How to Find an Excellent Electrician in Burke, VA

By Sarah Walls, co-owner of Sarah & Family Electrical Services in Burke, VA. Published September 24, 2026.

My husband Ryan is the electrician in our family, and I run the business side. Before we started Sarah & Family, he spent years as a union journeyman with larger electrical companies, where he won craftsmanship awards for how clean his work was. His grandfather was an electrician too, so the trade came to him honestly.

We started the company in 2013 as a side business when our kids were little. When COVID turned his company work into inconsistent night shifts, Ryan moved over to our business full time. He still runs every job himself, and our kids help him part time.

The worry we hear most from homeowners is some version of two questions. Who is actually coming into my house? And is this work I really need? Most of finding a good electrician comes down to answering those two things, so here is how I'd answer them if you lived on my street.

What a good first visit looks like

This spring, Sharon Ricketts and her husband had just bought a home down in Woodbridge. Their inspection turned up a list of electrical items, including a microwave that needed its own 20-amp circuit and an exterior A/C disconnect that had to be moved to meet code. Sharon wrote afterward that they "were unsure who to hire" and called us because someone recommended us.

Her review describes what to look for better than I could, so I'll borrow it:

• They showed up in uniform. Sharon said it "immediately gave us a sense of security." You should never have to guess whether the person at your door works for the company you called.
• They started with a walkthrough. Ryan went through every item in the proposal before touching anything, so everyone agreed on the job.
• Ryan answered every question. They asked a lot of them, and Sharon wrote that he never made them feel rushed or like an inconvenience.
• They worked quietly. Ryan and his helper used walkie-talkies between rooms instead of shouting across the house.
• The extra recommendations were theirs to decide. Ryan mentioned a few things he would do down the road. Sharon said they "made perfect sense," and since they had just closed on the house, they chose to wait.

That last point matters more than it looks. The biggest complaint about our industry is electricians recommending work that isn't actually required. A good electrician tells you what he sees, tells you what can wait, and lets you make the call.

What separates an excellent electrician from an okay one

• You know who is coming. Ask who will do the work. At some companies it's whoever is free that day. With us it's Ryan, on every job.
• He explains before he quotes. A longtime customer in Fairfax Station told us Ryan "clears up issues before starting the work." You should understand the problem before you see a number.
• The price is set before work starts. One Springfield customer called us about a basement breaker that kept tripping. Ryan explained each step in plain terms, replaced two breakers and added a third, and worked well over an hour. The customer wrote that he was charged for one hour of labor and nothing for the breakers.
• He pulls the permit. For a deck in Fairfax Station, Ryan ran a dedicated 20-amp circuit to five new weather-resistant GFCI outlets, pulled the electrical permit, and coordinated the county inspection. If an electrician suggests skipping the permit to save you money, keep looking.
• He leaves the room cleaner than he found it. It's a small thing, and people notice it.
• He comes back if something isn't right. Our standard is simple: if there's an issue, we're going to follow up and make sure it's squared away.

How our pricing works, so you can compare quotes fairly

We use upfront pricing, meaning you get a flat price for the job before any work begins. We aren't trying to fit as many jobs into a day as possible, and our pricing reflects the time Ryan takes to do each one right. When you compare quotes, compare what's included, and ask each electrician how he bills if the job turns out bigger than expected.

What a job with Ryan includes

1. A walkthrough of the problem or project, with an explanation of what he finds.
2. An upfront price before any work starts.
3. The work itself, done by Ryan, with our kids helping on some jobs.
4. Testing everything he touched before he calls it done.
5. The permit and county inspection when the job requires one.
6. Cleanup of the work area.
7. Follow-up if anything isn't right afterward.

Where to look in Burke and Northern Virginia

Your neighbors are the best place to start. Most of our work for years came from word of mouth and Nextdoor posts, and we've been named a Nextdoor Neighborhood Favorite five times with 223 recommendations. Your real estate agent and home inspector are good sources too, since they see which electricians show up and finish the list.

When you read reviews, look past the star rating. The useful ones name the electrician, describe what he explained, and say whether the bill matched the quote. You can read ours on our customer reviews page, and most of them are about Ryan by name.

If your house was built in the 1960s or 70s, like a lot of homes around Burke and Springfield, ask whether the electrician works on panels that age. Ryan opens panels from the 70s all the time, sometimes with water damage inside, and panel replacement is the work he cares about most. You can see everything we do on our services page.

Frequently asked questions