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Magnolia Electric & General Building Co

Appliance (Major Electric Appliance) - Install or Replace, Fridge, Freezer or Ice Maker Repair or Service, Electrical for Home Addition or Remodel - Install,

About us

Additional contact name - Ertan Atalay. Award winning.

Business highlights

43 years of experience

Services we offer

Complete kitchen & bathroom remodeling, condo conversion, insurance upgrade, lighting, new house wiring, panel upgrades & recessed lighting., phone & TV cabling as part of new construction wiring, remodeling, rewiring existing home, service meter box change

Amenities

Free Estimates

Yes

Reviews
4.885 Reviews
Number of StarsImage of DistributionNumber of Ratings
5
92%
4
5%
3
1%
2
0%
1
2%
Showing 1-25 of 85 reviews
Marcia M.
Oct 2011
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$3,800
Ertan is really good at what he does, and for a fair price. Before starting, we walked through my home to show current locations of switches and outlets, and where we wanted to relocate them. My home was built in 1907, and some of the switches were in odd places, one was within reach of my 21-month-old son. Ertan followed all of our wishes, and made good suggestions. He was also very reasonable, even when he realized that working on our house would be difficult. We do not have drywall in many of our rooms, but plaster covering redwood planks. He found that cutting a hole in the wall to access the wires would take a long time, but he did not change his estimate and continued to perform the work. He also patched holes when he finished, which was a great help.

JANE K.
Jul 2011
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
He has done work for me previously. He is very honest, very good, very straightforward and very easy to work with. He is professional. He put in a light fixture and light switch which had quit working. I think I spent less than $300 for the work. He is my go-to guy for electrical. I would rate him highly and would use him again in the future.

PATRICIA A.
Jan 2011
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
Magnolia Electric & General Building did a good job with one of the sensor lights. I live right on the ocean and the weather can take a tole on the electronics. So, the one sensor light worked just fine but he had to come back to fix the other one.

Matthew R.
Oct 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$460
He was a very sweet man that seemed to care a lot about his work. He did an excellent job very quickly.

Greg J.
Jul 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$18,000
The job went great from start to finish. From our very first meting, Ertan always explained things very thoroughly and clearly, he was always punctual, he always kept us apprised of his progress and his schedule. We were on a very tight budget. Throughout the entire project - building, electrical, and other home improvement - he was always very sensitive to our concerns about cost and did everything possible to keep them down. He provided written estimates and out of four estimates, he didn't once go over bid. Ertan was also very considerate. As the work was going on, my wife and I adopted our newborn daughter and my mother was visiting for an extended period. It was touching how hard Ertan worked to control noise so as not to disrupt our newborn's naps or to disrupt my mother's trip. Also, Ertan was very creative in his solutions. On the second story rear staircase, we needed to reduce the rise of only two stairs - out of about 25. Ertan used a synthetic material that was thin but strong to reduce the width of the landings. This is remarkable since we obtained about six bids from building contractors. The majority of them did not know how to do this without tearing down the entire staircase and rebuilding the whole thing. Others said they would try but they could not make any promises. They made the project very daunting. Ertan inspired calm and confidence - and always delivered.

Joe T.
Jul 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$340
Ertan was punctual and when he came out to give a quote, he quoted a price of $300-400, depending on materials. I agreed to the quote. When he arrived (early on the date of install), he re-confirmed the price prior to starting as $340 and asked if this was OK, as he now had a firm price on materials. I OK'd the quote, he performed the install and was done very quickly. Not only was he efficient, but friendly, and did an exceptional job. I would hire Ertan again without hesitation.

Tony L.
Jul 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$5,000
We have been doing a condo conversion by ourselves; hiring out each of the pieces separately and managing it ourselves. It was dragging on and on. We then called in Magnolia to not only do our electrical work but to take over the general contracting role. Once Ertan stepped in, he created order out of the disorder we made. We passed each of our inspections and now are in our final stages of the conversion. The city has their own hiccups in some of the process, but Ertan was patient and persistent to make sure things happened. Handing over the job to him made my headaches his and he never complained. I would use him again for both general contracting work and electrical work.

