Electricians in Boston, Massachusetts

Boston sits in Eversource electric territory, so homeowners here are eligible for Mass Save. There is no direct rebate for the electrical work itself, but a 200A panel upgrade is usually the prerequisite that makes a Mass Save heat pump or heat-pump water heater install possible. A 60A or 100A service often can't carry an air-source heat pump plus existing load, so the panel comes first, then the rebated equipment.

If your building still has knob-and-tube, getting it remediated also matters for insurance: carriers in the Boston market often refuse or surcharge policies on active knob-and-tube, separate from any energy program.

Electrical work in Boston requires a permit under 527 CMR 12.00, the Massachusetts amendments to the National Electrical Code, and the work must be done by a licensed Journeyman or Master electrician. Permits are pulled through the city's Inspectional Services Department, and a municipal wiring inspector signs off before the work is energized and closed out. Panel upgrades, new EV circuits, and rewires all need permits; only like-for-like device swaps generally don't. Exterior changes in Back Bay, Beacon Hill, and Bay Village may also trigger Boston Landmarks Commission review.

Boston costs run at the high end of the state because of dense parking, union labor, and tight access in older buildings. A 100A-to-200A panel upgrade typically lands around $3,000–$5,500; a meter-and-panel relocation or full heavy-up can run higher. A Level 2 EV-charger circuit is usually $1,200–$2,500 depending on the run from panel to parking. Knob-and-tube rewiring is priced by accessibility and often runs $8,000–$20,000+ for a full triple-decker unit. A whole-home generator with transfer switch generally falls in the $9,000–$16,000 range installed.

Boston has roughly 304,000 housing units across Suffolk County, and the median home here was built more than 80 years ago. That age shows up in the panels: Back Bay brownstones, Dorchester and South Boston triple-deckers, and Fenway-era apartment buildings frequently still run 60A or 100A fuse boxes and stretches of knob-and-tube wiring in walls and attics.

That old wiring drives most residential electrical work in the city. Home insurers increasingly flag knob-and-tube and undersized fuse panels at renewal, so service upgrades and partial rewires are common, alongside EV-charger circuits squeezed into garages and shared driveways across the neighborhoods.