# James Holske Electrician

**Trade:** Electrical · **Address:** 40 Delle Ave, Boston, MA 02120, USA · **Phone:** (617) 756-9527 · **Languages:** English

**Rating: 3.9/5** (medium confidence) — from 12 reviews across 4 sources. A 0–5 star rating built from what customers and the public say (every review and mention weighted by where it was posted, how old, how detailed and how credible it is, shrunk toward a 3.5★ baseline when evidence is thin) plus what the record shows (Reddit recommendations or warnings, a registry-verified licence, how recently they were reviewed, customer work photos, BBB grade, negative news, a revoked licence). Positive record counts only as far as the reviews have earned it; penalties count in full. Confidence describes how much weighted evidence stands behind the number, never the number itself: low when fewer than about five normal reviews' worth of weight (or mentions only) support it, medium up to about twenty, high beyond that across at least two sources. An operator flag for a suspicious review pattern caps a rating at 3.5★ and marks it low.
92% of sentiment-scored reviews read net-positive. Last 6 months: 2 reviews, 0 negative.

## The honest read

James Holske has run a one-person electrical practice out of Roxbury since 2010 — the kind of shop where the same person who answers the phone also shows up with the toolbox. The reviews describe a habit worth noting on its own: he tries to solve a problem over the phone first, before ever charging for a visit.

That shows up again and again. In a 2023 review, a homeowner said James walked them through diagnosing an issue by phone to see if a visit was even necessary, and once it was, arrived quickly, found a wiring problem outside the house that needed the electric company, called them himself, and stayed past the weekend appointment at no extra charge. Another 2023 review described him disconnecting a smoke alarm over the phone for free. On the commercial side, a 2022 review from a store owner described getting an appointment within the same week for new outlets and breakers, with every appliance running again the same day.

Boston's permit records show a long paper trail to go with the reviews: 51 electrical permits filed since 2010, though only 45% have been closed out — about five points below the city median — with 28 still open. That's worth asking about directly if your job needs a permit and a final inspection.

For phone-first troubleshooting and small residential or commercial electrical jobs, the reviews here are consistently specific and positive; just confirm the permit and inspection timeline up front.

**Strengths:**
- Phone troubleshooting first — tries to save the cost of a visit
- Same-day commercial jobs — outlets and breakers wired, appliances running
- Long track record — sole proprietor operating since 2010

**Concerns:**
- Permit closure rate — 28 of 51 city permits remain open

## Claims & citations

Every claim below is backed by real evidence rows — uncited claims are dropped in code before publication.

- A 2023 review described James trying to diagnose a problem by phone first to save the customer a visit, then, once a professional fix was needed, arriving quickly, identifying an outside wiring issue, calling the electric company himself, and staying past the appointment at no extra charge. _(confidence: high)_
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sChdDSUhNMG9nS0VJQ0FnSUQ1dnRueV93RRAB!2m1!1s0x0:0x5de8dd6c8dd87a9d!3m1!1s2@1:CIHM0ogKEICAgID5vtny_wE%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ James was wonderful!  He started by helping me over the phone trying to diagnose the problem; he wanted to see if there was a simple solu…”
- A 2023 review described him disconnecting a smoke alarm remotely over the phone at no charge. _(confidence: medium)_
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sChZDSUhNMG9nS0VJQ0FnSUM1a1pITUNREAE!2m1!1s0x0:0x5de8dd6c8dd87a9d!3m1!1s2@1:CIHM0ogKEICAgIC5kZHMCQ%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ James is SO nice and helpful. He helped me disconnect my smoke alarm over the phone for no charge and was extremely knowledgeable!! Highl…”
- A 2022 review from a store owner described a same-week appointment to wire new outlets and breakers, with appliances running again the same day. _(confidence: medium)_
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sChZDSUhNMG9nS0VJQ0FnSURXMHN1ZGR3EAE!2m1!1s0x0:0x5de8dd6c8dd87a9d!3m1!1s2@1:CIHM0ogKEICAgIDW0suddw%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ We didn’t find James, but he found us. Coincidentally, it was just when we needed him. We were looking to have our electrical outlets wir…”
- Better Business Bureau lists the business as a sole proprietorship operating since 2010 with an A+ rating, though it is not BBB accredited. _(confidence: high)_
  - [Better Business Bureau](https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/boston/profile/electrician/james-m-holske-electrician-0021-133102) — “BBB profile shows James M. Holske Electrician (sole proprietorship, in business since 2010) with an A+ BBB rating but NOT BBB accredited; no…”
- Boston permit records show 51 electrical permits filed since 2010 with a 45% closure rate, about five points below the city median, and 28 permits still open. _(confidence: medium)_
  - [openpermitdata.com](https://openpermitdata.com/boston/applicant/james-holske) — “openpermitdata.com — james holske has filed 51 building permits in Boston since 2010, closing 45% of 51 rated permits. 28 permits remain ope…”
- Specializes in Electrical _(confidence: high)_
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sCi9DQUlRQUNvZENodHljRjlvT2pSQlYyTXdYMTlmTFVZd1JFZHNUVnBTUVhkM01HYxAB!2m1!1s0x0:0x5de8dd6c8dd87a9d!3m1!1s2@1:CAIQACodChtycF9oOjRBV2MwX19fLUYwREdsTVpSQXd3MGc%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ I called James at 4:40 in the afternoon with a problem related to our circuit breaker in a very old home. He walked my husband and me thr…”
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sChdDSUhNMG9nS0VJQ0FnSUQ5N2FTWTV3RRAB!2m1!1s0x0:0x5de8dd6c8dd87a9d!3m1!1s2@1:CIHM0ogKEICAgID97aSY5wE%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ James did an amazing job with the lighting and electrical installation in my new shop. Very pleased with his work. He made sure I was com…”
  - [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/reviews/data=!4m8!14m7!1m6!2m5!1sChZDSUhNMG9nS0VJQ0FnSURXMHN1ZGR3EAE!2m1!1s0x0:0x5de8dd6c8dd87a9d!3m1!1s2@1:CIHM0ogKEICAgIDW0suddw%7C%7C?hl=en) — “5★ We didn’t find James, but he found us. Coincidentally, it was just when we needed him. We were looking to have our electrical outlets wir…”

