When a builder finishes a basement and needs the circuits tied in, or a property manager gets a call about an outlet that stopped working in a rental unit, that is the kind of job that comes through on a regular basis in Urbandale. Summit Electric handles the electrical side for contractors wrapping up a remodel, landlords keeping units code-current, and homeowners dealing with problems that showed up without warning. The work is performed by licensed electricians who explain what they find before they touch anything.
Property managers and builders tend to call with jobs that have a deadline attached. A tenant is moving in. An inspection is scheduled. A contractor is waiting on the rough-in before the drywall goes up. We understand that, and we schedule accordingly. You get the rate on the phone before anything is committed, and the work is done to code from the start.
Same-day service is often available, and that matters most when a circuit goes down in a rental unit mid-tenancy or a business finds itself without power to part of the building. When you call, we go over the situation with you, confirm what the job involves, and give you the price before we schedule anything. There are no layers to work through.
For tenants and businesses that have to stay operational, we plan the work around the space. If a repair only requires isolating one circuit, the rest of the property stays live. If the job is larger, we talk through timing so the disruption lands when it causes the least trouble. The goal is to get the power right without making the day worse than it has to be.
We are available every day from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. For urgent calls involving sparking, burning smells, or sudden partial power loss, call as early in the day as possible and we will prioritize getting someone out.
Urbandale's housing stock covers a real range, from mid-century homes on original wiring to newer construction that is already asking more of its panels than was planned for. The electrical needs that come out of a city this size vary accordingly, and one call is rarely identical to the next.
Running power to a detached structure is a common request, and it involves more than pulling a cable across the yard. The circuit needs to be sized for the actual load, whether that is a few lights and outlets or a full workshop setup. Buried conduit, weatherproof fittings, and a proper connection at the panel are all part of doing it right. Electric gate installations have their own requirements around dedicated circuits and disconnect placement, and we handle those as part of the same scope.
Stairwells, hallways, and large open rooms often need a light controlled from more than one location. Three-way and multi-location switching sounds straightforward, but the wiring logic is specific and the traveler wires have to be run correctly or the switches fight each other. We wire these from scratch for new installations and sort out existing setups that were wired incorrectly the first time.
Properties with a well pump or an irrigation system need dedicated circuits sized for the motor load and wired with the right disconnect and protection. A well pump that shares a circuit or runs on undersized wire is a reliability problem waiting to become a bigger one. We assess what is there, confirm the circuit is correct for the load, and bring it up to where it needs to be.
A panel-mounted surge protector covers every circuit in the building with one device. This region sees genuine severe weather, and a voltage spike from a nearby lightning strike or a grid event can damage appliances, electronics, and HVAC equipment in the same instant. A whole-home device is a different category of protection from a power strip, which only covers whatever is plugged directly into it. We install panel-level surge protection as a standalone upgrade or alongside panel replacement work.
Call today and we'll get the power back where it belongs.
Good electrical work isn't complicated, it's just done right, and that starts with knowing whether the existing supply can actually carry what is being asked of it. In Urbandale, homes that have added a home office, an EV charger, a finished basement, or new kitchen appliances over the years often find that the panel was never sized for that combination of loads. The result is nuisance tripping, slow-to-start appliances, or circuits that simply will not support what is plugged into them.
We do a load calculation before recommending a panel upgrade so the new service is sized for what the property actually needs, not just what it had before. A 100-amp or 150-amp service that was adequate at the time the home was built may not be adequate now. Where the panel is the limiting factor, we handle the upgrade including the service entrance and meter work where that is part of the scope.
Grounding and bonding are assessed as part of any panel job. Older homes in the area sometimes have grounding that was adequate under the code in place when they were built but does not meet current standards. We note what is there and explain what, if anything, needs to change.
Plenty of Urbandale jobs start with a look at our electrical work page.
Some jobs require a full shutdown of the panel. Others only need one circuit isolated while the rest of the property stays live. Which category a job falls into depends on what is being done and where it connects to the system.
A panel replacement requires the main service to be off for the duration of the work. For a home with someone working remotely or a small business trading through the day, that is a real consideration, and we plan around it. We confirm the scope and the expected timeframe on the call so you can arrange what you need to on your end. For jobs that only affect a single circuit, the disruption is limited to that branch and the rest of the property carries on normally.
We treat your home and its wiring the way we would our own, and that includes being straightforward about what the job actually involves before we show up.
The kind of electrical call we get in Urbandale depends on the property, the age of the wiring, and what the owner is trying to do with the space. The full breakdown is on the service page, but the situations below cover most of what comes in.
