Portland Metro Electric
Commercial Electrical Services in Portland, OR
Lighting, outlets, data cabling, panels, build-outs, and repairs for Portland businesses, with the price quoted before work starts and the work scheduled around your hours.
Oregon
Licensed
Washington
Licensed
CCB#
249412
Customer Testimonials
Electrical Services for Portland Businesses, From Quick Repairs to Full Build-Outs
You might be dealing with one of these:
- A cooler or freezer circuit that keeps tripping, with inventory at risk
- Fluorescent lights failing, and new replacement tubes no longer sold in Oregon
- A newly leased space wired for the last tenant, not for your registers and equipment
- A list of electrical fixes from your landlord, insurer, or inspector, due by a deadline
Commercial electrical work leaves less room for error than a home project, because when something fails at a business it costs sales, inventory, and customer trust by the hour. Portland Metro Electric works with small and mid-size businesses and the people who manage their buildings, handling one-time projects and serving as the electrician you call when something comes up. Every job is done by licensed journeymen, priced before we start, and scheduled around your business hours.
What Commercial Electrical Work Costs in Portland
Commercial jobs range from one circuit repair to a full tenant build-out, so a single price range would tell you nothing. Here's how each type of work is usually priced, and what moves the number:
- What’s causing the problem, and how long it takes to trace
- Whether the fix is a part replacement or a wiring repair
- How easy it is to reach the wiring, panel, or equipment involved
- Swapping in LED tubes or bulbs versus replacing whole fixtures
- How many fixtures are involved
- Ceiling height, and whether a lift is needed
- Adding controls like occupancy sensors or timers
- How many outlets or circuits you need
- Distance from the panel to each new location
- Wall construction: open framing, finished drywall, or concrete and block
- Whether your panel has the capacity and breaker space
- Number of drops (one cable run from your network location to one wall jack)
- Length of each run and the route through walls and ceilings
- Whether a patch panel or network cabinet needs to be installed
- Size of the space and how much of the layout is changing
- Number of circuits, outlets, fixtures, and data drops in the plan
- Whether walls and ceilings are open during construction
- Permit and inspection requirements for the scope
- How many breakers and circuits the panel serves
- One panel, or several across the building
- Adding a subpanel versus replacing the main panel
- Whether the building’s electrical service also needs upgrading
We can diagnose it and quote it on the spot; panel replacements are scheduled as their own visit so they’re done right, not rushed. Details on our panel upgrade page.
Test GFCI outlets monthly with their built-in test button, test smoke and CO detectors, and never ignore a warm outlet, a burning smell, or a breaker that keeps tripping. Those are the calls we’d rather get early.
How you get your number: describe the job on the first call, and for most projects we can give you a minimum and maximum for your specific job right then. Straightforward jobs get a written quote within 24 hours; larger ones get an on-site walkthrough first. Every estimate is free, written, and itemized, with materials and fees broken out.
Commercial Electrical Services We Provide
Licensed, bonded & insured in Oregon CCB# 249412
Commercial Lighting Installation & LED Upgrades
Commercial lighting work means installing new fixtures or replacing outdated ones with LED, and businesses usually call us when a space is dim, fixtures keep failing, or old lighting is inflating the electric bill. In Oregon there's also a built-in deadline: since January 1, 2025, new linear fluorescent tubes (the long tubes in most office, retail, and shop ceilings) can't be sold in the state, so a business still running fluorescent fixtures is relamping from dwindling stock.
We start by surveying the space: counting fixtures, noting ceiling heights, and checking how the lighting is circuited and switched. Then you choose between two paths. A retrofit keeps your existing fixture housings and converts them to LED, either with plug-and-play tubes that run on the existing ballast (the component that regulates power to fluorescent tubes) or, more reliably, with ballast-bypass tubes wired directly to line power, which removes the ballast as a future failure point. A full replacement swaps the old fixtures for integrated LED fixtures, such as flat panels for offices or high-bay lights (fixtures built for tall warehouse and shop ceilings). Either path can add controls: occupancy sensors that turn lights off in empty rooms, and timers or photocells (light sensors) for exterior and sign lighting. Exterior building and lot lighting gets wet-rated fixtures, sealed and certified for direct Portland rain.
