Kemly Electric has been providing expert quality service and repair to the greater Seattle area for over 20 years. Our highest priorities are excellent workmanship and stellar customer service. We don’t just do a job, we make you glad you called us. Based in historic Ballard, Kemly’s offices are in an area of town that’s home to generations of hard working tradespeople. For all your residential and commercial electrical projects, contact us when you need a licensed, bonded and insured Seattle electrician. Whether your electrical service needs are small or large, call us for advice or an estimate. Our electricians have at least 5 years experience in residential projects, and at least 8 years field experience in commercial residential installation. We’re the Seattle electrical contractors you can trust with your home and business.
Business highlights
34 years of trusted experience
Emergency Services Offered
Services we offer
Knob and tube replacement, residential electrical installation and tenant improvements, commercial electrical installation, service calls
Excellent work. The estimator spent time understanding the layout and scope of work and gave useful insights. The two electricians were friendly, informative and did a careful and thorough job. Full cleanup at the end and only minimal number of patches to do.
Description of Work: Rewired old knob and tube on 2nd floor of home.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$4,700
Charles S.
10/2020
5.0
electrician, home remodeling
 + 0 more
The kitchen exhaust fan for my house is mounted on the roof. I purchased a replacement fan and had to have roofers build and install a new curb/platform on which the replacement fan rested, and install and seal the membrane roofing material around the new curb. The roofers didn't do electrical work, so I needed to find an electrical contract which would connect the fan to the power source, and install the replacement control switch in the kitchen. This was not a difficult job, but I found it very difficult to find an electrical contractor willing to get up on my roof to connect the exhaust fan to power and complete to complete the installation. I contacted over 25 electrical contractors and was told they would not take a job which required an electrician to get on the roof of my house. Kemly Electric agreed to perform the work, and were very flexible about scheduling to perform the work. The electrical work needed to follow the roofers completing the fan installation, but the roofer kept rescheduling my job. The Kemly Electric electrician arrived 4 hours earlier than scheduled to perform the job on the day it was scheduled. It took less than an hour, and he installed the connection so that any future work on the fan would make it easy to lift the fan off the curb/platform on which the fan was installed. The electrician was polite, thorough, provided complete communication on what the job needed, the work he performed, and provided pictures of the work. Kemly Electric charged a fair price for the work performed, and is on the top of my list when I next need an electric contractor.
Description of Work: The kitchen exhaust fan for my house is mounted on the roof. I needed to have a replacement fan unit connected to power, and the switch in the kitchen installed.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$325
Anita R.
07/2018
4.0
electrician
 + -1 more
The electricians arrived on time, were very considerate, finished the work early, cleaned up after themselves, and did a great job. When we discovered that evening that using some of the outlets tripped the new breakers, they returned the very next day to fix it. They had incorrectly wired the breaker for one set of outlets, and another outlet had been incorrectly wired (not by them). The fixed both problems rapidly and we've had no problem since then. My only real complaint was being billed for supplies we didn’t use. The estimator had been very patient with our asking for bids on several different options/configurations and with our many questions. He made a few errors on the original bid (later corrected), and also made some assumptions about the DPD's requirements that I found (by contacting the local electrical inspectors for the DPD) were not correct. When we finally signed the contract for the work, the price was based on having to use 15 Arc Fault breakers (significantly more expensive than standard breakers). The electricians ended up having to use only 2 Arc Fault breakers and 13 of the standard ones. But they still expected us to pay the full bid price (based on all expensive breakers), which we did. Even with that, they ended up the same as the middle-priced bid we’d received (and less than two higher bidders).
Description of Work: Install a subpanel in a mother-in-law apartment, transferring those circuits from the main electrical panel
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
3.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
$3,150
Ronald M.
03/2017
5.0
electrician, lighting, ceiling fans
 + 1 more
The electrical rewiring project went very well. An electrician and apprentice worked for 8 days on the house. The electrician was very experienced in rewiring old houses, understood old house construction and knew how to route new wires through walls to access the first and second floors while minimizing the number and size of holes in the walls and ceilings. Lath and plaster walls/ceilings require a different approach and power equipment to minimize damage to the adjacent plaster when compared to modern day drywall. This is very important to minimize damage to the adjacent plaster areas around the holes. Both of these guys worked very hard to get the job completed in the shortest time. They were very good at solving problems they encountered and there were a number of challenging ones. I was also impressed as the job neared completion it became apparent the work would require an additional day beyond the original estimate. To finish the job on the scheduled Friday the company sent out a third electrician to complete the work in the eight day, estimated time frame. After the work was completed the city electrical inspector found only one outlet location that had to be changed to pass inspection. This was an easy 2 hour fix. I gave them a "B" for cost, but that was because I wished it was less expensive but that may not be a reasonable expectation. Otherwise I'm extremely pleased with the work.
