Some electrical problems will not wait. A breaker that keeps tripping, a burning smell near a panel, an outlet that is warm to the touch - these are calls to make now, not next week. Others are the kind of work that has been on the list for a while: a ceiling fan that needs wiring, an outdoor light that was never installed, a dryer circuit that has to be run before the new appliance arrives. West Allis Electrical Company takes both kinds of calls for Franklin residents and businesses, any hour of the day, any day of the week, including weekends and holidays.
Franklin is a city with a real mix of housing, from newer construction on the edges to older homes where the wiring has not been touched in decades. That mix shapes what we see most often here. We handle the straightforward repairs and the deeper jobs, and we treat your home and its wiring the way we would our own.
Electrical faults do not keep business hours. A panel that starts buzzing at midnight, a dead circuit in a rental unit that a tenant needs restored, a commercial space that cannot open with a lighting circuit down - all of those are calls we take around the clock. There are no separate lines for urgent calls and no extra steps to reach someone.
Call (414) 361-9789 and you get a straight answer about the work and what comes next.
For work that needs to happen around a schedule, we confirm what is available on the call and work through the timing before anything is booked. A rental property with a tenant in place, a small business that has to stay open during the visit, a homeowner who needs the work done before a closing - we scope the visit to fit the situation rather than the other way around.
When you call us, you get a straight answer about the work.
Older homes in Franklin sometimes have panels, outlets, or fixtures that were installed before current standards. Matching a replacement to what is already in the wall is not always straightforward. We identify what is there, confirm whether a direct replacement is available, and explain the options when it is not. A breaker that no longer has a manufacturer-matched replacement, a panel brand that has been discontinued, a fixture type that requires an adapter - these come up regularly in homes of a certain age, and the answer depends on what the existing wiring and panel can support.
Most common repairs are handled in a single visit. When a part has to be ordered, we tell you that on the call or at the start of the visit, before any work is started. The circuit or outlet is made safe in the meantime, and the return visit is scheduled as soon as the part is in. We do not leave a job half-finished. Electrical service scheduled without the runaround is how we approach every call, whether it wraps up in one visit or two.
Before a small wiring issue turns into a hazard, it is worth picking up the phone. A switch that sparks when you flip it, an outdoor light that has been disconnected for years, an outlet in the garage that was never wired in the first place - none of these are emergencies, but all of them are worth addressing rather than working around.
The jobs people put off tend to be the ones that quietly create risk. A sparking switch is arcing at the connection every time it is used. An outdoor fixture with exposed wiring is a problem waiting for the first wet season. An outlet that has never worked may be on a circuit with a fault that affects other devices downstream. Reach out and we'll get it diagnosed. The call is how we find out what the job actually involves and what it will take to fix it right.
Most significant electrical work, panel replacements, new circuit runs, service-entrance upgrades, and generator hookups, requires a permit in a jurisdiction like Franklin. The permit triggers an inspection by the local authority, which confirms the work meets current code before the panel is closed up or the wall is sealed. Requirements vary between a municipality and the county around it, and we confirm what applies to your address before work starts.
We handle the permit process for jobs that require one. That means filing the application, coordinating the inspection, and making sure the work is signed off before the job is considered done. Permit timing affects scheduling, and we factor that in when we scope the job on the call. You do not have to track down the right office or figure out what forms to file. Read our page listing every electrical service for what to expect step by step.
Electrical pricing is driven by what the job actually involves, and that is settled on the call before anything is scheduled. The fault itself, what has to be opened up to reach it, and whether the existing panel or circuit can carry the change are the things that move a quote up or down.
A repair to a single outlet is a different scope from a circuit that has to be traced back through finished walls to find a fault. A panel upgrade that involves a service-entrance replacement is a different scope from swapping a panel on an existing 200-amp service. We explain what the visit covers and give you the rate before we schedule. Ask what it covers and you get a straight answer. If the job turns out to be larger than the initial call suggested, that conversation happens before work continues, not after.
A dead outlet, a switch that no longer responds, a GFCI that has failed and taken a downstream circuit with it - these are among the most common calls we get from Franklin homeowners. We replace failed devices, install new outlets where none exist, and add GFCI and AFCI protection where code requires it. In older homes, an outlet replacement sometimes turns up wiring that needs to be addressed before the new device goes in, and we explain that before continuing.
