Peter Needham Electrical & HVAC

Peter was very responsive and handled a misunderstanding with one of his previous employees like a professional. Because of the way he communicated and handled the situation, along with the great work they did, I will be sure to use them again.

At the time, the work seemed to go okay. They sent a crew of two. However, I noticed that the primary electrician (Arthur) really seemed baffled by the task to split the common circuits into the new, house meter. He did all of the wiring work and his helper (Jim) did very little. The work was completed in one day and I thought everything was in good order. The problems only surfaced several months later when one of my tenants informed me that her monthly electric bills had ballooned to many times of what they should have been. I called Peter Needham's office immediately and told the office that there was a problem with the work that they had been completed several months earlier. The same two individuals came out a day or two later to fix the problem. It appears that during the earlier work, almost all of the common electricity had been channeled to my tenant's meter rather than to the new house meter. During the second visit, the electric company had to be called out to cut power to the house so that the cross wiring could be remedied. We waited a couple of hours until the electric company arrived to cut the power and the work was finished. Why the electric company didn’t have to come out during the original visit was never explained. My next credit card statement included a new charge from Peter Needham for $393.00 to cover the cost of the crew returning to fix the problem. My credit card had been billed without my knowledge and without ever presenting me with a bill for correcting the work that wasn’t done correctly during the original visit. I called and faxed supporting information to the office immediately. "We will get back to you" was all I was told. So, I drove to the office and waited there until I could be seen. After explaining the series of events and the less than adequate work, they finally....and very reluctantly....credited my credit card for the $393.00 additional charge and actually gave me a copy of the corresponding invoice and confirmation of the credit.

At the time, the work seemed to go okay, They sent a crew of two. I noticed that the primary electrician (Arthur) really seemed baffled by the task to split the common circuits into the new, house meter. He did all of the wiring work and his helper (Jim) did virtually nothing but stand around and make comments on other work my house needed. First Problem: Paying for two persons and only one actually performed any work. The work was completed in one day and I thought everything was in good order. Second Problem: The problems only surfaced several months later when one of my tenants told me that her monthly electric bills had ballooned to several times of what they should have been. I called Peter Needham's office immediately and told the office that there was a problem with the work that had been completed several months earlier. The same two individuals came out a day or two later to "fix" the problem. It appears that during the earlier work, almost all of the common electricity had been channeled to my tenant's meter without my knowledge. This time the electric company had to be called out to cut power to the house so that the common circuit problem could be remedied and that electricity channeled to the common meter. We waited a couple of hours until the electric company arrived, cut the power and the rewiring work could be finished. Third Problem: Why did the electric company need to cut the power during the second visit and not during the first visit? Answer: The crew didn't know what they were doing. Problem solved, right? Wrong! Fourth Problem: My next credit card statement included a new charge from Peter Needham for $393.00 to cover the cost of the crew returning to fix the problem. Outrageous. My credit card had been billed without my knowledge and without ever presenting me with a bill for repairing a problem that was the result of incompetent work. I called and faxed supporting information to the office immediately. "We will get back to you" was all I was told. So, I drove to the office and waited there until I could be seen. (Very disorganized office from all appearances.) After explaining the series of events and the botched work, they finally....and very reluctantly....credited my credit card for the $393.00 charge and actually gave me a copy of the corresponding invoice and confirmation of the credit.

Peter was fantastic. He diagnosed our problem in seconds, after another provider was stumped and offered to do a system assessment for $750. Peter didn't even charge us for fixing the problem. He was professional, courteous, and efficient.

I guess my mistake was not staying around while the work was done. The work was supposed to be to add a single smoke detector to a hard-wired system. The provider said that one or more of the detectors may not match and that he would recommend replacing them (where I assumed this would be any mis-matched detectors). In the end, all (8) detectors were replaced even though I had receipts that showed at least three of the detectors matched and were purchased in the last year. I received a bill for roughly $1700. In the end, they did take $300 off of the bill. But, there is no reason it should have cost anywhere near that amount. So, although the work that was done was of reasonably quality, I can't recommend using them in the future. In other instances where I have used them, they provided me with an estimate in advance and the final bill was within the estimate. So, this is partially my mistake for not getting a written estimate. But, I thought the job was small enough that it wasn't required.

Peter and his team were outstanding. They explained all of our choices and answered our (many!) questions thoroughly. I also so appreciated that they were easy to reach and consistently called or emailed back promptly whenever we had questions. They were always courteous and professional. We are very happy with our new boiler and will call upon Peter whenever we have heating, plumbing, or electrical needs in the future!

PETER NEEDHAM IS AN OUTSTANDING PROFESSIONAL BESIDES DOING GREAT WORK. He continues to amaze me with his always quick responsiveness and accurate diagnosis to any situation. I can say that I originally came upon Peter some years ago and every single time I call upon him or give his name to my clients - HE RESPONDS!!! A work ethic you just cannot find everywhere. SOMEHOW NO MATTER WHAT THE SEASONAL PEAK - HE GETS THE JOB DONE! And those are all the words I need to say!

