Janesville, Beloit, Milton, Edgerton, Evansville
Electrician in Janesville, WI
Panel upgrades, EV chargers, generators, old wiring and everyday repairs across Rock County. Tell us the job and a licensed electrician replies with a written price.
- Wisconsin licensed electricians
- Permit pulled and inspected where the city requires it
- Written price before any work starts
Get a free electrical quote
A licensed electrician replies with a price. Nothing starts until you say yes.
The work
Electrical services in Janesville, WI
Pick the one that sounds like your job for the details and the typical Wisconsin price, or just call and describe it.
Panel and Service UpgradesA new breaker panel or a bigger service, usually 100 to 200 amps, pulled under permit and inspected before the power company reconnects.Typical: $1,500 to $4,500 per jobSee details 
EV Charger InstallationA Level 2 charger on its own 240-volt circuit in the garage or driveway, under permit, with a check that the panel can carry it.Typical: $800 to $2,900 per jobSee details 
Generator InstallationA standby generator or a portable-generator inlet tied in through a transfer switch, so the house runs safely when the power is out.Typical: $1,053 to $1,782 per jobSee details 
Knob-and-Tube WiringFinding, testing and replacing the porcelain-and-cloth wiring of pre-1940s houses, room by room or as a whole-house rewire.Typical: $8,580 to $14,520 per houseSee details 
Aluminum WiringChecking 1960s and 1970s houses for aluminum branch wiring and repairing it the ways the CPSC recognizes as permanent.See details 
Electrical Repairs, Outlets and LightingTripping breakers, dead outlets, new circuits, ceiling fans, recessed lights, hot tub hookups and surge protection.Typical: $150 to $500 per visitSee details
How it works
- 01
Tell us the job and the house
What you need, the address and roughly when the house was built. A photo of the panel helps on panel, charger and generator jobs.
- 02
Get a written price
A licensed electrician replies with the scope and a price, after a look at the house for bigger jobs. Nothing starts until you agree.
- 03
Permit, work, inspection
The permit is pulled, the work is done, and the city inspects before walls close and before the power company reconnects a new service.
Breaker tripping, outlet dead, or a project to plan?
Call or text with the address and the job, or send the form. A licensed electrician replies with what it takes and a written price.
Updated
Short answer
The Janesville rules that matter
- Swap an outlet or switch, same spot
- no permit
- New wiring or a service upgrade
- permit required
- Service or feeder work
- Master Electrician only
- Permit, new service entrance
- $51
- Permit, each outlet or fixture
- $1.17
- Power back on after a service change
- after the city certificate
Sources: City of Janesville Building Division pages, Janesville electrical code and Appendix A fee schedule.
Everyday jobs
From one dead outlet to a new circuit for the hot tub
Most calls are small: outlets and switches, ceiling fans, recessed lights, a breaker that keeps tripping, a hot tub disconnect or a surge protector next to the panel. A new outlet runs $176 to $297 and a fan on an existing box $150 to $400 in Wisconsin data. Details on electrical repairs, outlets and lighting.
Outlets and switches
Ceiling fans
Recessed lighting
Hot tub circuits
Whole-house surge protection
Tripped breakers
Prices
What electrical work costs around Janesville
None of the Janesville electricians we checked publish prices, so these are Wisconsin ranges, most from the Milwaukee area. They are ranges to plan with, not a quote; the full table with every source is on the electrician cost page.
