How much does an electrician cost per hour in Greater Portland?

Electricians in the Greater Portland area bill $82–$137 per hour, and the first hour typically runs about $173 because it carries the trip. Most shops also hold a service-call minimum of $150–$250, so it pays to batch small jobs — three or four device swaps in one visit spread that fixed cost across all of them.

How much does it cost to upgrade an electrical panel in Greater Portland?

A like-for-like panel swap from 100 to 200 amps runs $2,300–$5,500 in Greater Portland. A full service upgrade — new service-entrance cable, meter socket, and mast on top of the panel, coordinated with the utility — is a genuinely different job at $5,000–$9,500. Quotes cluster at one number or the other, not in between, so the first thing to pin down is which scope your house actually needs.

How much does EV charger installation cost in Greater Portland?

A hardwired Level 2 charger runs $1,400–$2,800 installed, driven mostly by the distance from your panel and whether the panel has room for a 40–60 amp circuit. Eversource and National Grid rebates return $700–$2,000 of that, which is worth claiming before you book. If the panel is already maxed out, budget the panel swap first — it's the real gate on the project.

How much does it cost to replace knob-and-tube wiring in Maine?

Knob-and-tube removal runs $8–$20 per square foot, and a whole house in the Greater Portland area typically lands at $8,000–$18,000. What usually forces the decision isn't the wiring itself but insurance — many carriers surcharge or decline homes with active knob-and-tube. Mass Save's knob-and-tube remediation benefit can cover up to $7,000 when the work is done alongside qualifying insulation upgrades.

How much does recessed lighting cost to install?

Figure $225–$500 per can installed, with real quantity discounts — a six-can layout typically prices around 4.5× the single-can rate rather than 6×, because the electrician is already set up in the ceiling. New switch legs and dimmers to control them add $70–$245 apiece.

Electrical Work Cost in Greater Portland (2026) — Typical Price Range

Outlets replaced or added

Standard receptacle swaps — a new dedicated circuit is a bigger job ($350–$750).

Switches & dimmers

Light fixtures installed

Flush mounts, pendants, chandeliers — hung on existing boxes.

Recessed lights (cans)

Batches get cheaper per can — six cans usually price near 4.5× one.

Panel or big-ticket job

Built before 1950Knob-and-tube-era wiring slows down device work.

Estimated range

$530 – $1,100

Typical electrical project around $820

Outlets: $300 – $600
Light fixtures: $230 – $500

A ballpark from regional averages — not a quote. Your price depends on the specifics of the job, so get written quotes from two or three licensed pros before deciding.

How this estimate works

A ballpark from regional averages — not a quote. Your price depends on the specifics of the job, so get written quotes from two or three licensed pros before deciding.

Per-device rates are installed prices — labor plus standard parts — for work on accessible, existing wiring; running a new dedicated circuit is a different job at $350–$750.
Recessed lighting gets cheaper per can in batches — a six-can job typically prices near 4.5× the single-can rate — so multi-can estimates here lean toward the safe side.
Homes built before 1950 often hide knob-and-tube or cloth-insulated wiring, which adds roughly 20% to device work. A whole-house knob-and-tube rewire is its own project at $8,000–$18,000, and Mass Save offers a remediation benefit of up to $7,000.
The EV-charger figure is a hardwired Level 2 install before utility rebates — Eversource and National Grid programs return $700–$2,000, so the net cost often lands well below the quote.
The service-call minimum reflects the local floor: electricians bill $82–$137 per hour, and the first hour — which pays for the truck roll — runs about $173.

Ranges reflect published your area contractor pricing and regional cost data, last reviewed 2026-07.

What drives the price

What's behind the walls

Device prices assume the wiring behind the box is sound and modern. In pre-1950 homes — a big share of Greater Portland's stock — knob-and-tube and cloth-insulated runs slow every job by roughly 20%, and an electrician who opens a wall may be obligated to flag what's there. An honest quote names the wiring era up front.

A panel swap is not a service upgrade

The data on big electrical jobs is bimodal: a panel swap ($2,300–$5,500) replaces the box; a full service upgrade ($5,000–$9,500) also replaces the cable, meter, and mast feeding it, with the utility involved. Bids that look far apart are often pricing different scopes — check which one before comparing dollars.

Batch the small stuff

With a first hour around $173 and service-call minimums of $150–$250, a single outlet swap is the most expensive electrical work you can buy per device. Keep a running list and book one visit — the second and third items on it are effectively discounted.

Labor rates in Greater Portland

Electrician labor in the Greater Portland area runs $82–$137 per hour — roughly 1.4× the national average — which is why national cost articles undershoot local quotes. The ranges here are drawn from area electricians' pricing.

Get real quotes from top-rated electricians in Greater Portland

An estimate is a starting point — written quotes are the real number. These are the strongest electricians on the evidence: reviews weighed across sources and licenses verified against the state registry.

License verified

ReVision Energy

30-panel solar install with permits and roof work4.5

License verified

Cornerstone Power LLC

Knob and tube removal without wall damage4.2

License verified

Bell Electric

Generator install that left the house cleaner4.2

See all 168 electricians in Greater Portland

Electrical Work cost questions, answered

How much does an electrician cost per hour in Greater Portland?: Electricians in the Greater Portland area bill $82–$137 per hour, and the first hour typically runs about $173 because it carries the trip. Most shops also hold a service-call minimum of $150–$250, so it pays to batch small jobs — three or four device swaps in one visit spread that fixed cost across all of them.
How much does it cost to upgrade an electrical panel in Greater Portland?: A like-for-like panel swap from 100 to 200 amps runs $2,300–$5,500 in Greater Portland. A full service upgrade — new service-entrance cable, meter socket, and mast on top of the panel, coordinated with the utility — is a genuinely different job at $5,000–$9,500. Quotes cluster at one number or the other, not in between, so the first thing to pin down is which scope your house actually needs.
How much does EV charger installation cost in Greater Portland?: A hardwired Level 2 charger runs $1,400–$2,800 installed, driven mostly by the distance from your panel and whether the panel has room for a 40–60 amp circuit. Eversource and National Grid rebates return $700–$2,000 of that, which is worth claiming before you book. If the panel is already maxed out, budget the panel swap first — it's the real gate on the project.
How much does it cost to replace knob-and-tube wiring in Maine?: Knob-and-tube removal runs $8–$20 per square foot, and a whole house in the Greater Portland area typically lands at $8,000–$18,000. What usually forces the decision isn't the wiring itself but insurance — many carriers surcharge or decline homes with active knob-and-tube. Mass Save's knob-and-tube remediation benefit can cover up to $7,000 when the work is done alongside qualifying insulation upgrades.
How much does recessed lighting cost to install?: Figure $225–$500 per can installed, with real quantity discounts — a six-can layout typically prices around 4.5× the single-can rate rather than 6×, because the electrician is already set up in the ceiling. New switch legs and dimmers to control them add $70–$245 apiece.