Don't let a small wiring issue turn into a fire risk, because the problems that seem minor rarely stay that way. Dead outlets, breakers that trip under normal load, flickering lights, and switches that have stopped responding all point to something in the circuit that needs attention. We trace the fault to its source rather than replacing parts at random. Older homes with knob-and-tube wiring or aluminum branch circuits get specific attention, because those materials require different handling and the risks are real if the assessment is skipped.
This area has every kind of panel and circuit in it, and a panel that has been in place for thirty or forty years may be limiting what the property can do as much as anything else. We handle full panel replacements, service-entrance upgrades, and subpanel installation where a detached structure or a large addition needs its own distribution point. With a local company, your questions go straight to the people doing the work, and panel jobs are where that matters most because the scope can change once the cover comes off.
Ceiling fans, recessed lighting, outdoor fixtures, EV charger circuits, dedicated appliance circuits, and backup generator hookups all fall into this category. Each one involves running the right circuit from the panel to the device, confirming the panel has capacity, and completing the connection to code. We take pride in the electrical work we leave behind, and installation work is where that shows in the finish.
Our customers call us back because we make wiring simple, and pricing is part of that. When you call about a job in Urbandale, we go over what you are dealing with and give you the rate before anything is booked. For straightforward work, the price is usually confirmed in the first conversation. For larger projects where the scope depends on what is found once we are on-site, we explain what affects the quote and what would change it.
No-pressure estimates, priced up front, means you know what you are agreeing to before an electrician comes out. The rate is confirmed and the scope is explained before anything is scheduled.
We are open every day from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Call (515) 395-4989 and we will walk through the job with you.
We cover Urbandale and take calls from customers across Polk County and the communities nearby. That includes Clive, Grimes, Windsor Heights, Johnston, and West Des Moines. If you are just outside Urbandale and not certain whether we cover your address, call and ask.
Yes, and we plan the work around the tenancy. For repairs and single-circuit jobs, the disruption is usually limited to the affected area and the rest of the unit stays live. For larger work, we talk through timing with you so the tenant is not left without power at an inconvenient time. We confirm the scope and what to expect before we schedule anything.
We work from what is physically there. An electrician traces the circuits, checks the panel, and maps out what is present rather than relying on documentation that may not exist or may not be accurate. Older properties often have no records, and that is a normal starting condition for this kind of work.
Temporary power supply for outdoor use is something we can discuss on the call. The specifics depend on what the power needs to run, how long it is needed, and what existing supply is available on the property. Call us at (515) 395-4989 and we will go over what is involved and whether it is a job we can take on.
Circuits that have been stable for a long time can start tripping when a new appliance is added to the load, when a connection inside a wall or outlet box loosens over time, or when the breaker itself begins to fail. Age and accumulated heat cycles affect both wiring connections and breaker components. We trace the cause rather than simply resetting or replacing the breaker, so the fix addresses what is actually happening.
A sudden voltage dip when a refrigerator compressor, air conditioner, or well pump starts up usually means the circuit or panel is working close to its capacity. The motor draws a surge of current at startup that briefly pulls voltage down across the whole panel. We can assess whether the appliance needs its own dedicated circuit or whether the panel itself needs more capacity to handle the load cleanly.
It does, and in a few specific ways. Older homes may have knob-and-tube wiring or aluminum branch circuits, both of which require a different approach than standard copper wiring. Panels in homes built several decades ago are often undersized for current loads and may use breaker types that are no longer manufactured. We assess what is there and explain what it means before recommending any work.
Kitchens and bathrooms have specific code requirements that other rooms do not, including GFCI protection at all outlets near water, dedicated circuits for high-draw appliances, and in many cases arc-fault protection as well. During a rewire, those rooms get the circuits and protection devices they require rather than being treated the same as a bedroom or hallway.
Yes. Pre-purchase electrical inspections are a regular part of what we do, and the person scheduling does not need to be the current owner. The property owner or their agent typically needs to allow access, but the inspection itself can be arranged by a buyer, a buyer's agent, or anyone else with a legitimate reason to have the wiring assessed. Call us at (515) 395-4989 to set it up.
A quote is based on what we can see and assess before work begins. If we open a wall or a panel and find conditions that were not visible during the initial assessment, such as damaged wiring, a previous repair done incorrectly, or a panel that is in worse shape than it appeared, we stop and explain what we found before continuing. You are told what changed and what it costs before we proceed.
The calls we get most often involve tripping breakers, outlets that have stopped working, and lighting that flickers or cuts out. Homes that have added loads over the years without a panel upgrade are also a common source of problems, because the supply was never sized for what the property is running now. A diagnostic visit traces the fault to its source so the fix addresses what is actually wrong.