Excellent experience. Arrived right on time. Were able to do all the work that I needed including some add-ons (actual install TV on wall with bracket and new plug in addition to the original request for a new cable for the TV). Reviewing wiring in the basement and gave me thumbs up on the condition. Very old house and I was concerned about some of the electrical renovations that had been done and oslash;ver time. We had used them before in our old house and were very happy with their service. I'm very glad that I called them again.

He did explain the work that needed to be done and I am satisfied with the outcome of the services he provided.

Peter and his team worked really hard to install an electric double wall oven into a tiny bricked in whole climbing up around the thing...amazing to watch, they did a great job with this. And the oven works great.

First they said that it was going to be $2500 and we thought that the price was too high. We negotiated and brought it down to $2000 but that was still too high for us. The man that came out was very nice and professional.

Used these guys before (Mark) at my condo, they do great work. Got an estimate very fast, scheduled the work exactly when I needed it. Finished on time. Clean work, not many holes left to patch on the first floor but of course the basement ceiling has a lot of holes (no big deal, it's the basement after all). They accidentally broke the old meter so there was some drama getting it replaced but since it's job based pricing that didn't effect my price. There were so many circuits in the old panel (some double-lugged, not to code) that they had to add a sub panel, which was also unexpected but did not change the price. My one gripe: the grounding rods I didn't know were being installed until the last minute, and I was worried that they might protrude too much in the yard or garden. But they drove them very far into the ground, one of them all the way and the other they cut. Both they concealed cleanly and mostly safely (I'm putting plastic caps on them just in case).

The two workers did a great job very quickly. The total amount of time they spent was about an hour. They were very polite and professional, however their quoted price was very unreasonable. I would have chosen another electrician but I needed a light installed quickly before my tenants moved in, so I bit the bullet and accepted the price. $750 for about $75 in materials and one hour of work for two people is outrageous. I had also asked for a quote to put in a ceiling fan (no wiring required, just replace existing fan) and they quoted $350, that's far more then it should cost and I declined that offer. I did myself in about an hour for free. I would not hire them in the future as their charges are far more than other electricians I have worked with since but I do give them credit for professionalism, responsiveness, punctuality, and quality. I also did not like the fact that I found Peter Needham Electrical stickers placed in a few locations outside my house.

They did a great job. The job-based pricing is fantastic. They spent a few days routing our main line up from the basement, which involved snaking it through some downstairs neighbors, including a first floor liquor store. This took a while, but they were very careful and caused no damage in neighboring units. Once the panel was in our unit, they strung six new circuits throughout the unit and installed a light in our closet. There were many holes needed in ceilings in walls in order to snake the wires, as expected in a 100 (plus) year old building. But Peter Needham did a good job containing the expected mess. They patched up all holes with appropriate materials (plaster in some places, wallboard in others, sheet-rock in others) and left a rough patch as I requested so that I could finish the work myself. It was a stressful project that lasted about three weeks start to finish, but Mark and his colleagues were extremely professional and kept us well informed throughout. Great job!

They came out promptly and were very friendly. Quote was a bit higher than another good electrical company so we decided against using Peter Needham Company. They took approximately one week to provide written estimate. I would recommend them.

They did very good work. The technician was personable and prompt, and finished in a timely manner. Sometimes on a small job, they draw it out, and he didn't do that. He didn't do the work and run out the door. He took the time to explain what he was doing.

I was contacted promptly and their representative came out at a time that was convenient to me. He was very friendly and professional. I was given a quote a couple of days later and it seemed a little high to me. I contact two other electricians for estimates. Both of the other electricians estimates were significantly lower for the same amount of work. I ended up choosing one of the other electricians because I felt that they would do an excellent job (which they did) and their price was almost 1/4 of Peter Needham's quote. Had the price been better, I definitely would have used this contractor.

It was fine. They showed up when they said they would. I hadn't been told the accurate information on their fee structure, but the electrician made an adjustment for the fact that he didn't actually have to do any electrical work. For future reference they have two fees that the customer pays just for them to come to your house and assess the problem. $50.00 gets them to the door, and once they pass the threshold its another $75.00. The electrician only charged me the $75.00, since there was no real problem.

GOOD WRITTEN ESTIMATE GIVEN AT FIRST VISIT. WORK STARTED WITHIN ONE WEEK OF AGREEMENT. TOOK LONGER THAN ESTIMATED TIME, BUT WORKERS, 1-3 AT A TIME, WORKED STEADILY WITH VERY FEW BREAKS. WORKERS CLEAN, POLITE, PLEASANT TO HAVE IN HOME. WORK AREAS CLEANED UP AND DEBRIS REMOVED EVERY DAY.