## License

Status: **not_found** — verified against the official MA state registry, never self-reported.
Re-check at the official registry: https://elicensing21.mass.gov/CitizenAccess/GeneralProperty/PropertyLookUp.aspx?isLicensee=Y&TabName=Home

## Sources

- [Google](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=James%20Holske%20Electrician&query_place_id=ChIJoZauc4h544kRnXrYjWzd6F0): 4.6★ from 23 ratings
- [Google Reviews](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=James%20Holske%20Electrician&query_place_id=ChIJoZauc4h544kRnXrYjWzd6F0): Listed on this source
- [Better Business Bureau](https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/boston/profile/electrician/james-m-holske-electrician-0021-133102): Listed on this source
- [Exa](https://prosgrade.com/electricians/boston/james-holske-electrician): 8 web mentions across the open web (each linked to its source)

## Mentions

Unverified third-party mentions found on the open web — relay with attribution ("a Reddit commenter said…"), never as Tavlee's own finding.

- “Update: we got help from James Holske, and he was very thorough and helpful.” — u/dadeac18 in r/boston (2022-08-13) — https://www.reddit.com/r/boston/comments/wmk30n/request_for_referrals_does_anyone_have_an/ik2xn7w/
- “james holske has filed 51 building permits in Boston since 2010, closing 45% of 51 rated permits. 28 permits remain open. Primarily files electrical permits. 4.9 points below the city median of 50.0%.” — openpermitdata.com — https://openpermitdata.com/boston/applicant/james-holske

## Recent reviews

- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Jae W · 2026-06-16**: This is the guy you want as your electrician! He’s quite knowledgeable and passionate about his work. I’d refer him to anyone needing an electrician.
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Lee Glandorf · 2026-03-09**: I called James at 4:40 in the afternoon with a problem related to our circuit breaker in a very old home. He walked my husband and me through the issue until it was resolved. He was clear, kind and helpful!
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Chuck Waldmann · 2024-03-20**: James did an amazing job with the lighting and electrical installation in my new shop. Very pleased with his work. He made sure I was comfortable with where the lights would go and went above and beyond to help me identify little things that really give my shop that wow factor.
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Greg Walsh · 2023-10-25**: James was wonderful!  He started by helping me over the phone trying to diagnose the problem; he wanted to see if there was a simple solution that he could walk me through and save me the cost of an electrician.  Once we knew I needed professional help he arrived quickly and charged me a *very* reas…
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Michaela Hayes · 2023-10-14**: James is SO nice and helpful. He helped me disconnect my smoke alarm over the phone for no charge and was extremely knowledgeable!! Highly recommend!
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · David W. Murdock · 2023-08-04**: I work in the real estate business and come across many vendors on many deals, and have found James to be the best in the business. A master at his trade who is passionate about his work. Looking forward to working with James again in the near future and referring him to my trusted clients
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Mark Budman · 2022-07-18**: Receptive, knowledgeable, respectful of property.
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Jamille Coy · 2022-03-20**: We didn’t find James, but he found us. Coincidentally, it was just when we needed him. We were looking to have our electrical outlets wired and breakers installed at our store, Bread ‘n Butter International Market. Within minutes of speaking with James, we were able to get an appointment scheduled w…
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Margaret Bartha · 2022-03-18**: James is awesome!!! I called him from Virginia for a client in the Boston area, I liked his kind tone on the phone from the start. He took the time to listen to me and he went out to the client's place of business a few days later. He successfully identified the issue and gave me careful instruction…
- **5/5 · Google Reviews · Paul Barry · 2022-01-20**: James was fast, friendly, professional, and knowledgeable! James has my business for as long as he's turning a screwdriver!

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Data freshness: last scanned 2026-07-05T05:30:24.088Z.
Cite as: James Holske Electrician — Tavlee (https://tavlee.com/contractor/james-holske-electrician-boston)
Source: https://tavlee.com/contractor/james-holske-electrician-boston