Top Chicago Electrical Contractors
Chicago’s electrical market sits at the junction of three powerful forces: aggressive decarbonization targets, rapid real-estate reinvestment, and a union-driven labor pool that commands the nation’s highest prevailing wages outside New York. City records show that in the last fiscal year alone more than 4,300 electrical permits were pulled for projects exceeding $250,000 in value, representing a 38 percent jump over pre-pandemic levels. Roughly half of that activity is tied to electrification and life-safety upgrades in vintage housing stock—think knob-and-tube removals in two-flats from Logan Square to Bridgeport—while the balance flows to data-center expansions along the I-88 “Silicon Prairie” and high-rise tenant improvements downtown. Under the new Chicago Energy Transformation Code, every major renovation must meet wiring ampacities and raceway sizes that anticipate full electrification, and any new residential parking stalls must include conduit stubs for Level 2 EV chargers. Add ComEd’s grid-modernization plan—rolling out more than 1.5 million smart meters and self-healing feeders by 2027—and you get a pipeline of work that demands contractors who can coordinate utility rebates, schedule outages down to the minute, and still pass zero-defect inspections.
Material pricing continues to bite: copper futures hover near $4.50 per pound, EMT costs have risen 22 percent since 2022, and switch-gear lead times routinely exceed 40 weeks. Labor is equally tight. IBEW Local 134 lists a journeyman availability rate below 5 percent, pushing total package wages on downtown PLA jobs north of $115 per hour. Those realities make early procurement and prefabrication more than buzzwords—they are survival tactics that can shave 10–20 percent off field labor and lock in commodity pricing months before the first rough-in. Choosing a contractor, therefore, is part code-compliance shield, part budget hedge, and part strategic alliance in Chicago’s race toward electrified buildings and lower carbon footprints.
Quick-Hit Contractor Vetting Checklist
- ComEd incentive track record: documented rebate capture ≥ $2 million in past 24 months
- Prefabrication capacity: in-house shop or proven vendor with UL listings for pre-wired assemblies
- Change-order performance: average add ≤ 8 percent of original contract on projects > $5 million
- EV-ready expertise: completion of ≥ 50 Level 2 charger projects since 2023 code update
- Safety metrics: EMR ≤ 0.75 and OSHA TRIR below 2.0, plus third-party audit data
- Infrared thermography & NFPA 70B compliance: routine testing and documented preventive-maintenance plans
- Labor stability: apprenticeship-to-journeyman pipeline with < 10 percent turnover year-over-year
- Supply-chain strategy: confirmed switch-gear reservations or alternatives (e.g., modular skids) booked ≥ 30 weeks out
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Electrical Contractors In Chicago
Explore our list of top Chicago electrical contractors, each recognized for their expertise, service reliability, and proven track records. Find the best brand partner for your project.
630.288.3800
3100 Woodcreek Drive, Downers Grove, IL 60515
Based in Downers Grove, Gibson Electric (an EMCOR company) delivers commercial electrical construction alongside robust telecom infrastructure services, including structured cabling, distributed antenna systems (DAS), riser management, and mission-critical/data-center work. The firm supplements field productivity with in-house prefabrication and maintains rapid-response special projects for emergencies—useful for tenant build-outs and live facilities downtown.
- Electrical Repair Services
- Electrical Installation
- Electrical Maintenance
- Residential Electrical Services
- Commercial Electrical Services
- Industrial Electrical Services
(630) 543-9059
121 West Wacker Drive, Suite 626, Chicago, IL 60601
Connelly Electric runs full lifecycle delivery—from electrical construction and service to design/build, energy solutions, and integrated/VDC workflows—with dedicated modules for modular and prefabrication. The company operates from Addison with a Chicago office on West Wacker, supporting complex mixed-use, industrial, and commercial interiors across the metro.
- Electrical Repair Services
- Electrical Installation
- Electrical Maintenance
- Residential Electrical Services
- Commercial Electrical Services
- Industrial Electrical Services
(847) 259-0720
200 West Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60606
Founded in 1974, Jamerson & Bauwens is a multi-generation contractor with deep healthcare and institutional experience across the Midwest. Its portfolio spans data centers, museums, universities, and hospital environments, supported by documented success studies and an emphasis on collaborative delivery and infrastructure wellness.
- Electrical Repair Services
- Electrical Installation
- Electrical Maintenance
- Residential Electrical Services
- Commercial Electrical Services
- Industrial Electrical Services
847.291.2000
3160 MacArthur Blvd, Northbrook, IL 60062
All Tech Energy is a WBE/DBE-certified electrical contractor focused on commercial and institutional work, with strengths in LED retrofits, lighting controls, tenant improvements, and generator/security systems. The team emphasizes rebate-driven efficiency projects and retrofits that can materially reduce lighting energy use.