FRANK WAS FRIENDLY AND VERY RESPECTFUL OF MY HOME. HE EVEN BROUGHT HIS OWN MAT TO PROTECT THE FLOOR IN THE KITCHEN. HE ARRIVED ON TIME AND WAS ABLE TO DO THE WORK WITHIN THE TIME FRAME THAT WAS PROMISED. WHILE HE WAS HERE A FOREMAN CAME BY TO PICK UP THE LAMPS AND TAKE THEM TO THEIR FACILITY TO WORK ON THEM. THEY WERE FINISHED SOONER THAN THEY HAD PROMISED AND DELIVERED THEM BACK TO ME WITHOUT COMPLICATIONS. THEY COMPLETELY REWIRED THE LAMPS AND THEY ARE WORKING WELL NOW.

I WAS MOST PLEASED WITH LEON'S PERSPECTIVE ON LIGHTING STYLE, POSITIONING, AND THE CONFIDENCE EXPRESSED IN THEIR ABILITY TO DO THE JOB. HE HAD TIPS, AND SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW TO WORK AN ODD SITUATION REGARDING OUR PREFERRED LOCATION OF THE NEW WALL SWITCH. HE EXAMINED THE EXPOSED CEILING BOX (WHERE TRACK LIGHTING HAD BEEN), AND REPORTED THAT IT WAS WIRED TO ACCEPT A CEILING FAN RATHER THAN A LIGHT ONLY. HE EXPLAINED THE OPTIONS, AND LIMITATIONS OF THE WALL SWITCH, AND THE FAN/LIGHT CHAINS. IN TERMS OF GETTING A PRICE, I HAD TO MAKE A FEW PHONE CALLS, AND ALSO REQUESTED A BREAKDOWN BY TASK. THE PRICE FINALLY CAME VERBALLY ($975) BUT THE BREAKDOWN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. SINCE THE PRICE WAS TWO TIMES WHAT I IMAGINED, I WAS ESPECIALLY INTERESTED IN THE BREAKDOWN. TWO WEEKS LATER, THERE WAS NO BREAKDOWN. I CALLED THE OFFICE, AND GAVE THEM OUR ADDRESS, AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE MAILED. A WEEK LATER, I REACHED LEON WHO ASKED FOR OUR FAX NUMBER TO SEND IT. STILL NO RESPONSE. WE'VE MOVED ON.

P.N.E. CAME TO FIX THE FAULTY LIGHT SWITCH, BUT SAID IT WAS TOO BIG OF A JOB. I THINK THAT IT IS STILL THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. JUST BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T GET TO THE FIRST FLOOR THEN DOESN'T GET THEM OFF THE HOOK NOW. OTHER COMPLAINTS INCLUDE: THEY LEFT A MESS OF PHONE WIRES HANGING AROUND THE BASEMENT, THEN WHEN I CALLED THEM TO FIX IT THEY JUST STRAIGHTENED THEM UP BUT LEFT THEM UNPLUGGED (THEY SAID "PROTOCOL," I SAY SPITE). I HAVE RECEIVED A VERY UNPROFESSIONAL BELLIGERENT RANTING EMAIL FROM PETER NEEDHAM HIMSELF, AS WELL AS AN ANGRY CALL SAYING NEVER CALL ME AGAIN; WE WERE LIED TO IN A DIVISIVE WAY BY THE SUPERVISOR DURING THE FINAL DAY, AND SPOKE TO THE COMPANY OFFICE ABOUT IT BUT RECEIVED NO APOLOGY OR ACKNOWLEDGMENT. IF YOU HIRE P.N.E., ASK TO ONLY DEAL WITH FRANK (HE'S FANTASTIC), NOT LEON. GET A COMPLETE DETAILED JOB INVENTORY AND PRICE LIST, WITH END DATE COMMITMENTS. THEIR COMMUNICATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY IS TERRIBLE. AND NO CIGARETTE BUTTS IN THE YARD PLEASE-WE HAD DOZENS!

I'M VERY PLEASED WITH THIS COMPANY. THE COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE CALLED ME BACK RIGHT AWAY, THE WORKER ARRIVED ON TIME AND COMPLETED THE WORK QUICKLY (1 1/2 HOURS). I FELT I GOT A VERY GOOD PRICE.

VERY PROFESSIONAL, WORE LITTLE BOOTIES OR SHOE COVERINGS ON THEIR FEET. ARRIVED WITHIN THE WINDOW OF TIME AS PROMISED. VERY RESPECTFUL.

THEY WERE VERY PROFESSIONAL, CAME WELL WITHIN BUDGET FOR THE JOB. THEY WERE VERY CLEAN AND KEPT THEIR WORK AREAS VERY CLEAN. IT WAS A VERY GOOD EXPERIENCE. I WAS VERY HAPPY WITH THE JOB THEY DID, EVERYTHING WENT VERY SMOOTHLY WITH NO GLITCHES OR DOWN TIME FOR THE SHOP.