You end up with a brighter, more even space, lower lighting costs, and fixtures that won't need relamping for years, installed, tested, and switched the way your staff actually uses the space. If we find wiring problems inside old fixtures, which is common, you get the price to correct them before we proceed.
Outlets, Dedicated Circuits & Equipment Power
Commercial lighting work means installing new fixtures or replacing outdated ones with LED, and businesses usually call us when a space is dim, fixtures keep failing, or old lighting is inflating the electric bill. In Oregon there's also a built-in deadline: since January 1, 2025, new linear fluorescent tubes (the long tubes in most office, retail, and shop ceilings) can't be sold in the state, so a business still running fluorescent fixtures is relamping from dwindling stock.
We start by surveying the space: counting fixtures, noting ceiling heights, and checking how the lighting is circuited and switched. Then you choose between two paths. A retrofit keeps your existing fixture housings and converts them to LED, either with plug-and-play tubes that run on the existing ballast (the component that regulates power to fluorescent tubes) or, more reliably, with ballast-bypass tubes wired directly to line power, which removes the ballast as a future failure point. A full replacement swaps the old fixtures for integrated LED fixtures, such as flat panels for offices or high-bay lights (fixtures built for tall warehouse and shop ceilings). Either path can add controls: occupancy sensors that turn lights off in empty rooms, and timers or photocells (light sensors) for exterior and sign lighting. Exterior building and lot lighting gets wet-rated fixtures, sealed and certified for direct Portland rain.
You end up with a brighter, more even space, lower lighting costs, and fixtures that won't need relamping for years, installed, tested, and switched the way your staff actually uses the space. If we find wiring problems inside old fixtures, which is common, you get the price to correct them before we proceed.
Data & Network Cabling
Network cabling is the wiring that connects your computers, registers, printers, and Wi-Fi to your internet and to each other, and businesses usually need it when they move into a space, add workstations, or install a new point-of-sale system. Wi-Fi alone is rarely enough for equipment that has to work every single time.
We run Cat6 cable, the current standard for business networks, from your network location to each spot where a device needs a wired connection. Each of those runs is called a drop. We route data cable apart from power wiring, which prevents electrical interference and meets code separation requirements, then terminate both ends: at a wall jack where the device plugs in, and at a patch panel (a labeled connection board in your network closet or cabinet). Cat6 also carries PoE, short for Power over Ethernet, which lets your network switch power devices like Wi-Fi access points through the data cable itself, so they don't need an outlet nearby.
Every drop is labeled at both ends and tested before we leave, so your IT person or internet provider can plug in and go. If your ceilings or walls make a route harder than planned, you get the price for the alternative before we change anything.
Panels, Subpanels & Service Upgrades
Your building's electrical panel and service set the limit on everything else: the panel divides incoming power into circuits, and the service is the feed from the utility that supplies the panel. Businesses need this work when they add equipment, expand into more space, run out of breaker space, or inherit a panel that's failing or outdated.
We begin with a load calculation, adding up what your equipment draws now plus what you're planning to add, so the solution is sized to your operation instead of guessed. Depending on the result, that means a subpanel (a secondary panel placed near your equipment or in an expansion area, fed from the main panel, which adds circuit space without replacing everything), a full panel replacement, or a service upgrade coordinated with your utility. Many commercial buildings run on three-phase power, a service that delivers electricity over three alternating currents instead of the single-phase service most homes have, which runs motors and heavy equipment more smoothly and efficiently; we match new panels and circuits to what your building has. [CONFIRM: PME performs three-phase work.] Everything is permitted and inspected.
You end up with capacity for what you're running and what's next, plus an accurate, labeled panel schedule your staff can actually read in an emergency. If the load calculation reveals a bigger problem, you see the math and the options before you commit to anything.