| Job | Typical range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Panel or service upgrade to 200 amps | $1,500 to $4,500 | Wisconsin contractor guide, 2026 |
| Larger service, 320 to 400 amps | $3,500 to $8,500 | Wisconsin contractor guide, 2026 |
| Level 2 EV charger circuit and install | $800 to $2,900 | ElectrifyCost |
| Service call or diagnostic visit | $150 to $500 | Wisconsin contractor guide, 2026 |
| Hourly labor | $65 to $135 | PermitDeck |
| New outlet added | $176 to $297 | PermitDeck |
| Generator transfer switch | $1,053 to $1,782 | PermitDeck |
| Whole-house rewire, about 1,800 sq ft | $8,580 to $14,520 | PermitDeck |
| Ceiling fan install (existing box) | $150 to $400 | Wisconsin contractor guide, 2026 |
| Electrical safety inspection of a house | $150 to $350 | Wisconsin contractor guide, 2026 |
Each service, in short
Panels, chargers, generators, old wiring and repairs
Panel and service upgrades
A full panel or a too-small service is what stops most new circuits. About $1,500 to $4,500 for 200 amps in Wisconsin. In Janesville only a licensed Master Electrician may pull the permit ($51), and Alliant sets the new meter after the city inspection. Panel and service upgrades
EV charger installation
A Level 2 charger on its own 240-volt circuit in the garage or driveway, $800 to $2,900 in Wisconsin guides. It is a new branch circuit, so it is permitted, and on an older 100-amp service the load calculation decides whether the panel has to grow first. EV charger installation
Generator installation
A standby generator or a portable-generator inlet, always through a transfer switch so nothing back-feeds the lines. The switch and its wiring run $1,053 to $1,782; Janesville's generator permit is $51. Generator installation
Knob-and-tube wiring
4,173 Janesville homes were built in 1939 or earlier, the knob-and-tube era. It must not be buried in insulation, so check it before insulating the attic. A whole-house rewire of about 1,800 square feet runs $8,580 to $14,520. Knob-and-tube wiring
Aluminum wiring
Houses wired from 1965 to the mid 1970s may have aluminum branch circuits; 9,594 Janesville homes date from 1960 to 1979. The CPSC accepts three permanent repairs: copper, COPALUM or AlumiConn, never ordinary wire nuts. Aluminum wiring repair
Repairs, outlets and lighting
Tripping breakers, dead outlets, GFCIs, fans, recessed lights, hot tub circuits and surge protection. A diagnostic visit runs $150 to $500; swapping an outlet in the same spot needs no permit in Janesville. Electrical repairs
How old the houses are
The median Janesville home was built in 1972
Of Janesville's 29,330 homes, 4,173 were built in 1939 or earlier and 30% before 1960, by the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 estimates. Beloit is older still: 55.4% before 1960, median 1957.
House age is the best clue to what is behind the walls: knob-and-tube in the oldest, small services in the post-war houses, and possible aluminum branch wiring from the late 1960s and early 1970s. The Census does not record wiring, so the clue is not the answer. City by city in how old is the wiring in Rock County.
Service area
Electrical permits and power, city by city
Every city in Rock County handles electrical permits its own way: its own inspectors, a contracted engineering firm, or the state for commercial work. These are the 5 with facts we could confirm from the city itself; each has its own page.
| City | Electrical permits | Power company | Built before 1960 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Janesville | City Building Division, (608) 755-3060 | Alliant Energy | 30% |
| Beloit | City Planning & Building Services | Not confirmed | 55.4% |
| Milton | City Hall, inspections by General Engineering Company | Alliant Energy (Rock Energy Cooperative in some business areas) | 34.6% |
| Edgerton | City building inspector, Wisconsin uniform permit | Not confirmed | 38.9% |
| Evansville | General Engineering Company for the city; commercial electrical through the state | Evansville Water & Light (city-owned) | 35.6% |
Sources: City of Janesville Building Division, building permits; City of Beloit, Planning and Building Services; City of Milton, building permits and inspections; City of Edgerton code, chapter 192, building construction; City of Evansville, building permits; City of Evansville, municipal utility (Evansville Water & Light); U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B25034 (year built), via Census Reporter
Who may do the work
Wisconsin requires a licence to install, repair or maintain wiring, with one exemption: a homeowner working on a house they own and live in. Janesville narrows that to branch circuits; the service and feeders need a Master Electrician. A landlord wiring a rental needs a licensed electrician. Doing your own electrical work
The 2023 electrical code
Wisconsin moved from the 2017 to the 2023 National Electrical Code on September 1, 2026, through administrative code SPS 316. New work is inspected to the newer edition, so online advice written for the old one may be out of date. Checking a Wisconsin licence
New homes, additions and remodels
A new one- or two-family home in Janesville carries an electrical permit of $163 per unit up to 4,500 square feet. Additions and remodels are priced per item: $1.17 for each outlet, switch or fixture and $16 for a feeder change, with the rough-in inspected before the drywall goes up. Old wiring found when a wall opens is the usual surprise in a pre-1960 house, so it is worth asking about before the remodel is priced. Janesville permits and fees
Shops, offices and rentals
The state delegated commercial electrical permits and inspections in Janesville to the city in 2020, so a shop or office job goes through the same Building Division. In Evansville commercial electrical permits go straight to the state instead. Rental properties need a licensed electrician for any wiring, since the homeowner exemption only covers a house the owner lives in. Who may do the work
Before work starts
What to settle with any electrician
An active licence on the state lookup, who pulls the permit, when the inspection happens, whether the age of the house changes the job, and a written scope with the price. PermitDeck's consumer checklist adds: never more than a third up front, and hold the last payment until the work passes inspection.
