Electrical FAQs for Hampton Roads

Yes. TC Electrical Solutions LLC is a licensed, family-owned electrical contractor based at 237 Hanbury Rd E in Chesapeake. Every job is handled by licensed electricians and done to the National Electrical Code and local requirements.

We are based in Chesapeake and serve Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Newport News, Hampton, and the surrounding area. If you are nearby and do not see your city listed, give us a call at (757) 977-4827 and we will let you know if we can help.

Yes. We look at the job, explain your options, and give you a clear, upfront price before any work starts, so there are no surprises on the final bill.

Yes. We handle residential, commercial, and industrial electrical work, from panel upgrades and generators for homeowners to switchgear, conduit, and lighting for businesses and facilities.

We offer same-day service when our schedule allows. For an electrical emergency such as sparking, a burning smell, or a hot panel, call (757) 977-4827 directly instead of sending a form and we will get to you as quickly as we can.

TC Electrical Solutions has served Chesapeake and Hampton Roads since 2021. We are a family-owned and operated company, so the people you talk to on the phone are the same people who stand behind the work.

Licensed electricians from our own team. We do not hand your job off to a stranger, and we keep you updated from the first visit through the final walkthrough.

It is how we work: safe, code-compliant electrical work built to last, honest recommendations instead of upsells, and treating every home and business like it was our own.

Yes. Every job is backed by our 100% satisfaction guarantee. If something is not right, call us and we will make it right.

Call (757) 977-4827. You can also use the request form on this page to ask a question, book service, or request a free estimate.

Let us know what is going on, the city or neighborhood where the work is, and the best way and time to reach you. Photos of the panel, outlet, or area you are asking about are always helpful.

No. If you see sparks or smoke, smell burning, or your panel feels hot, call (757) 977-4827 right away. If there is a fire or a downed power line, call 911 and Dominion Energy first.

Our office is at 237 Hanbury Rd E, Suite 17, Chesapeake, VA 23322. We come to you, serving homes and businesses throughout Chesapeake and Hampton Roads.

Yes. Whether it is a residential panel upgrade, a standby generator, or LED pole lighting for a parking lot, tell us about your project and we will give you a free, upfront estimate.

Photos are a great place to start and help us understand the job. For most work we confirm the final price after a quick look in person, so the estimate is accurate.

Yes. Adding an outlet, replacing a light fixture, or fixing a breaker that keeps tripping are all jobs we are glad to help with.

Electrical repairs, emergency electrical service, panel upgrades and switchgear, whole-home surge protection, generator installation, EV charger installation, interior lighting, outdoor and high-pole lighting, and new construction wiring for homes and businesses across Hampton Roads.

Panel upgrades, whole-home standby generators, and whole-home surge protection. Many Hampton Roads homes were built with 100-amp or older panels, and storm season makes backup power and surge protection a smart investment.

Many jobs do, including panel upgrades, new circuits, generators, and EV chargers. Permits and inspections go through your city, such as Chesapeake, Norfolk, or Virginia Beach. When a job needs a permit, we take care of it and schedule the inspection.

Yes. We install and service commercial panels and switchgear, run conduit and wire for new equipment, upgrade warehouse and parking lot lighting to LED, and handle ongoing electrical work for local businesses.

Common signs are breakers that trip often, a fuse box or 100-amp service, flickering lights, warm or rusty panels, and plans to add an EV charger, generator, hot tub, or major appliance. Some older panels, like Federal Pacific and Zinsco, are worth replacing on their own.

Most residential panel upgrades are completed in a single day. We handle the permit and coordinate with Dominion Energy so the job goes smoothly.

Yes, for part of the day while the old panel is removed and the new one is connected. We let you know the plan ahead of time and restore power as soon as the work is done safely.

For most homes in Chesapeake and Hampton Roads, 200 amps gives room for central air, modern kitchens, EV charging, and future additions. We look at your home and how you use power before recommending a size.

It depends on what you want to keep running. Some homeowners back up essentials like the refrigerator, sump pump, and a few circuits, while others want the whole house including central air. We size it to your home and your list.

If natural gas is available at your home, it is usually the easiest fuel because it never needs refilling. In rural parts of Suffolk and Chesapeake without gas service, propane works well with a properly sized tank.

An automatic transfer switch senses the outage, starts the generator, and switches your home over in seconds. When utility power returns, it switches back and shuts the generator down on its own.

Never plug a generator into an outlet or dryer receptacle. Backfeeding is dangerous for your family and for utility crews. We can install a transfer switch or interlock so you can use a portable generator safely.

A surge protective device installed at your electrical panel that stops damaging voltage spikes before they reach the outlets, appliances, HVAC equipment, and electronics throughout your home.

The National Electrical Code requires whole-home surge protection for homes when the electrical service is installed or replaced, starting with the 2020 edition and continuing in 2023. If we upgrade your panel, surge protection is part of the job.

Lightning from summer thunderstorms and tropical systems, utility switching, and power coming back on after outages are big ones. Large appliances cycling on and off create smaller surges every day.

Yes, for sensitive electronics like TVs and computers. Whole-home protection handles large surges at the panel, and point-of-use strips add a second layer at the device.

A breaker that trips over and over is usually an overloaded circuit, a short, or a ground fault, and sometimes the breaker itself is worn out. It is a safety device doing its job, so do not keep resetting it. Have an electrician find the cause.

A single flickering fixture is often a loose bulb or a bad switch. Lights that dim when large appliances turn on, or flickering in several rooms, can point to loose connections or an overloaded panel and should be checked.

Yes. Outlets and switches should never feel hot, buzz, or show scorch marks. Stop using it, turn off that circuit if you can, and call us. Loose or damaged connections are a common cause of electrical fires.