Whether this is your first repair or your tenth, lighting installation covers more ground than it might seem. A new fixture in a finished room may need a circuit run or a box upgrade to handle the load. Recessed lighting requires proper spacing, load calculations, and a circuit that can carry the fixtures without nuisance tripping. Ceiling fan installation is a frequent request, especially where no existing wiring or box is in place. We handle the wiring, the box, and the switch, so the fan works correctly from the first use.
Regional winters bring multi-day outages that make a generator hookup worth serious consideration. The electrical side of a generator installation involves a transfer switch, a dedicated circuit from the panel, and connections that are weatherproof and sized for the generator's load. A transfer switch keeps utility power and generator power from feeding into each other, which is both a safety requirement and a code requirement in Wisconsin. We assess panel capacity first, because the generator has to fit within what the panel can support. We'll have your outlets working again in no time.
High-draw appliances need their own dedicated circuit, sized to the load and protected by a breaker matched to the wire gauge. A range or wall oven typically runs on a 240-volt circuit. A dryer circuit is similar. When a new appliance is being installed where no dedicated circuit exists, or where the existing circuit is the wrong size for the new unit, we run the circuit, install the correct outlet, and confirm the panel has the capacity to support it. This is also the kind of job that sometimes reveals a panel that is running close to its limit, which is worth knowing before the appliance goes in.
We take calls from Franklin and the communities around it, including Greendale, Hales Corners, Greenfield, Oak Creek, and Raymond. Milwaukee County is the whole service area, and every part of it is covered any hour, any day of the week.
One number. One call. One electrician at your door.
Older homes in Franklin tend to generate calls about panels that are running out of capacity, outlets on ungrounded circuits, and wiring that has not been updated since the home was built. Newer construction more often sees calls about dedicated circuits for added appliances, EV charger installation, and whole-home surge protection. Both ends of the housing stock also generate generator hookup calls when regional winter outages run long enough to matter.
It can, because older wiring is sometimes routed in ways that are harder to access, and the materials used in earlier decades may require additional steps before new devices or circuits can be connected to them. Knob-and-tube wiring and aluminum wiring both affect how a repair or upgrade is approached. We identify what is in the walls at the start of the visit and explain what it means for the scope before any work continues.
Yes. Moving an appliance to a different wall usually means running a new circuit to the new location or extending the existing one. The existing outlet may be capped or removed depending on the situation. We assess the panel capacity for the circuit and confirm the scope on the call.
A sparking outlet, a burning smell near a panel or outlet, a breaker that will not reset and controls something critical like a sump pump or a furnace circuit, or any visible signs of heat damage around wiring or devices are all situations worth calling about right away. We take calls at any hour, any day, so there is no reason to wait on something that looks or smells wrong.
Call us at (414) 361-9789 and describe what you are seeing.
We take follow-up calls the same way we take new ones, any hour, any day. The follow-up is scoped on the call and scheduled based on what the situation requires.
Someone needs to be available to provide access and point out the problem areas. For longer jobs, you do not need to stay in the same room, but someone should be reachable at the property in case a question comes up about scope or access to another part of the house. Let us know the situation when you call and we will confirm what the specific job requires.
It can. Solar inverters and battery backup systems connect to the panel and affect how circuits are loaded and how a generator or new circuits interact with the existing system. We assess what is already installed and factor it into the scope before any new work is planned. The specifics depend on what equipment is present and how it is wired.
Yes. For jobs that require a permit, we file the application, schedule the inspection, and make sure the work is signed off before the job is closed out. You do not need to coordinate separately with the inspecting authority. We confirm whether a permit is required for your specific job when we scope it on the call, because requirements vary depending on the type of work and the property's location within Milwaukee County.
Yes. We assess what has been done, confirm it is correct, and complete the work from that point. If part of what was done needs to be corrected before the job can be finished properly, we explain what that involves and confirm the scope before continuing.
West Allis Electrical Company is available around the clock for Franklin, every day of the year. Whether the job is urgent or has been on the list for months, the call is how it gets started.
Call (414) 361-9789 for a quote, get the rate on the phone, and get the work scheduled. No forms to fill out and no waiting for a callback.
We also take electrical work in: Greendale, Greenfield, Oak Creek, Muskego. There is more on our complete town list.