The full list is in hiring a Janesville electrician, and every price range is on the cost page.
Power company
Alliant, and Evansville's own utility
Alliant Energy supplies Janesville and Milton, and sets a new or upgraded meter only after it receives the local inspection. Its construction line for a project lead is (866) 255-8234; outages and reconnects go to 1-800-ALLIANT.
Evansville is the exception: Evansville Water & Light, the city-owned utility, supplies electricity to nearly 4,000 customers, so a service upgrade there is coordinated with the city. See Evansville.
- 71,109
- homes in Rock County
- 37.1%
- built before 1960
- 27.7%
- built 1960 to 1979
- 1970
- median year built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, Rock County, Wisconsin. 67.3% of Janesville households own their home; the rest rent, and in a rental the wiring is the landlord's to have done by a licensed electrician.
Guides
Janesville electrical questions, answered with sources
- Janesville Electrical Permits: When You Need One and What It Costs
- How to Check a Wisconsin Electrician's License Before You Hire
- Can You Do Your Own Electrical Work in Wisconsin? The Janesville Answer
- How Old Is the Wiring in Your Rock County House?
- Hiring a Janesville Electrician: What to Ask Before Work Starts
Common questions
Hiring an electrician in Janesville: quick answers
How much does an electrician cost in Janesville?
No Janesville electrician publishes prices, so the guide is Wisconsin data: about $65 to $135 an hour with a $144 to $244 minimum call, $1,500 to $4,500 for a 200-amp panel and $800 to $2,900 for an EV charger. Every range is on the cost page.
Do I need a permit for electrical work in Janesville?
For a service upgrade, new wiring or changes to existing wiring, yes; to replace an existing switch or outlet in the same spot, no. The contractor pulls it. See Janesville electrical permits.
Can a homeowner do their own electrical work in Janesville?
Only branch-circuit wiring, and only in a house the homeowner owns and lives in. Anything on the service or feeders needs a Wisconsin licensed Master Electrician. See doing your own electrical work.
What does an electrical permit cost in Janesville?
$51 for a residential service entrance or generator, $16 for a feeder change and $1.17 per outlet, switch or fixture, by the city's published fee schedule. Labor is on the cost page.
How do I check that an electrician is licensed?
Search the person and the business on the state's LicensE lookup at license.wi.gov. See how to check a Wisconsin licence.
Does my older house need a panel upgrade?
Not automatically, but adding an EV charger, a heat pump, central air or a hot tub to an older 60- or 100-amp service often leads there. 30% of Janesville homes were built before 1960. See panel upgrades.
Is knob-and-tube or aluminum wiring a problem?
Knob-and-tube is not dangerous just for being old but must not be buried in insulation. Aluminum branch wiring from 1965 to the mid 1970s has connection problems the CPSC says can be repaired three ways. See knob-and-tube and aluminum wiring.
Which towns do you cover?
Janesville and the 4 other Rock County cities with their own pages: Beloit, Milton, Edgerton and Evansville. Each handles permits its own way. See the service area.
How do I get a price?
Call or text (608) 554-4028, or send the quote form with the address, the job and roughly when the house was built. A licensed electrician replies with a written price.
Electrical work coming up?
Call, text or send the form with the address and the job. A licensed electrician replies with a written price, and pulls the permit where one is needed.