Tenant Improvements & Commercial Build-Outs
A tenant improvement, usually shortened to TI, is the construction a business does to fit a leased space to its operation, and the electrical layout is usually the part least suited to the new tenant: outlets, lighting, and circuits sit wherever the last business needed them. You need this service when you're moving into a space, reconfiguring one, or renovating to add capacity.
We start with layout and design, walking the space with you (and your contractor or designer, if you have one) to plan where power, lighting, data, and equipment circuits go, then running a load calculation so the panel and service can support the plan. We handle permits, coordinate with your general contractor, complete the rough-in (installing wiring and boxes while walls and ceilings are open), return for finish work (outlets, fixtures, and equipment connections once surfaces are closed), and coordinate inspections. Work in Oregon follows the Oregon Electrical Specialty Code, the state's adopted version of the National Electrical Code (Washington projects follow Washington's adopted code), along with any requirements your landlord sets for work in their building.
You end up with a space wired for how your business actually runs, inspected and documented with an updated panel schedule. Anything unexpected behind old walls is priced and approved by you before it changes the plan.
Commercial Troubleshooting & Repairs
When something electrical stops working at a business, every hour costs money, so a repair visit starts by finding the actual cause rather than just resetting a breaker.
- Diagnosis of tripping breakers, dead circuits, failing outlets and lighting, and equipment that won't power up
- The repair price given after diagnosis and before any work
- Emergency calls answered 24 hours a day, every day; non-emergency visits scheduled with an honest arrival window
Commercial EV Charging
EV charging for businesses means Level 2 chargers for employee, customer, or fleet parking, and DC fast chargers (high-power units that add significant range in minutes) for sites that need them.
- A load calculation and panel capacity check before any charger is chosen
- Charger installation on dedicated, correctly sized circuits
- Permits and inspection handled
Backup Generators
A standby generator keeps refrigeration, security systems, servers, and lighting running through an outage, starting automatically within seconds of the power going out.
- Sizing based on what must stay powered, not a guess
- Transfer switch installation (the device that safely moves your building between utility and generator power)
- Permits, fuel connection coordination, and a full test before we leave
Safety Inspections & Code Corrections
For businesses facing a lease signing, an insurance review, or a list of electrical items from an inspector or landlord.
- Inspection of panels, wiring, outlets, and protection devices, with a clear list of what we found
- Findings ranked as urgent or can-wait, each with a price
- Corrections completed, permitted where required, and documented
Surge Protection & Grounding
Protection for the equipment your business can't operate without.
- Whole-building surge protection at the panel, absorbing voltage spikes before they reach registers, computers, and refrigeration controls
- Grounding and bonding inspection and correction (grounding gives fault current a safe path out of the electrical system)
Energy Management
Practical ways to cut what your building spends on electricity without cutting what it can do.
- LED conversions with lighting controls: occupancy sensors, timers, and photocells
- Scheduling controls for lighting and equipment that don't need to run after hours
Commercial Electrical Maintenance & Ongoing Service
Most businesses don't need an electrician every week. They need one they can call the moment something goes wrong, who already knows the building. An ongoing service relationship with Portland Metro Electric is exactly that: a standing account for your business or property, so when a circuit fails, a fixture dies, or you need three more outlets for a new display, you make one call to a company that already has your building on file.
It's built for businesses where electrical problems turn into lost revenue fast, like convenience stores and retailers running refrigeration, offices that can't afford a dead circuit on a workday, and property managers responsible for several tenants or locations. Here's how it works:
- A starting walkthrough. We learn your building: where the panels are, how they’re labeled, which equipment depends on which circuits, and anything that looks like a future problem. If your panel schedule is wrong or missing, which it often is, we correct it.
- One number when something comes up. Your staff calls us, we troubleshoot and fix it, and because we already know the building, diagnosis starts from a map instead of from scratch.
- Priority scheduling for account customers, and how it works.
- Preventive maintenance visits, if offered: frequency and what each includes, for example checking panels for heat and loose connections and testing GFCI protection.
- Each visit quoted individually.
The result is fewer surprises, faster fixes, and one company accountable for your building’s electrical system, with every repair still priced before any work begins.
