did an excellent job put back our power line and got inspection done before he left the site (around 1am)!!!! James was a positive and competent electrician. I highly recommend him. read more

OMG! I can't believe what just happened. James came by at 6:00 p.m. in the dark and rain (granted he was delayed an hour or two from his previous job but did communicate this). i had him look at my doorbell that suddenly decided to work. He said that it could just be dust from the city (and we have had an excess amount of that here lately) and to just try blowing canned air or silicone into it. Then I showed him the cellar light which was not working - yes the bulb was changed and the fuse checked before his arrival. The culprit was an intermediate piece with an outlet in it that was located between the bulb and the light fixture. I did not even realize it was there. With that removed, the light worked - duh! Then I brought him across the street to my neighbor with a similar doorbell issue (except hers is not currently working)and he gave the same diagnosis. The cost for all this? Nada, zippo, zilch (maybe I should not advertise that?). Thanks James - you won two fans tonight! And, in addition to this review, I will put your contact info. out on the neighborhood website. read more

James did a perfect job on an electrical outlet and HDMI installation in the wall above our fireplace. He completed came out to estimate and complete the project in less than a week and his price was more than reasonable. He also found and resolved issues from whomever completed electrical work in our condo before we bought it. He found open wires in the wall that could've started a fire. His team was very professional and also very friendly to my dog. I would definitely recommend James and his team for all of your electrical needs. read more

We hired James again a few months ago, this time to replace the electrical box on the side of our house which had failed. He was very professional and finished our large job in only a few hours. We now feel like we have found our go-to electrician and would recommend him to any of our friends. Thanks James. Evan read more

I had no power with 3 of my outlets that are tied to a breaker. I called james and he was able to slot me in right away. He took a look at the issue and traced it to a blown apart wiring at a junction box in the wall. He was able to cut a hole to get to the junction box and reattached the blown wire. While he was in there, I had he run a coaxial cable and cat5. The work was done cleanly and professionally. He patched all the holes. He explained the issues clearly. While he was here I also had his team install my Artemis minka ceiling fan. It's looks pretty pro. I am so happy with the work. James is a very knowledgeable guy that listens to what you need and advise the best method to get it done. Will call again for future electrical projects. read more

James Holske Electrician - Artemis ceiling fan. - Electricians Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

James is very responsive with his appointment and let me know when he was running late in a rainy day. He checked out three equipments in the house - three fans broken that had nothing to do with the electrical system. He was very professional and educational. Have to call him back again if anything happens again. read more

I am writing this review minutes after James left my house. During the lightening storm last night, two of our breakers switched off and we could not get them to switch back on. I read James's reviews online, called him up, and after he spent several minutes talking me through some trouble-shooting ideas, decided he should come by since the breakers were bad. Later that afternoon he arrived at my house. Side note: my two dogs were going crazy barking at him. He got down on the floor to pet and play with them. AMAZING! James fixed the problem in less that five minutes and then insisted on putting the switch board panel back on for me that I had taken off myself earlier that day. He even rearranged some of the breakers for me so that the ones that tend to heat-up the most are not stacked together causing multiple breakers to turn off. James is the best and I would recommend and use him 1000 times over! read more

James is. the. best. My wife and I , as relatively new home owners are starting to deal with fresh rounds of maintenance issues. The outlets in our kitchen stopped working. I called James a few weeks ago about this and the first thing he did was try and diagnose the issue over the phone. He was thorough and knowledgeably and left me with a list of Things to Try. After running through the List of Things to Try - we still didn't have working kitchen outlets. So I called James to schedule a visit. I'm thinking it'll take some wrangling to find a time he can come over that fits our mutual schedules. His response, "I'll be right over." (He was not far from our home at the time). I met James and he promptly tackled the job. He explained everything he was doing, what he was looking for and in understandable language. He was courteous, professional and respectful of our home. The root cause of the issue required a little more investigation as he ran through his list of possible causes as I had visions of him telling me, "sorry sir, we're going to have to tear down this wall and get into the wiring. That'll be $10K." But thankfully, James found the issue, swapped out 2 GFI "boxes" (James will correct this...) and we had working kitchen outlets in less than 90mins. His rate is exceptionally reasonable as well. As we're finishing up he looks up at the ceiling by our front door and notices the two holes where a smoke and a CO2 detector are supposed to be, he points up and says, "what's going on with your smoke detectors?" "They keep going off randomly so I ripped 'em out. for now. I probably should have someone look at that, huh?" He then spent another 10mins talking me through what the issue likely was and the possible simple fix (another List of Things to Check!) To review: James is. the. best. If we have any electrical issues in the future I will call him immediately. Go Sox. read more

I just called JAMES on Black Friday. He was the only electrician to not only answer my call but he was willing to assist me in the repair over the phone. He knew that my issue was a simple breaker switch and instead of coming out and charging me a lot of money he assisted me over the phone and resetting it. He was extremely patient and thoughtful and very understanding of the problem. It is rare to find an electrician who is so honest and trustworthy and is really just there to help. I cannot recommend his services enough and you will be thankful that you called him read more

James Holske responded, "things got lost in translation". Hmm..I don't think so. They didn't give me a Ph.D. because I lose things in translation. Anyway, things worked out in the end for me, so I'm glad I didn't pay you $2000 to do the same thing they did for $800. read more

Had an issue with an new dryer in an older house and was unsure of the wiring. Called James up and 30 minutes later he was at my door ready to troubleshoot. He walked me through what needed to be done should I want to take it on myself or offered to do it for a reasonable price. Still feeling a little uneasy about my wiring skills, I asked about his availability to wire it. He ran to the store to get the needed parts and 30 minutes later...boom. All done. Taking the time to explain what was being done through the installation, he was thorough and did an excellent job. I'm truly appreciative of his quick response time. I cannot recommend enough. I wish all my issues were handled with this ease. Thanks! read more

Never returned my text/phone call after talking with me initially. I shouldn't have to chase electricians down. I guess this guy has too much business from Yelp to bother replying. read more

I'm a first time home owner and had some lights short out a month after moving in. I called James and rather than send someone out immediately, he spent 10 minutes on the phone with me, having me turn off and on each breaker, and explaining how it worked with the test button. It turned out the problem was that the previous owners mislabeled the breaker and somehow labeled dining room to be the bedroom, so I was flipping the wrong breaker! Really appreciate the help and it was free of charge - would definitely call back if another problem arises. Now I just need to get a few people together on each floor of the house to check all the other label. read more

Never hire this guy, he never followed up on correcting unsatisfactory work after he said he would

Very efficient, and overall great service. I needed a bunch of work to be done in my condo:- chandelier install, change the old- dated recess lighting and switches to more modern ones and install new fans on ceiling that is more than 15 ft high, put the old fans/light combos from living room to the bedrooms I talked to Anthony, he came over gave me the estimate. We scheduled the day and time for the work. We discussed and agreed on the price. He came right on time for the job with James and two other people in their team and did a great job. I am very happy with the work,and If in future I need any electrical related stuff done, they will be the first to hear from me. Thanks Anthony and James for the great work!! read more