Summit Electric is available every day from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Call (515) 395-4989, get the price on the phone, and schedule the visit. Licensed electricians. Code-compliant wiring. Fair rates.
There is no form to submit and no queue to wait in. You call, we answer, and you know where things stand before the call ends.
Check our list of local areas. We also work in: Clive, Grimes, Johnston.
Below is a quick look at the electrical services we handle for homes, rentals, and businesses in Urbandale and across Polk County. Each row covers what the service includes, who it fits best, and a practical note to help you think through the job before you call. If a service is not listed or your situation does not fit neatly into one category, call us and we will walk you through it.
| Service Type | What's Included | When You Need It | Things to Know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outlet & Switch Installation |
| Homeowners upgrading older outlets or adding new ones in kitchens, baths, garages, or outdoors | Current code requires GFCI protection in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, and outdoor locations. Many older Urbandale homes are missing these entirely. |
| Basement & Sump-Pump Circuits |
| Homeowners finishing a basement or adding sump protection in an Iowa home | A sump pump on a shared circuit can lose power at the worst moment. A dedicated circuit with proper GFCI protection is the right setup for any basement in a region with spring thaw and heavy rain. |
| Wiring & Circuit Installation |
| Older homes with outdated wiring or any property adding circuits for new loads | Urbandale has a mix of housing ages. Knob-and-tube and aluminum wiring are both present in older neighborhoods and both present real concerns worth addressing. |
| EV Charger Installation |
| Homeowners adding a Level 2 charger in a garage or driveway | Older panels sometimes need an upgrade before a Level 2 charger circuit can be added. We check panel capacity first so any needed upgrade is identified and scheduled before installation day. |
| Electrical Panel UpgradesMost Popular |
| Homeowners with older panels, repeated tripping, or new loads like EV chargers that exceed current capacity | A 100-amp panel that was adequate in 1975 is often not adequate for a home that now has a home office, an EV charger, and a modern kitchen. We size the new service for what the home actually needs. |
| Electrical Safety Inspections |
| Home buyers, sellers, landlords, and owners of older homes with wiring that has not been reviewed in years | If the inspection turns up items that need attention, we explain what they are and what fixing them involves. You get the information before deciding on anything. |
| Dedicated Appliance Circuits |
| Anyone adding a high-draw appliance that needs its own breaker | High-draw appliances on shared circuits cause repeated tripping and can damage the appliance over time. A dedicated circuit is the correct fix. |
| Electrical Repairs & Troubleshooting |
| Any homeowner or renter with an unexplained electrical problem | We trace the problem to its source before recommending any work, so you know exactly what is wrong and what fixing it involves. |
| Lighting Installation |
| Homeowners, landlords, and commercial property managers updating or adding lighting | Exterior lighting for rental properties and commercial buildings often requires a new circuit rather than tapping an existing one. We confirm capacity before running wire. |
| Breaker & Fuse Repair |
| Homes with breakers that trip repeatedly or fuse boxes that need attention | A breaker that trips under normal load often points to an overloaded circuit or a failing breaker, not just a nuisance. We find out which before touching anything. |
| Whole-Home Surge Protection |
| Any Urbandale homeowner concerned about lightning strikes or utility voltage fluctuations | Central Iowa sees significant lightning activity in storm season. A panel-mounted surge protector covers every circuit in the house, not just what is plugged into a power strip. |
| Wiring for Additions & Remodels |
| Homeowners finishing a basement, adding a room, or remodeling a kitchen or bathroom | Electrical rough-in is one of the first trades on-site in a remodel and one of the last to finish. We coordinate around the project schedule so the work does not hold up other trades. |
| Ceiling Fan Installation |
| Homeowners replacing a fixture or adding a fan where no wiring currently exists | If there is no existing wiring, we install a proper brace box rated for the fan weight so the ceiling support is correct from the start. |
| Backup Generator Installation |
| Homeowners in Urbandale who want power protection during Iowa ice storms and severe weather | A properly wired transfer switch isolates the generator from the utility line, which protects both your equipment and line workers restoring power in the area. |
| Older-Home Rewiring |
| Owners of pre-1970s homes in Urbandale with wiring that has never been updated | Rewiring an older home is a significant project, but it is often the only way to make the electrical system safe and capable of carrying modern loads. We scope the work carefully before any walls are opened. |
Call (515) 395-4989 and we will walk you through what the job involves, what it costs, and when we can get someone out.
(515) 395-4989