- Electrical Repair Services
- Electrical Installation
- Electrical Maintenance
- Residential Electrical Services
- Commercial Electrical Services
- Industrial Electrical Services
847-882-0500
1000 East State Parkway, Suite C, Schaumburg, IL 60173
Genesis provides licensed electrical services across Chicagoland with 30+ years of experience, covering industrial/commercial installations, maintenance, energy-management systems, UPS, and renovation work. The firm’s breadth makes it a fit for owners needing ongoing support as well as upgrades in occupied buildings.
- Electrical Repair Services
- Electrical Installation
- Electrical Maintenance
- Residential Electrical Services
- Commercial Electrical Services
- Industrial Electrical Services
847.884.9600
355 Lively Boulevard, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007
Excel Electrical Technologies is a full-service, licensed contractor known for residential and light commercial work across Chicagoland, including EV charger installs, wiring inspections, interior/exterior lighting, and low-voltage additions like video doorbells—useful for portfolio owners standardizing unit upgrades.
- Electrical Repair Services
- Electrical Installation
- Electrical Maintenance
- Residential Electrical Services
- Commercial Electrical Services
- Industrial Electrical Services
708-798-1900
13361 SW Hwy Unit 15, Orland Park, IL 60462
Established in 1991, Fitzgerald’s delivers 24/7 service across commercial, industrial, and low-voltage scopes, pairing ground-up construction with facility management and emergency response. The team’s multi-market experience helps clients balance new installs with lifecycle maintenance.
- Electrical Repair Services
- Electrical Installation
- Electrical Maintenance
- Residential Electrical Services
- Commercial Electrical Services
- Industrial Electrical Services
(630) 556-3000
6S865 Shaw Road, Big Rock, IL 60511
G&M is a Chicago-based, full-service union contractor—NECA member and IBEW Local 134 signatory—handling power distribution, telecommunications, and renewable-energy installations across commercial, educational, healthcare, and retail projects. Decades of local work and a downtown tenant-buildout focus make G&M a practical choice for schedule-sensitive interiors.
- Electrical Repair Services
- Electrical Installation
- Electrical Maintenance
- Residential Electrical Services
- Commercial Electrical Services
- Industrial Electrical Services
773-278-8200
1746 N Richmond St, Chicago, IL 60647
With over 75 years in the field, G&M Electrical Contractors stands out for its comprehensive service offerings, from project budgeting and power distribution to advanced low-voltage systems. Their extensive experience in commercial, healthcare, and educational sectors underscores their adaptability and depth of knowledge. Clients often cite G&M’s collaborative ethos and consistent results, affirming their position among top electrical contractors in Chicago.
- Electrical Repair Services
- Electrical Installation
- Electrical Maintenance
- Residential Electrical Services
- Commercial Electrical Services
- Industrial Electrical Services
The Best Electrical Contractors In Chicago
Chicago’s march toward a smarter, greener grid is accelerating. The Department of Buildings now requires solar-ready roof circuits on all new commercial construction, while Local Law proposals circulating in City Council would phase out natural-gas hookups in small buildings by 2028. Contractors able to integrate photovoltaic combiner boxes, battery-storage disconnects, and bi-directional EV chargers into a single permit set will command a premium in coming years. Data from the Illinois Clean Energy Jobs Coalition already shows a 31 percent uptick in electrical positions tied to renewable installations across Cook County—a lead indicator of where future workloads will land.
Material volatility is likely to persist. Analysts expect global copper demand to exceed supply by 300,000 tons in 2025 as EV adoption surges. Forward-thinking firms are locking in metal futures or shifting to aluminum feeders where code permits, saving 8–12 percent on large service upgrades. Prefabrication will also grow: downtown projects that deploy pre-wired branch panels and modular risers have cut vertical rough-in time by two to three weeks per floor, a critical edge when lane-closure permits on LaSalle Street can run $750 per hour during peak traffic windows.
Regulatory scrutiny shows no sign of easing. OSHA’s local emphasis program has doubled surprise inspections on high-rise sites, and ComEd now withholds final energization until arc-flash studies verify incident energies below 8 cal/cm² at switchboards. Contractors with in-house power-system-analysis teams can slash cycle times by delivering stamped studies alongside their as-builts—often the difference between hitting a TCO milestone or paying liquidated damages.
What does that mean for owners, developers, and facility managers? Vet bids not just on unit pricing but on a contractor’s ability to secure long-lead gear, navigate evolving energy codes, and maintain safety records that keep projects insurable. Insist on seeing real-time cost dashboards, sample punch-lists closed within ten business days, and evidence of rebate dollars captured for lighting and VFD retrofits. A two-hour deep dive into those metrics before you sign the LOI can save months of schedule and hundreds of thousands in contingency. Select the right partner and you’ll gain more than an electrician—you’ll secure a strategic ally who future-proofs your building, protects your budget, and keeps Chicago’s lights burning bright amid the city’s relentless push toward electrification and smart-grid resilience.
