Find top-rated Pros in your area
Enter a zip code and get matched to businesses near you.
Desert Star Electric Inc
Appliance (Major Electric Appliance) - Install or Replace, Fridge, Freezer or Ice Maker Repair or Service, Electrical for Home Addition or Remodel - Install,
About us
Electrical services in the areas of small commercial, new construction, electrical residential remodel work, electrical service call work, change out of electrical panels, wiring for pools, hot tubs, manufactured homes.
Business highlights
Emergency services offered
48 years of experience
Services we offer
Electrical - remodel, minor commercial & new construction., panel change out, prefab home, wiring
Amenities
Emergency Services
Yes
Free Estimates
Yes
Accepted Payment Methods
- CreditCard
Reviews
4.652 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 81% | ||
| 10% | ||
| 4% | ||
| 4% | ||
| 2% |
Showing 1-25 of 52 reviews
Clare N.
Oct 2018
I talked to their office and they had an opening that afternoon. They arrived about an hour later and was in and out in a little over an hour. Very friendly and professional. Quality work and no issues. I thought it was a little spendy but I realize they have to give Angie's List their kickback. That being said, I would use them again in the future.
Edwin F.
Sep 2017
The price was a little bit high. They had to do a lot of cement work to install this patio light. He built a substantial concrete structure to secure this light because of the high winds we have in this area. Yes, I would use them again in the future.
Edwin F.
Sep 2017
I had an emergency where I didn’t have any electric to my stove at 5 in the evening and he came out at 7 and fixed it for me. It was a bad switch. The price was reasonable especially considering when he was able to come out.
Megan S.
Jun 2017
I called Desert Star Electric on Monday morning and left a message, within a few hours Shirley called me back to set up an estimate appointment for yesterday. Their electrician came out, came up with a plan and a price quote then let us know he'd be able to get to us on Friday of this week. This morning the A/V company that was contracted by the restoration company to reinstall the theatre electronics came across a big problem they're not licenced for. Wiring power to the projector for our theatre room. The existing wiring wasn't up to fire code at all and needed to be redone, so I picked up the phone and called Shirley to see if that's something that they can do. It is and she let me know that their electrician and apprentice could actually get started on the can lighting installation plus get the wiring done for the projector this afternoon. They showed up at about lunchtime and by 3pm, we have 6 can lights and an up to fire code wiring system for our theatre projector. They're on time, polite, very reasonably priced, extremely knowledgeable and we're absolutely going to use them for any future electric needs in our house. Thank you so much Desert Star Electric!
Nicholas R.
Nov 2016
These folks are nice people. They fixed my bedroom door for me which had nothing to do with the job. The wife who answers the phones is a sweetheart. The men who showed up are nice enough fellas. I work with their son, so I hesitated to write them the review I am writing. That all being said, I am less than satisfied with the job and Angie's List for recommending them so highly. I called to ask for a replacement on my bathroom exhaust fan. The guy called me at work the day before the appointment (Thursday) asking if he can come that same day instead. I said I work and that wouldn't be convenient. He said he would call me the next day (Friday) to see if he could show up early at 11:00 am. I said no problem because I am off. My appointment was scheduled for later that day in the afternoon. The next day comes, and instead of calling me, he just showed up. Luckily I was home so I thought little of it and let him and his helper in to do the job. He took the non-working fan out, said he was going to take it back to his shop to get it working, and that he would come by after work to install it. Since I figured this would save me some money by reusing the old fan and make reinstallation much easier I thought this was a good plan. When it got to be later in the day, I called him to see if he was coming back to put the fan in. He informed me that what he meant was that he was going to stop by after work on one of the days this week and install the fan. I was irritated because I thought this was a one day job. However, I chalked it up to miscommunication (again) and let it go. This was Friday evening. The following Thursday (six days later) I called because I had not heard from him still. His wife told me he had stopped by the evening before to put the fan in, but now he was gone out of town on an elk hunting trip. Since he hadn't called me first, I was not home to let him in, so naturally I was upset. I told his wife he obviously hadn't heard of a phone. I had gotten miscommunication after miscommunication that week from him. She said she could get me in later the next day or Saturday. I declined at first. However, I tried unsuccessfully to find another electrician within a week. So I called her back and accepted the appointment. He shows up Saturday morning ten minutes late, which irritated me since I thought he was lucky I still considered using him after the crap he had pulled so far. Meanwhile, we had bought a new fan for $17 at ACE and I asked him to install that one instead of the old one. I didn't want to take any chances on the old fan. He installed the new one, which works fine. However, it didn't fit up to the old cut in the ceiling. Now I have a gap on two sides of the fan and it looks lousy. I asked him about the gap and he said it was there before, which was of course not true. I also asked him about using the previous fan lid to which he replied it was the same size. It seemed to me that his attitude was that the fit up of the new fan wasn't his problem or his job. I didn't argue with him. The bill was a shock as well. It was $250!! Looking back I wish I had just done this all myself. I am never calling this electrician again! If I didn't work with his son, I would be smearing his name right now.