Description of Work: I had a 1908 home in the Seattle area with knob and tube (old) wiring mixed in with more recent wiring. I wanted to update the wiring to get more outlets in the house, update the ceiling light wiring and switches plus get grounded circuits installed. The home had lath and plaster walls which require a different technique to cut into for routing wires. Two floors of the home had to be totally rewired and a new electrical service panel installed. Some new light fixtures and a ceiling fan was installed.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$16,000
GUY T.
01/2017
5.0
electrician
 + -1 more
Electrician was courteous and listened to my description of the issues and interacted well explaining what needed to be done.
Description of Work: Replacement of GFI outdoor receptacle. Troubleshooting burned out circuit breaker.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$225
GUY T.
01/2017
5.0
electrician
 + -1 more
Work was good and communication with electrician was very good.
Description of Work: Troubleshoot problem with smoke alarm circuit.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$150
Jack Z.
09/2016
5.0
electrician
 + -1 more
Work was done quickly and accurately. Once contract was signed and I made the deposit, the work was done within a week. They cleaned up after each day. Kemly's bid was less than a third of the highest estimate that I received from other electrical contractors.4
Description of Work: Upgrade service to 200 amps, install mast for service entry, replace entry panel, move meter and install outlets in kitchen.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$4,000
Donna R.
09/2016
5.0
electrician
 + -1 more
Outlet successfully installed on time and at price quoted.
Description of Work: Install outlet
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Rebecca S.
06/2016
5.0
electrician, lighting
 + 0 more
We had Kemly Electric come out to give us quotes for a few projects. Bill was very knowledgeable and gave us great advice, answering any questions I had about those projects and other electrical stuff in our house generally. He then sent comprehensive quotes. We decided to move forward with having wall sconces installed in our living room and connecting them to a switch that wasn't being used. The company had a great scheduling system and was very professional every step of the way. The electricians arrived on time and completed the project quickly and efficiently. They did their best to avoid leaving extra holes in the walls, and they cleaned up thoroughly afterwards. I would definitely hire Kemly Electric again, and I've already recommended them to multiple people I know looking for an electrician.
Description of Work: Installed four wall sconces.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,200
Elizabeth C.
02/2016
5.0
electrician, lighting, home remodeling
 + 1 more
A++++++++. Kemly Electric is great. I wanted under cabinet LED light bars installed in my kitchen. I called Kemly on Friday and they said a scheduler would call me back so I could make an appointment for someone to come out . She called back within an hour and said there was a cancellation and someone could come out on Monday (today) between 9am and 12pm. So this morning, Tom called at a little after 9am and said he would be at my place in 30 minutes. I appreciated that he called me because some places are not that communicative. Tom showed up and said he could do the job in a couple of hours. ( I had had another electrician come out and said it would take him 4-6 hours!) So Tom got busy and did a fantastic job - within 2 hours. He even had to drill through a couple of my backsplash tiles. He finished in 2 hours, as promised, and my lights look amazing! I even got a senior discount! And Tom clean up afterwards. He was professional, quick, and friendly. I definitely recommend Kemly and I will absolutely use them again if I ever need electrical work. Thank you, Kemly and Tom!!!!
Description of Work: Hard wired under cabinet LED light bars in my kitchen.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$296
Susan M.
09/2015
5.0
electrician
 + -1 more
During the big storm, we could not get our main power switch back on. We were very anxious for power after 24 hours. We have had 3 major power outages over the past 2 months and have lost a great deal on spoiled food. Left calls with 12 companies on a Sunday, knowing they were all swamped with storm work. Only Kemly called us back within an hour of our call. In fact, two people called. James was terrific. He helped us over the phone solve our problem, in spite of being backed up with much more serious work. He was our hero and we will always use this company in the future.
Description of Work: Talked us through fixing an electrical issue over the phone.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Mary M.