Below is a quick look at the electrical services we handle in Franklin and throughout Milwaukee County. Each row covers what the service includes, who it fits best, and one practical thing worth knowing before you call. If you want to talk through a specific job, call us for a quote and we will confirm what the work involves and what it costs before anything is scheduled.
| Electrical Service | Scope of Work | When You Need It | Good to Know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wiring & Rewiring | Knob-and-tube and aluminum wiring remediation, Whole-home and partial rewires, Grounding and bonding confirmation | Pre-1960s Franklin homes with aging or unsafe wiring that needs to be brought up to current standards | Aluminum wiring requires specific devices and connection methods to be used safely. We assess what is in the walls before recommending a scope. |
| Outlet & Switch Installation | Standard and GFCI outlet installation, AFCI and USB outlet replacement, Dimmer and specialty switch wiring | Any room needing updated, added, or code-compliant outlets and switches | In older Franklin homes, outlet upgrades sometimes reveal ungrounded wiring behind the wall. We explain the options before the work starts. |
| Dedicated Appliance Circuits | Dryer and range circuit installation, 240-volt circuit runs, Workshop and garage circuit sizing | Anyone adding a major appliance, setting up a workshop, or finishing a garage | Each high-draw appliance needs its own circuit sized to its load. Sharing a circuit with other devices causes nuisance tripping and can stress the wiring. |
| Heat Tape Installation | Dedicated circuit for heat tape load, GFCI protection at the outlet, Weatherproof connection points | Franklin homes with pipes along exterior walls or roof edges prone to ice dams | Heat tape runs continuously in cold weather, so the circuit has to be sized for sustained draw. An undersized circuit is a hazard, not a workaround. |
| Electrical Safety Inspections | Panel condition and wiring age review, Outlet and circuit testing, Grounding and bonding check | Home buyers, sellers, landlords, and owners of older properties with unknown wiring history | An inspection scopes what is actually in the home before a problem surfaces on its own. It is also useful for rental properties where code compliance needs to be confirmed. |
| Ceiling Fan Installation | New fan installs and replacements, Ceiling box upgrade for fan-rated support, Wiring and switch matching | Rooms with an existing light fixture being converted to a fan, or new fan installs with no existing wiring | A standard light-fixture box is not rated to support a ceiling fan. We install the correct box as part of every fan job. |
| Electrical Repairs & Troubleshooting | Fault tracing and circuit testing, GFCI and AFCI device checks, Fixture and connection diagnosis | Homeowners and property managers dealing with a sudden or recurring electrical problem | Most faults trace back to a specific connection, device, or circuit. We identify the cause before proposing any repair. |
| Electrical Panel & Service Upgrades | Load calculation and panel sizing, Fuse box to breaker panel conversion, Service entrance upgrades, Utility coordination | Older homes running out of circuit capacity or properties adding major new loads | Panel upgrades in Milwaukee County often require a permit and a utility coordination step when the service entrance is being replaced. We handle that process as part of the job. |
| Lighting Installation | Recessed and fixture installation, Under-cabinet and landscape lighting, Security and motion sensor lights, Exterior circuit runs | Homeowners updating interior lighting or adding outdoor security and landscape lighting | Exterior lighting in Wisconsin needs weatherproof fixtures and conduit rated for freeze-thaw conditions. We spec the right materials for the climate. |
| Breaker & Fuse Repair | Breaker testing and replacement, Fuse box assessment, Arc-fault and ground-fault breaker checks | Homes where a breaker trips repeatedly or a fuse blows without an obvious cause | A breaker that will not reset is often signaling a load problem or a failing device, not just a nuisance. We assess both before recommending a fix. |
| Whole-Home Surge Protection | Panel-mounted surge protector installation, Whole-circuit protection in one device, Protection for appliances and electronics | Homeowners with sensitive electronics, newer appliances, or a history of voltage spikes | A panel-mounted surge protector catches spikes before they reach any device on the circuit. It is a single installation that covers the whole home at once. |
| Backup Generator Installation | Transfer switch installation, Generator-to-panel circuit wiring, Load assessment for safe hookup | Franklin homeowners who need heat, sump pumps, or refrigeration to stay on during winter outages | A transfer switch is required by code to prevent generator power from back-feeding the utility line. We install the switch and the circuit, not just the outlet. |
Call us at (414) 361-9789 to get a quote, confirm what the job involves, and get the work scheduled at a time that works for you.
(414) 361-9789