Response from Desert Star Electric Inc
"We were distressed to see the customer]'s comments above. We agree that there were miscommunications (perhaps on both sides of the conversations). My husband did in fact remove the fan in an attempt to minimize the cost to the customer. He brought it back to the shop to clean the fan from the debris which was causing it to not function. Due to our work load it was not possible to return the fan the same day (which my husband had explained to the customer in advance). We made several attempts to return to the job site but the customer's work schedule was such that this was not possible. With regard to the "gaps" when the new fan was installed, my husband contends that there was a gap around the original fan as well (and that both fan units were the same size). Our consistent goal is to deliver professional and quality work/service to all our customers; this makes this review even more discouraging."
WILLIAM P.
Oct 2016
some unforseen delays but all went well
CATHERINE B.
May 2016
We've been having light bulbs burn out more often or pop within a day or two from the flick of the switch. Several electrical plugs no longer held the plug in. Found Desert Star Electric about 9:45am on Angie's List. Called them and they said they'd be out by 1pm. That's Fast! Everything was fixed by 2:30pm and the house is a much safer home. They were professional and I'd recommend them again. <br> <br>
Edwin F.
May 2016
unknown
Rick B.
Feb 2016
Arlen was extremely professional & fairly priced.
Heidi S.
Jan 2016
unknown
Tiffany T.
Nov 2015
unknown
Thomas D.
Oct 2015
They showed up on time, and went through my list of things that had to be done, Examined each item, it was determined that what the inspector was calling romex wiring, was not, it was wire that was able to buried in the ground, so that it wasn't needed to be attached to the floor Joists, however we decided to just go ahead and terminate the power to the wire and cut it loose from the outside of the house. The inspection found GFI outlet outside that was bad, we found two that were bad and replaced. The breaker box had a 20amp breaker on a 14g wire, needed to be replaced with a 15 amp breaker, also to cover a blank on the panel, which was done, they did have to go back to the shop to pick up the proper breaker an blanks. The inspection report found several junction boxes that needed to covers, one up in the attic and another in one of the bedrooms. All work was done in a professional manner and other than the side trip to pick up parts was done in a fast and efficient way. <br /> I will more than likely used them again and again, and would recommend them to others. <br /> <br />
Warren B.
Sep 2015
unknown
Scott A.