08/2015
3.0
electrician, lighting, remodeling, home security systems
 + 2 more
The work that was done was good and the two men who came to do the work, Larry and Danny, were great. But there were a number of issues--enough that though I've used Kemly in the past, my friends have used Kemly, and Kemly has great ratings here on Angie's List, I won't use them again. Here's why: We have a 1920s era "livable fixer" that we adore. The previous owners did some work on the upstairs, including installing some wiring and hooking up some outlets and light fixtures but most of the wiring was exposed and it sort of resembled thick gray spaghetti in some places. The larger room, that we've been slowly refinishing, had no electricity and we wanted to change that so we called Kemly for an estimate. We also wanted to clean up some of the crazy wiring in the other part of the upstairs. Bill came out to give an estimate. My partner, Scott, and Bill talked about what we wanted done and the various options for doing it. There was some talk of running a conduit on the outside of the house. Bill also insisted that the work could not be done if we did not have smoke and CO detectors put into every bedroom and the basement and the upstairs. He told Scott that the work, which would require a permit, would not pass the inspection otherwise. He was very adamant on this point. He sent his estimate to us a few days later and we agreed we wanted to have the work done. I sent a check to Kemly for $1068.10 as a deposit on the work. Some days later Scott was contacted by Kemly, saying they hadn't received the payment. In this electronic age it's ever so simple to see if a check has cleared--and to look at both front and back of said check--so it was pretty simple to see that the check *had* been received and promptly deposited. I could also confirm that while Scott's name did not appear on the check that the address was printed on the check and that I had written on the memo line "deposit on [the address] job." When Scott called Kemly to explain this to the accountant, rather than apologizing or just thanking him, she became defensive and aggressive. So that wasn't so fun. The day scheduled for the work arrived and Larry and Danny arrived about an hour earlier than we expected them--and they expected to be working in the basement. I left for work, leaving Scott at home. It was, by his account, a lively day with the sort of difficulties to be expected in a ninety-year-old house but Danny and Larry met the challenges--and they managed to run the wires up the inside rather than having to resort to an outside conduit. Getting electricity to the smoke detector in the second bedroom on the main floor was one of the unexpected difficulties and that ate up more time than expected. Danny and Larry ended up hurrying to pack up and get to their next job but they left the place pretty clean. Unfortunately, when I got home I found that the room in which we wanted four outlets in fact contained only one. There was a second outlet on the landing near the room (and there is no wall between the two spaces) but we were clearly two outlets short. Since electrifying that room was really the point of having the work done, I wasn't particularly happy. I found a copy of the original estimate to confirm that Kemly had also been clear on that being a primary part of the job order. It was clearly spelled out there so Scott called Kemly to request that they return to finish the job or amend the total amount accordingly. This time he talked to Jennifer who argued about whether the work had all been done or not. In short, she was again defensive. Eventually she and Scott scheduled a time for Larry and Danny to return. Bill followed up a few days later but seemed not to have talked with Jennifer--or at least he wanted to open a fresh argument. "The first order of business with them seemed to be to establish they were not at fault," is how Scott describes his interaction with the Kemly office people. Larry and Danny returned and installed the two missing outlets using wiremold in not more than an hour. Again, they were pleasant and professional. A few hours later the inspector showed up and had a quick look at the upstairs work and the breaker box. He was happy to sign off on the job. I noticed he hadn't so much as glanced at any of the newly installed smoke and CO detectors so I asked about those--were they really required by the city in order for new electrical work to pass inspection. The inspector told us that they were good to have and might save us something on our homeowners insurance and certainly we should be happy about having them . . . but, no, on a job like this they were in no way required by the city. New construction or a major remodel would require the hard-wired smoke and CO detectors for the permitting but just putting in a few outlets and cleaning up some wiring--the work he had on his permit and had just approved--did NOT require them.
Description of Work: Installed new outlets and replaced overhead light fixtures in partially finished upstairs. Removed old (1970s-era?) wiring previous owners had installed. Installed three smoke detectors and two CO/smoke detectors.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
3.0
responsiveness
3.0
punctuality
5.0
$2,341
Joann S.
06/2015
5.0
electrician, remodeling
 + 0 more
We've used Kemly once of twice in the past and I just really like this company. They come when they say they will and do the work and do it well. For this job, to be sure they brought the right replacement parts, James had me email him pictures of the inside of the fixtures so he could tell what he was dealing with. What a smart idea--why doesn't everyone do that? We were originally scheduled for May 26th and missed the call because one of our cats knocked the phone j******* the wall! They found a way to squeeze us in the next day and came promptly as promised. The lights in our kitchen kept going out randomly and it had become really annoying. We're very pleased to have them fixed.
Description of Work: Repaired light fixtures in kitchen
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$235
Donald R.
06/2015
5.0
electrician
 + -1 more
This is the second time I've had Kemly do work for me. Previously, they changed out the old panel boxes. This time, anticipating putting my house on the market, I had them come for a pre-sale evaluation. Glen was very thorough, itemizing a long list of things that needed attention. I have an older home with some 1951 wiring along with a newer addition built in 1970. It has 6 bedrooms, 4 1/2 baths, a total of 20 rooms in all. Larry and Cody went through it all, updating all the old outlets, finding and fixing old, funky wiring. Larry, the lead electrician, was absolutely competent. And they worked fast. They were able to get everything in good order in less than three full days. Some might think $190/hr is expensive, but I feel I very much got my money's worth. There were a few technical issues remaining that they wanted their trouble shooter to look at and James came and took care of all of the remaining issues in short order. I would give Kemly a grade of A++.
