Electrician Miami: $50 to $130 an Hour + EC vs ER Licenses

Hurricanes set Miami's electrical calendar. The National Weather Service says Irma left "over three-quarters of electrical service customers in South Florida" without power in September 2017, many for close to a week. Florida law treats unlicensed electrical work during a declared emergency as a felony, so the license question matters most in the days right after a storm.

Florida electrician license rules that apply in Miami

Florida Statutes 489.531 makes it illegal to practice electrical contracting without being certified or registered, and illegal to call yourself an electrical contractor without a valid license. A first offense is a first-degree misdemeanor. A repeat offense, or unlicensed work during a declared state of emergency, is a third-degree felony. Local boards can add civil penalties of up to $2,500 a day.

Under 489.505, a certified contractor (EC) may work anywhere in Florida, while a registered contractor (ER) may contract only in the jurisdiction that issued the registration. Ask which one, and if it is ER, ask where it was issued. We did not find a separate City of Miami or Miami-Dade electrician registration on top of the state license. The electrician license guide by state has more on Florida.

Homeowners have one exemption. Under 489.103(7), you may act as your own contractor on your own one- or two-family home if it is not for sale or lease, you personally supervise the work on site, and you sign the permit application in person along with a disclosure statement. If you sell or lease within a year of finishing, the law presumes the work was done for sale or lease.

Local rules and contacts for Miami, from official city, state and utility pages unless the source says otherwise.

Do this now: sparks, smoke, a downed line or a dead circuit

Work down this list in order; the first two are not jobs for an electrician.

1. Sparks, smoke or a burning smell: get everyone out and call 911 from outside. Do not stay to open the panel or look for the source.
2. A downed power line: stay far away and treat every wire as live, as FPL's power line safety guidance says. The City of Miami says to call FPL right away about a downed line; outages go to 1-800-4-OUTAGE.
3. Water near outlets or the panel: shut off the breaker only if you can reach the panel from a dry spot. If you cannot, stay out of the room.
4. One circuit dead: unplug everything on it and reset the breaker one time. If it trips again, stop; breaker keeps tripping explains why.
5. Then call an electrician and ask for the service call fee before anyone is sent.

Is it an emergency? Signs you need an electrician today

Call today if you notice any of these warning signs from ESFI: an outlet or switch that is warm or discolored, sizzling or buzzing, a mild shock or tingle, flickering or dimming lights, or a breaker that trips again and again. Smoke or a burning smell is a 911 call first.

After a storm, report the outage to FPL first. Florida makes unlicensed electrical work during a declared emergency a felony, so ask for the EC or ER license number before anyone touches storm-damaged wiring.

What can usually wait for a daytime visit: one dead outlet after you have pressed RESET on the nearest GFCI and checked the breaker, or a fixture that stopped working with no heat, smell or sound. That keeps you off night and weekend rates, which HomeGuide puts at $150 to $200 an hour. The emergency electrician guide covers after-hours calls.

How much does an electrician cost in Miami

No cost guide publishes a Miami electrician rate, so these are national. HomeGuide notes that some companies add a separate trip fee that does not count toward labor, which is worth asking about on the phone. More national prices are in the electrical repair guide.

National figures. No Miami-specific electrician price was found in any cost guide.

If a price jumps right after a declared emergency, the City of Miami says price gouging guidelines are already in effect. Get the quote in writing before work starts.

After a hurricane in Miami: FPL first, then an electrician

Irma's numbers show what a hurricane does to Miami. NWS Miami logged gusts of 99 mph at Miami and 101 mph at Virginia Key, with storm surge of 3 to 5 feet along Biscayne Bay and slightly over 6 feet in spots in Coconut Grove and Brickell. Miami-Dade saw 55,012 insurance claims. Surge and rain put water where wiring is, so the order of calls matters.

• Neighborhood out: report it to FPL online or at 1-800-4-OUTAGE, as the City of Miami advises.
• Line down: stay away from it and call FPL right away. If it is burning or someone is hurt, call 911.
• Water reached outlets or the panel: stay out of the water, do not touch them, and call an electrician.
• Smoke, sparks or a burning smell: leave and call 911.
• Power is back on the street but not in part of the house: call an electrician.

The emergency electrician guide covers what to do in the first hour and what a night call costs.

Permits, solar and backup power in Miami

Miami's permit rules for solar show how the city treats electrical work. A solar system inside the City of Miami needs its own standalone electrical permit through iBuild, signed and notarized by both the owner and the contractor, and the city recommends an EC or CVC license. Battery size, type, location and transfer switch must be shown on the plans. The Miami solar service guide covers the rest. If you want backup power instead, start with generator installation, and if the panel is full or old, electrical panel upgrade cost.

Hiring a Miami electrician and where to complain

1. Ask if the license is EC or ER, and look it up at myfloridalicense.com, the DBPR license search.
2. If it is ER, ask which jurisdiction issued it.
3. Ask who pulls the permit.
4. Ask for the service call fee, any trip fee and the hourly rate.
5. Get the price in writing, parts and labor listed.

Miami-Dade County Consumer Protection takes disputes with businesses in the county at 305-375-2877 (Stephen P. Clark Center, 111 NW 1st Street, 11th floor). Florida DBPR takes complaints against licensed contractors under Construction Industry at (850) 487-1395, though DBPR says it cannot recover money for you. Calls to the electrician line go to an independent company that serves your area and takes this kind of job; how calls work.