Aug 2015
It took two electricians, which was excessive and they did things without asking if I would like it done. The price was way too expensive and they were not up front about the charges. They were not professional, not impressed. <br />
Response from Desert Star Electric Inc
"We were shocked to learn of this customer's dissatisfaction for the work performed at their home especially after both the husband and wife appeared to be very pleased with the work when our workers left the job site. We sent an experienced electrician and an experienced apprentice to the work site after learning that the husband had worked "all weekend" to find the problem without resolution. When troubleshooting an evasive electrical problem, it has been our experience over our 40+ years in the business that it is most efficient and practical to have two professionals on the job so that there is communication between the two of them when testing circuits throughout the house. In the end, it is much less expensive that having one man attempt to be "at both ends" while attempting to locate the problem. When we send out a journeyman + an apprentice, we reduce the hourly charge substantially and charge an hourly rate for the two of them together. In this case, they were able to uncover the problem and fix the problem in a little over two hours at the job location. With respect to the customer's comment that our workers had "did things without asking if I would like it done", the only things that they did extra was to reassemble the plugs, switches and lights which the husband had taken apart when he was searching for the problem over the weekend. The customer was only charged for 1.75 hours instead of the two hours which the technicians actually worked. We are always saddened when a customer is less than satisfied because we strive to go above and beyond the "norm" in order to complete the job in a thorough and complete manner. As can be seen by the many positive comments we have received on Angie's List, this customer's review of our work is not reflective of our reputation or the quality of our work. We will continue to strive for quality workmanship and professionalism in the future as we have since we started our electrical business here in the Tri-Cities in 1975."
Bob C.
Aug 2015
I originally hired a different electrician who flaked out on us. We had booked two weeks in advance. <br /> I called Shirley and explained our situation. She squezzed us in. Arlen and Anthony worked in 100 degree plus heat for 9 hours with no complaints. They wired us up for a/c. Our a/c is also heaters like motels use. They also found other electrical issues that were a fire hazard and took care of them. <br /> First day they were here 9 hrs. Inside our home it was 110 degrees. They came back two days later to finish some other work I needed done. <br /> I couldn't have asked for more professional people. <br /> You guys are awesome, Thank you for helping us out when we were in such need !! <br />
Julie L.
Aug 2015
unknown
Thomas B.
Jul 2015
unknown
Rahul A.
Jul 2015
unknown
Robert V.
Jun 2015
Very professional with quality workmanship. <br />
Steven R.
May 2015
unknown
Katherine M.
May 2015
unknown
David V.
May 2015
unknown
Rebecca B.
Apr 2015
unknown
Gus T.
Mar 2015
unknown
Matthew R.
Feb 2015
I contacted Desert Star Electric on 2-5-15, and scheduled an appointment for the following day (Friday 2-6). Upon calling I was impressed at how quickly they could come out and give me a estimate. We confirmed the estimate date, but come Friday, nobody showed! I ended up calling 2.5 hours after my appointment, but by that time they were closed. My time is very valuable, and I don't appreciate being stood up. This aside, the following morning I received a call from the contractors wife/ receptionist, who was very apologetic! It was explained that she had forgotten to write my in, and that her husband (parent owner of Desert Star Electric), could come out this morning (Saturday 2-7). I agreed, and tried to move past my frustrations, especially since I had read so many great reviews on Angies List! <br /> On a positive note, the owner did show up on time, and prepared to take notes, but that was about the only positive note of the whole experience! As I explained the work needing done, I also explained a secondary approach I would be ok with, if it were comparable in cost. The Owner seemed confused that I would give him a secondary route of performing said work, and very much so seemed frustrated. After being laughed at, asked how much" I" thought the work would cost, and being treated like an idiot, he asked if I was wasting his time! At this point, I was starting to get upset, his wife may have apologized for the oversight before, but he still hadn't, and now he was making me feel like an idiot! I'm only 27, and I have never required the service of a licensed electrician, which I told him straight out to begin with. He continued to explain that my estimated $300.00 to move a single breaker, and install a generator inlet into a existing box( with existing wires), was just not realistic. He continued to explain that the paperwork fees would total at least $150.00, and 30 min of time at $150.00 an hour. He then stepped up his attitude further, and said he has to make a living, making me feel like I was trying to scam him!! But he didn't stop there, he continued by commenting on all the high value items in my garage he knew totaled over $150.00. He said this because my estimated $300.00, minus the $150.00 paperwork, left $150.00 