rapid electrical service and contracting

Rapid Electrical Service and Contracting is a Somerville outfit run by an electrician named Joe, who Angi's own summary of the business's full review history describes as 48 years in business with 101 reviews averaging 4.3 stars — mostly positive on responsiveness and quality of work, with a real minority of complaints about pricing. Many reviews across the years describe fast, reliable service: a 2019 review described Joe repairing a breaker for the heat on a Saturday night, a 2018 review described him cleanly installing a heavy-duty 20-amp circuit at the price he quoted, and another from the same year described him replacing an electric baseboard heater and thermostat on short notice. Several reviewers specifically praise his honesty, including one who said he offered do-it-yourself tips to save the customer money rather than upselling. Pricing is the recurring theme in the negative reviews. A 2020 review said the company charged $250 for a job quoted at $180; a 2018 review described paying $500 to install a $100 wall radiator and called it excessive; and a couple of otherwise positive reviews from 2019 and 2022 separately noted the work was 'a bit pricey.' There is also one 2019 review describing a dispute — the customer said the job wasn't fixed and their sliding bathroom door was broken during the visit, with an extra fee charged on top; the business responded publicly disputing the damage and questioning the reviewer's identity. A single 2018 review called the owner rude, with no supporting detail beyond that. The volume of positive, specific accounts substantially outweighs the negative ones here, and pricing is the dominant thread among the criticism rather than complaints about the electrical work itself. Given the decades of history and the mixed-but-mostly-positive record, it's worth getting a firm price up front given how often cost comes up in the less favorable reviews.