Licensed Journeymen From a Family-Owned Company
Every electrician who works in your space is a licensed journeyman. In Oregon, that takes a four- to five-year apprenticeship, training on real job sites under licensed electricians, before earning the state license to do electrical work independently. They’re employees of our company, not subcontractors, and they arrive in fully stocked vans so most repairs are finished in one visit.
We’re also family-owned. David started Portland Metro Electric in 2018, and his brother Daniel Tkach took over the company and runs it today as owner-operator and lead journeyman, still personally leading projects. We’re licensed in Oregon (CCB# 249412) and Washington (WA# PORTLME799L3), bonded, and insured, working from our Happy Valley office across the Portland metro.
How Commercial Work Gets Done, Start to Finish
Tell us about your business, the space, and what's going on. For most projects we can give you a minimum and maximum price on that first call.
Straightforward jobs can be estimated remotely, with a written quote within 24 hours. Larger projects get an on-site walkthrough of your business, scheduled around your hours.
We plan the work around your operations and tell you up front whether, when, and for how long power will be off. The estimate itemizes materials and fees, and once it's approved we handle permits and order materials.
Courtesy call before arrival. When the work is done we test everything, update your panel schedule, walk you or your manager through what was installed, and confirm you're satisfied before we leave.
Commercial Electrician FAQs
Small and mid-size businesses and the property managers who run their buildings, including retail stores, offices, and convenience stores.
Both, and small jobs are a big part of what we do. A single dead circuit, a few new outlets, or a handful of failing fixtures are worth the call.
We schedule around your operations so customers and staff are disrupted as little as possible.
Most do. New circuits, panel and service work, and build-outs generally require an electrical permit and inspection, while simple like-for-like repairs often don’t. Requirements depend on the scope and the jurisdiction, so we confirm what applies to your building and pull the permits ourselves.
House Bill 2531, passed to reduce mercury pollution from fluorescent lamps, banned the sale of new linear fluorescent tubes and pin-base compact fluorescent bulbs starting January 1, 2025. Existing fixtures can keep running, but replacement tubes are no longer sold in the state, which is why many businesses are converting to LED now instead of waiting for the last tube to fail.
Emergency calls are answered 24 hours a day, every day. For non-emergency repairs, we give you an honest arrival window when you call, based on where our crews are that day.
Yes. Businesses and property managers can set up an ongoing service relationship, so there’s one electrician to call who already knows the building.
Yes, including Level 2 chargers for employee and customer parking, DC fast chargers, and standby generators sized to keep critical equipment running through an outage.
Yes. We’re licensed, bonded, and insured, and can provide a certificate of insurance for landlords, property managers, or general contractors who require one.
For any other questions or to schedule an upgrade consultation, contact Portland Metro Electric. We’re here to ensure your electrical system is safe, efficient, and tailored to your needs.
Get a Straight Answer and a Real Price for Your Business
Call or send the form. An electrician will ask what’s going on at your business, tell you what it will take, and give you a price range for most jobs on the first call. Remote estimates arrive in writing within 24 hours; larger jobs get an on-site walkthrough. Free, no obligation.
Monday – Friday: 8:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday – Sunday By appointment only
24/7 Emergency Services avalible
Serving Businesses in Oregon and Washington
Serving businesses in Portland, Happy Valley, Milwaukie, Clackamas, Gladstone, West Linn, Oregon City, Lake Oswego, Wilsonville, Tigard, Tualatin, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Gresham, Damascus, Sandy, and surrounding areas, plus Vancouver, WA and Southwest Washington. Larger commercial projects farther out are considered case by case.
OFFICE
Head Office
Portland Metro Electric
8415 SE Hinkley Ave, Happy Valley, OR 97086
Ready to Restore Power or Upgrade Your Electrical?
Call us now, or fill out our contact form and one of our electrical experts will get in tough with you shorty. We will listen to your project needs or concerns and help guide you in the right direction. If the project is can be remotely estimated we can send you a personalized estimate within the next 24 hours.