he would have to work with. I recognize that a qualified professional costs money, evidently I am out of touch with going rates for an electrician, but that is why I requested a QUOTE! I had my laptop open to show him parts I would supply upon installation to try and save some money, but he also commented that I must have spent more than $150.00 on my laptop! The owner commented this way on about 3 high end items, and it was crystal clear to me that these comments about my possessions were to try and justify his pricing, and to establish that his services are not free! After being belittled and insulted, he asked again if i really wanted a quote! He did however make it clear that it would be a complete and utter inconvenience, as his wife would have to write up the paperwork! I have no idea how this company is in business when the owner has such TERRIBLE communication skills! Oh, and the kicker I left out, after I told him how much I thought it would cost, he told me I would be better off doing the work myself!! He also conveyed that I should be grateful of their pricing, as everyone else (other contractors) charge higher fees! Yes I may have underestimated costs, but i never said I couldn't pay anything higher! I am a home owner, in a nice neighborhood, and have a very nice residence, I absolutely have no idea what would prompt a business man to be so RUDE! <br /> <br /> *UPDATE* 2-8-15 <br /> <br /> After writting my review, I checked my email, and I had promptly recieved a bid for the work. While I am very impressed at how quickley a quote was sent out, I must say, I am slightly surprised that an itemized, professional business letterhead, PDF perhaps, wasent send to me. Essentially, a more professional layout was expected, including how many hours it would take to complete the work. Instead, I received a very nice, straight text email, stating the price, tax and that my bid did include applicable paperwork fees. As for the pricing, I came in about $125.00 short from my original $300.00 estimate. This is a MINOR pricing difference from what I has estimated, so I can only conclude that my age had a HUGE influence on how our above conversation played out. <br /> <br /> ALSO NOTABLE: I see this business is listed as having AFTER HOUR SERVICES, but upon calling their local phone number, I was given NO option for after hours emergency services. I was only given a message option, which was returned the following day.
Response from Desert Star Electric Inc
"First, I must repeat my apology to this potential customer. I was terribly embarrassed that I had overlooked his appointment and wanted him to know that it was MY error and not that of the owner of the company. That aside, I really don't know where to start my response on his other statements. My husband has been in business in the Tri-Cities for at least 40 years and we have never received a response from a potential customer that was even close to the remarks made by this potential customer. I must also point out that our estimates are always free to potential customers so other than his time, the estimating call did not cost him anything (which this individual had told me in our phone conversation that he was having trouble finding anyone to come out for "free" to look at his job. As far as the "options" that the customer proposed for the installation, my husband attempted to explain that the ones being proposed were not legally acceptable options and would not pass an electrical inspection. A portion of the discussion about the "costs" also concerned the necessity to purchase a state electrical permit which is a requirement of a licensed contractor/electrician in the State. It was NOT a charge for "paperwork" but rather a legal requirement in our trade. The comments the customer made about my husband's observations of his "equipment" were a little misconstrued and could lead the reader to a false conclusion. My husband was merely commenting that the electrical components the customer had on hand were of exceptionally good quality and it would be a shame if someone were to come in and improperly wire the installation which could harm that equipment. My husband was stunned about reading this review...he has never experienced a situation like this. There are so many apparent misunderstandings about the conversation which occurred between these two gentlemen that it would be foolhardy for me to attempt to add any further clarifications. We hope that this customer is successful in finding a qualified electrician with whom he can communicate and which results in a quality and safe installation. Our goal is, and always has been, to treat our customers with respect and provide quality workmanship and service."
Licensing
State Contractor License Requirements
All statements concerning insurance, licenses, and bonds are informational only, and are self-reported. Since insurance, licenses and bonds can expire and can be cancelled, homeowners should always check such information for themselves. To find more licensing information for your state, visit our Find Licensing Requirements page.
*Contact business to see additional licenses.
FAQ
Desert Star Electric Inc is currently rated 4.6 overall out of 5.
Desert Star Electric Inc accepts the following forms of payment: CreditCard
Yes, Desert Star Electric Inc offers free project estimates.
No, Desert Star Electric Inc does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
Yes, Desert Star Electric Inc offers emergency services.
No, Desert Star Electric Inc does not offer warranties.