Playing Sherlock Holmes - A-1 on the case!

When you call about a problem, you'll probably be surprised how much we can tell right over the phone.
When you do something a lot, and you have a team of workers who can share experiences and ideas, you build up a vast library of experience.

Here's how the process goes:

• Most important, is there smoke or sparks or an immediate danger?
• How would do you describe the problem? The key here is to describe what you're experiencing and not say what the casues is.
• Next, we'll want to know any background to the situation: has it been happening a long time, does it come and go, did anything else happen at the same time?
• Often, the problem is something simple that you can check yourself without us coming out (see here). We'll walk you through this simple checklist before scheduling to come out.

We can usually give an estimate over the phone. We do trouble-shooting so often that we have a pretty good idea of what's involved.

• We give the price range to come out, determine what the problem is and fix it.
• Some places charge a fee to come out and check. Then, they'll give you an estimate to repair the problme, and apply the service fee. Sounds good on the surface, right? But we've heard some outrageous estimates once they're there. They count on the fact that you just want it done and will tell them to go ahead. We think you should know before you commit.

Our price includes finding and fixing most problems But let's talk about what is not covered.

• Materials: it is usually a simple part to replace ($5-$50) but we can't know in advance. Even with the cost of some materials, we can stay in our price range.
• Outside, underground wiring: If the problem is buried underground, we can isolate the problem so the house itself is not affected and then give an estimate for the outside work. Finding and fixing an underground problem can be tricky but we have special wire tracing equipment and methods to simplify the work as much as possible.
• Major repairs: for example if your power lines have deteriorated over 30 years, we'll need to give you an estimate for that major work.

And remember, for our appoitment, we'll call (or text if you want) 30 minutes before we get to your house so you know we're on our way. (We can contact you on your cell or work number so you're not stuck at home waiting.