In Oregon most work beyond swapping a like-for-like fixture or device needs a permit: panel changes, new circuits, EV chargers, generators. We file it with the city or Washington County, meet the inspector, and hand you the passed inspection. Permit fees are itemized on the estimate.

Age is the first clue. Fuse boxes, Federal Pacific or Zinsco panels (common in older Beaverton and Aloha homes), and anything under 100 amps are usually worth replacing. Warm breakers, a burning smell, lights dimming when the heat pump kicks on, or a panel that's full with no room for new circuits are the other signs. If your panel is fine, we tell you.

Most Level 2 chargers run on a 40- or 50-amp circuit, which gives 32 to 40 amps of charging and adds roughly 25 to 35 miles of range per hour. Whether your panel can support that depends on a load calculation, which we do before recommending anything. A 60-amp circuit is possible for faster charging if the service has room.

Kitchens, bathrooms, garages, basements, laundry areas, outdoors, and anywhere within six feet of a sink. If your house predates those rules you don't have to retrofit everything at once, but we recommend starting with the kitchen and baths. A GFCI cuts power in a fraction of a second when something goes wrong.

Yes to both. We come out, look at the job, and give you a written price. That number holds unless we open a wall and find something neither of us could have seen, in which case we stop and talk to you before doing anything more.

It can be, mostly at the connections. We don't rewire the whole house unless you want to; we remediate with rated connectors at every outlet, switch, and fixture, which is the method most insurers accept. You get a written summary for your insurance company.