Yes. We regularly work on older homes across Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, and Chesapeake, including outdated outlets, two-prong receptacles, ungrounded circuits, and aging wiring.

A burning smell, smoke, sparking outlets or panels, a panel that is hot to the touch, electrical equipment exposed to water, or a partial loss of power that is not explained by a tripped breaker. For a fire or a downed line, call 911 and Dominion Energy first.

If it is safe, turn off the affected breaker or the main breaker. Stay away from anything wet, do not touch damaged wiring, and keep children and pets clear of the area.

Check your panel for a tripped main or branch breaker first. If nothing is tripped, or the breaker will not reset, the problem may be your panel, meter base, or service wires. Call us and we will track it down.

Not until it is checked. Panels, outlets, and equipment that were underwater should be inspected and often replaced before power is turned back on. This is common after hurricanes and nor'easters in Hampton Roads.

Level 1 uses a regular 120-volt outlet and adds only a few miles of range per hour. A Level 2 charger runs on a dedicated 240-volt circuit and can fully charge most EVs overnight.

Not always. We check your panel capacity and the rest of your home's load first. Many homes have room for a charger, and others need a panel upgrade or a load management solution.

Yes. We install most major brands, including Tesla Wall Connectors and other Level 2 chargers, and we can help you choose one if you have not bought it yet.

Yes, as long as the charger is rated for outdoor use. We plan the location, run the circuit, and pull the permit so it is safe and up to code.

Yes. Modern slim LED recessed lights can usually be installed in finished ceilings with small openings and minimal patching.

In most cases, yes. LEDs use far less energy, last for years, and run cooler. For businesses with a lot of fixtures, the savings add up quickly.

Yes. We install dimmers, smart switches, and motion sensors, and we make sure they are compatible with your fixtures so there is no flicker or buzzing.

Often, but the box has to be rated to hold a fan. We swap in a fan-rated box and add a separate switch for the light if you want one.

Yes. We install and repair pole lights for parking lots, storage yards, sports fields, and commercial properties across Hampton Roads.

Yes. LED retrofits cut energy use and maintenance, and they give brighter, more even light for safety and security.

Yes. We install photocells, timers, and motion sensors so your lights come on at dusk and stay on only when needed.

Yes. Floodlights, motion lights, and accent lighting can make your home safer and show it off at night.

Yes. We wire new homes, additions, and commercial buildings across Hampton Roads, working with builders, general contractors, and owners building their own projects.

As early as possible, ideally while plans are being finalized. That is the easiest time to plan outlets, lighting, and future needs like EV charging and a generator hookup.

Yes. We pull the electrical permit and schedule the rough-in and final inspections with your city.

Yes. Planning a 240-volt circuit for a future charger or a transfer switch for a generator during construction costs far less than adding them later.

Chesapeake, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Newport News, and Hampton, along with the surrounding area. Our office is in Chesapeake, close to all of the Southside cities.

Every city in Virginia follows the statewide building code, which is based on the National Electrical Code. Permits and inspections are handled by each city, so we pull permits with the right office for your address.

Yes, often. Historic neighborhoods like Ghent, Olde Towne, and Phoebus have beautiful older homes, and many still have fuse boxes, older panels, or outdated wiring. We upgrade them safely while respecting the character of the home.

If you are in Hampton Roads, chances are we do. Call (757) 977-4827 or send a request with your address and we will confirm.

We are a family-owned electrical contractor based in Chesapeake, VA, and we serve homes and businesses throughout the city and the greater Hampton Roads area.

Yes. Tell us about your project by phone or through our request form and we will give you a clear, upfront price before any work begins.

Common signs are breakers that trip often, flickering lights, a panel that is warm to the touch, an older fuse box, or plans to add big loads like an EV charger or a hot tub. We can take a look and let you know what makes sense.

Yes. Many of the homes we work on in Norfolk are older, and we take the time to understand the existing wiring before recommending upgrades, so the work is safe and respects the home.

Yes. We will look at the job and give you a clear price before any work starts.

Most panel upgrades, generator installations, and new circuits require an electrical permit and inspection through the City of Norfolk. Ask us about permitting when we give you your estimate.

It depends on the size of the generator and what you want to run. We will walk through your needs, from essentials like the fridge and HVAC to the whole home, and recommend the right setup.

Yes. We install outdoor lighting for homes and businesses and choose fixtures and connections that hold up well near the coast.

Yes. Tell us about your project and we will give you a clear price up front.

Yes. We take care to understand older wiring before we recommend upgrades, and we explain exactly what we find and what we plan to do before any work begins.

Yes. We will give you a clear, upfront price before any work starts.

If your home still has a fuse box, frequent blown fuses, or plans to add new appliances, an upgrade to a modern breaker panel is usually worth it for safety and convenience. We can take a look and advise.

Yes. A properly sized standby generator can power your well pump along with your other essentials, so you keep running water during an outage. We will help you size it correctly.

Yes. We handle electrical for new homes and commercial builds, from rough-in through finish, and coordinate with your builder and other trades.

Yes. Tell us about your project and we will give you a clear price before any work begins.

Yes. Newport News is a quick trip across the I-664 bridge-tunnel, and we serve homes and businesses throughout the city.

Yes. We install Level 2 EV chargers for homes and businesses, and we check that your panel can handle the load before we start.

Yes. We will give you a clear, upfront price before any work begins.

Yes. We take the time to understand older wiring before recommending upgrades, and we walk you through what we find before any work begins.

It depends on what you want to keep running during an outage. We will go over your essentials and recommend a generator sized for your home.

Yes. Tell us about your project and we will give you a clear price up front.