

You’re dealing with outlets that spark at night. Breakers that trip when you’re running the dryer. A panel that hasn’t been updated since the ’80s and you’re not sure if it’s dangerous or just old.
Here’s what changes when you work with a licensed electrical contractor who actually answers the phone: you know the price before anyone touches a wire. The truck shows up fully stocked, so there’s no “we’ll have to come back tomorrow” nonsense. The work gets done right, inspected if needed, and you’re not left wondering if your house is safe.
You get a master electrician with 35 years of experience making the call on your job. Not a rookie. Not someone learning on your dime. And if something doesn’t feel right after we leave, you call us back—we guarantee the work 100%.
ESP Electrical Service Providers is locally owned and operated by Andy Helton, a master electrician who’s been in the trade for over 35 years. We started right here in the Triangle, wiring homes and helping property owners in Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Durham, and the surrounding counties.
Our operations manager has been a licensed electrical contractor since 1989. Our lead customer service rep has been with us since day one. We’re not a franchise. We’re not flipping trucks every six months with new hires. You’re working with people who know this area, know the code requirements, and know what older homes in Carrboro typically need.
We’re BBB accredited, fully insured, and we’ve built our reputation one service call at a time. No gimmicks. Just reliable electrician services when you need them.

You call or message us with the issue. You talk to a real person—not a voicemail, not a call center. We ask a few questions to understand what’s going on and get the right technician scheduled.
When we arrive, the truck is stocked with the parts and tools needed for most residential and commercial electrical services. Our electrician walks the job with you, explains what’s wrong, and gives you a flat-rate price before any work starts. No hourly guessing games.
Once you approve, we get to work. We clean up when we’re done. If the job requires an inspection, we handle that coordination. And before we leave, we make sure you understand what was done and answer any questions.
If it’s an emergency—say, you’ve lost power at 11 p.m. or something’s sparking—we offer 24/7 emergency service. You’re not waiting until Monday morning to get help.

We handle the full range of residential and commercial electrical work. That includes panel upgrades for older homes that are still running on 100-amp service and can’t keep up with modern demand. We install EV chargers for homeowners making the switch to electric vehicles—a growing need in Carrboro as more people go electric.
We also specialize in Generac home standby generator systems. If you’ve sat through a storm and lost power for days, you know what that’s worth. We size the system, handle the install, and make sure it’s permitted and inspected.
Other services include landscape lighting, outdoor outlets, whole-home surge protection, electrical inspections for home buyers, and troubleshooting for commercial properties. If it’s tied to your electrical system, we’ve seen it and fixed it. Carrboro’s housing stock ranges from historic homes near downtown to newer builds near Homestead Road—we work on all of it.
We also work with property managers and business owners who need reliable commercial electrical services. That means scheduled maintenance, tenant turnovers, code compliance work, and after-hours emergency calls when something goes down.

It depends entirely on the scope of work. A simple outlet replacement might run $150 to $250. A full panel upgrade typically falls between $1,500 and $3,500 depending on the amperage and whether we’re relocating the panel or adding subpanels.
We use flat-rate pricing, which means you’ll know the cost before we start. There’s no hourly rate ticking in the background while we work. If the job takes longer than expected, that’s on us—not you.
For larger projects like whole-home rewiring or generator installation, we’ll schedule a walkthrough and provide a written estimate. We’re happy to explain the pricing and help you understand what you’re paying for. Transparency matters, especially when you’re making a decision about your home’s safety and functionality.
If your panel is over 30 years old, you’re tripping breakers regularly, or you’re adding major appliances or an EV charger, then yes—you probably do. Older panels weren’t designed to handle the load most households put on them today.
A lot of homes in Carrboro still have 100-amp panels. That was fine in the ’80s. It’s not fine now when you’re running central air, a heat pump, multiple computers, a dryer, and charging a car overnight. The panel becomes a bottleneck, and in some cases, a safety risk.
We’ll inspect your current setup and let you know if an upgrade makes sense. If your panel uses outdated breakers or has signs of overheating, we’ll tell you straight. If it’s fine and you’re just dealing with a bad breaker, we’ll replace that and move on. We’re not here to upsell you on work you don’t need.
Yes. We offer 24/7 emergency electrical service for situations that can’t wait—sparking outlets, burning smells, complete power loss, or anything that feels unsafe.
Electrical emergencies don’t happen on a schedule. If something goes wrong at 2 a.m., you shouldn’t have to sit in the dark until morning wondering if your house is about to catch fire. We keep our phones on and our trucks ready.
When you call, you’ll reach someone who can dispatch a licensed electrician to your property. We’ll assess the situation, make it safe, and either fix it on the spot or get you stabilized until we can complete the full repair during business hours. Emergency calls do come with a premium, but we’re upfront about that cost before we roll.
Start with licensing. In North Carolina, anyone doing electrical work for hire needs to be licensed. That’s non-negotiable. Ask for their license number and verify it if you want peace of mind.
Next, ask about insurance. If someone gets hurt on your property or something gets damaged, you want to know their insurance covers it—not yours. We carry full liability and workers’ comp for that exact reason.
Look for clear communication and transparent pricing. If a contractor won’t give you a price before starting, or if they’re vague about what’s included, that’s a red flag. You should never be surprised by the bill. And finally, check reviews or ask for references. A contractor who’s been in business locally for years and has happy customers isn’t hard to verify.
Most service calls—outlet repairs, breaker replacements, fixture installs—take one to three hours. Panel upgrades usually take a full day, sometimes two if we’re relocating the panel or dealing with old wiring that needs updates to meet code.
Generator installations can take two to three days depending on the size of the system and whether we need to run a new gas line or pad the unit. Larger commercial jobs or whole-home rewires are scheduled over multiple days or weeks depending on the scope.
We’ll give you a time estimate when we price the job. If something unexpected comes up—like old wiring that’s not up to code and needs replacing—we’ll stop, explain the issue, give you a price for the additional work, and let you decide how to move forward. No surprises.
Yes. We handle residential electrical services for homeowners and landlords, and we also work with commercial clients—retail spaces, offices, property management companies, and small businesses around Carrboro and the Triangle.
Commercial work often involves different code requirements, higher voltage systems, and coordination with building inspectors or property managers. Our team has the licensing and experience to handle that. We’ve done tenant build-outs, lighting retrofits, panel upgrades for older commercial buildings, and emergency service calls when a business loses power mid-day.
Whether it’s your home or your business, the process is the same: we show up on time, assess the situation, give you a clear price, and get the work done right. We’re set up to handle both, and we’ve been doing it in this area for over 20 years.
Other Services we provide in Carrboro

Electrical Service Providers (ESP) has been in business since 2002. ESP started out performing wiring services to new construction, remodeling projects and residential homes. Our company’s president identified a market for electrical services to be performed in homes and businesses independent of new construction. Read More about Electrical Service Providers>>
Chapel Hill, Burlington, Carrboro, Durham, Gibsonville, Hillsborough, Graham, Pittsboro, Morrisville, Cary

Electrical Service Providers (ESP) has been in business since 2002. ESP started out performing wiring services to new construction, remodeling projects and residential homes. Our company’s president identified a market for electrical services to be performed in homes and businesses independent of new construction. Read More about Electrical Service Providers>>