SUNSET ELECTRIC INC

Sunset Electric was recommended by a friend and contractor to replace our central vac. We decided to go with them since their initial consult was less expensive and they felt more local than other companies like Security Monster. Our main dissatisfaction is that this 2-hr job took 6 weeks to complete. On initial contact, they were going to come check out the system the following week, that then got pushed to the week after that, and so on. Once the determination was made that we needed to replace the system, it took an additional 3 weeks to get the work done. So 6 weeks total for a 2-hr job, which was pretty infuriating. And I felt that if I hadn't hounded them, it could easily have taken 7 weeks to accomplish. I understand that it's not a huge job, but if a provider doesn't have time to accommodate the small jobs in a reasonable time frame, I would expect them to tell me so. The next issue was with the cost. He gave me an estimate of "not to exceed $1200" and told me the vac was $600 and he didn't think the cost would get that high. There were a few pipes to repair when the units were switched but no other major work. When I got the invoice, all it said was "Estimate $1200, cost $1200." I had to ask for an itemized invoice, and it stated that the vac was $785. I checked with the person who sent the bill, who told me that $600 was their cost and their had been a miscommunication. When I called to talk to the shop manager who had given me the $600 figure, he never returned my call. In sum, the work is fine and the new vac is working fine, but I wouldn't want to repeat the experience I had working with them. Next time I'll call the bigger, more expensive service who can get my job done in 2 weeks.

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The February 2014 ice storm brought down a pine tree, which in turn pulled down our overhead utility lines, which in turn tore the electric service mast off the side of our fifty-year-old two-story house. Although we still had power, the lines were on the ground, and we knew it was just a matter of time before the local utility EWEB came along and disconnected us...at which point it would be our problem to get the service mast repaired before EWEB would reconnect us. All electricians in the area were booked out for days with the storm related blackouts, but Sunset Electric essentially committed to us on standby, ready to come out as soon as EWEB turned us off. And sure enough, four days later EWEB did so. Sunset came out within an hour of our call. The service box had hidden damage to some old, hard to order parts, and the conduit was damaged beyond repair, but Sunset was able to replace both the box and custom-bend new conduit that same afternoon and install them in compliance with modern code standards. Although EWEB was not able to restore our power that night, we got it reconnected the next day, no doubt thanks to Sunset's calls to the utility. Both EWEB and the city inspector complimented Sunset's work. This all happened before the insurance adjuster came out, so we were a bit anxious about the cost. But on reviewing the invoice and the work, the adjuster said the cost was entirely reasonable. So to sum up: Sunset Electric provided us with high-quality work at reasonable cost and minimized our inconvenience during a time when lots of people our area were still in cold dark houses. Thanks, guys!