Description of Work: Updated and fixed the wiring in an older home prior to sale.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$5,000
Karyl W.
02/2015
5.0
lighting
 + -1 more
We have used them a number of times. They are always very prompt. They are very professional. They did a nice job. They were very friendly. It took them about two hours to complete the work.
Description of Work: They installed track lighting, lighting in my chandler, and sconce lighting in my bathroom.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
JEFFREY M.
02/2015
5.0
electrician
 + -1 more
Kemly is an excellent and reliable company. They are responsive and more than competent.
Description of Work: Small jobs over several years.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$150
Jennifer H.
02/2015
5.0
electrician, lighting
 + 0 more
Do not understand question - lighting was in the garden. We didn't go anywhere.
Description of Work: Installed lighting in garden: tall pole with lights on top that reached all areas of garden. Am pleased with result.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Pradeep S.
02/2015
5.0
electrician
 + -1 more
Very professional, came on time, did work in a timely fashion!
Description of Work: checked a couple outlets that were getting hot. installed several new outlets. changed existing outlets to newer, tamper proof ones.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$300
Richard G.
01/2015
5.0
electrician, lighting
 + 0 more
They spotted the problem right away and it took a couple of hours to find the corrosion that shorted the wires. Took a little digging in the rain but he finally found it.
Description of Work: Outside electrical monument crossed with outside lights. Nothing worked.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$300
Leo N.
01/2015
5.0
electrician
 + -1 more
The electrician was prompt, courteous, professional, and well able to solve unforeseen issues.
Description of Work: Installed new lighting in family room and den.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,000
JIM H.
01/2015
5.0
electrician
 + -1 more
They are always prompt, professional and provide quality work. They're not necessarily the cheapest, but the value you get is unsurpassed. They are "our electrician"!
Description of Work: Kemly has provided numerous electrical services at my home, as well as both our warehouse and showroom.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$5,000
Janette A.
12/2014
5.0
electrician
 + -1 more
Was referred by a great friend and electrician who didn't have time to help me with my project. Emailed them and Brian immediately got a hold of me and was SO helpful! As it was last minute he didn't have any of his crew that could come (they were booked out a few weeks) and he said he'd personally come out and do it himself but he was just on his way out of town. We talked a bit and he said it sounded like something I could do myself, and told me exactly how to do it and what materials I needed. He was amazing! I will use and reccommend his company ANY DAY. Went above and beyond and it was much appreciated.
Description of Work: Project was to install wiring from a dedicated shutt off box outside to a new hot tub.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Tom R.
12/2014
5.0
electrician
 + -1 more
They solved a mystery right away, figured out what needed to be connected inside my rats nest of a wiring box and installed a couple of GFI outlets. I usually do simple wiring tasks myself, but this one was beyond me.
Description of Work: Solved a problem involving GFI-protected outlets not working
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
BILL B.
12/2014
5.0
electrician, ceiling fans
 + 0 more
The electrician showed up on time and worked fast. He knew what he was doing and had the parts I needed to complete the job. I was pleased with the quality of the work, and the project cost was reasonable. I would recommend Kemly.
Description of Work: Installed bath fan timer; upgraded bedroom outlet to grounded circuit; replaced broken outdoor GFI circuits.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$325
Julie M.
12/2014
5.0
electrician, lighting
 + 0 more
The electrician was early which was great. He was very friendly and he was very skilled
All statements concerning insurance, licenses, and bonds are informational only, and are self-reported. Since insurance, licenses and bonds can expire and can be cancelled, homeowners should always check such information for themselves. To find more licensing information for your state, visit our State Contractor License Requirements page.
*Contact business to see additional licenses.
Service Categories
Electrical,
Lighting,
Ceiling Fans,
Kitchen and Bath Remodeling,
Heating and Air Conditioning,
General Remodeling,
Home Security Systems
FAQ
KEMLY ELECTRIC INC is currently rated 4.8 overall out of 5.
Monday: 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday: 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday: 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday: 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday: 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM
KEMLY ELECTRIC INC accepts the following forms of payment: Check,MasterCard,Visa
No, KEMLY ELECTRIC INC does not offer free project estimates.
Yes, KEMLY ELECTRIC INC offers eco-friendly accreditations.
Yes, KEMLY ELECTRIC INC offers a 10% senior discount.
Yes, KEMLY ELECTRIC INC offers emergency services.
No, KEMLY ELECTRIC INC does not offer warranties.
KEMLY ELECTRIC INC offers the following services: Knob and tube replacement, residential electrical installation and tenant improvements, commercial electrical installation, service calls