Kathleen K.
Jul 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$350
Very well, Ertan arrived for both the estimate appointment and the day of work appointment on time. He was polite, (with a dry sense of humor) and didn't hesitate to tell me how he would complete work as well as offering opinion on work that was not needed. I was satisfied with all work performed and would not hesitate to call him again.

John G.
Jun 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$150
Ertan, Magnolia Electric, is very pleasant to work with and is our goto guy when we have electrical problems.

T T.
Jun 2010
3.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$600
Fine work done. Pleasant fellow. But when I showed him the Angies printout that stated a discount of 10%, he was flumoxed. Never heard of such a discount - never heard of Angies. Couldn't give us a discount, he said. He took off about 5 or 10 dollars. We paid it.
Response from Magnolia Electric & General Building Co

"I JUST SAID I HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT 10% AND I STILL DON'T AND STILL GIVE YOU 5% DISCOUNT WHICH WAS $25, YOU PROBABLY NOT PAID ATTENTION WHILE YOUR HUSBAND PAYING. THANKS FOR THE BUSINESS ANYWAY."


Mary P.
Jun 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$30
He was honest, nice, efficient. He was awesome.

Frances J.
May 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$150
I called the company because of my previous good experience with them. They responded immediately with a call back and scheduled an appointment with me right away. Ertan is the electrician who has done the work here both times. He is professional, courteous , and on time. Very easy to deal with.

Angela D.
Apr 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$3,500
We first contacted Magnolia Electric based on the excellent reviews posted online. We were not disappointed. It became apparent early on that Ertan has a wealth of experience. We thought we might need a complete rewiring of our home and, a less scrupulous contractor might have played along, done everything we asked and given us a hefty bill. But Ertan didn't. He provided a very helpful consultation, during which we discussed various options. We talked about what work should be done versus what could be done; what made sense and what didn't; we talked about the level of disruption, the costs and the benefits of each option. Armed with these insights, my wife and I decided to contemplate our electrical upgrade a little longer. Ertan was good enough to drop by for a second consultation a few weeks later, whereupon we agreed the exact scope of the work, a start-date and an estimate for the total cost. Ertan and his colleague Jim completed all the work with a minimum of fuss and mess, taking about a week. At the end of the job, we had everything we had requested. (This comprised about 20 new wall outlets and GFCIs, several new circuits including a dedicated 220V circuit for the dryer, some rewiring of lights and switches, and relocation of one ceiling fixture.) Patching of walls and ceilings in the areas where work had been done was first class. All work was carried out with permits and there were no problems at either of the inspections. (In fact, the inspector at the final inspection told me, "you gotta a good guy here!") If there were any unforeseen problems during the course of the upgrade I wasn't aware of them and we came in right on budget, the final invoice matching the estimate. Throughout the job, Ertan and his colleague were professional and courteous and (per our request) were mindful of keeping doors to the street closed so as to safeguard our cats. Without question, we will look to Magnolia Electric for any future electrical work we require. They're truly outstanding.

ROBYN K.
Apr 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$240
We were impressed by Ergan's punctuality, courtesy and speed. He even added outlet covers for plug outlets he was not working on. We we definitely use him again.

JANE K.
Mar 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$900
Mr. Atalay made a visit as scheduled to view the job and provided a written estimate for labor and parts. We agreed to a day to do the work and he had to change the date, but it wasn't a problem for me as none of the job was an emergency or even urgent. He arrived on time on the designated day, with a helper, and repaired the problem lights in my unit, providing explanations of what failed in each of the four fixtures/switches. Then, he moved to the garage and fixed the very large fixtures in the 20 foot high ceilinged space. (He had to rent a ladder to do this part of the job.) He did everything as agreed and within the estimated price range. He was clean, polite, pleasant, and easy to deal with. I would hire him again.

Michael L.
Mar 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$625
It went extremely well. Artyan was thorough, careful, fast and courteous. He did an excellent job. I recommend him highly.

Sharon B.
Mar 2010
1.0
$125
He took out the receptacle and changed it to a 20 amp receptacle. He told her to turn the heater off with a remote. He told her to leave it plugged it and turn it on and off with a remote. When I visited it in February, I could see sparks in the receptacle and I could even feel that the cord to the heater was warm. I called them to come back and they never came back. I had to call another company to fix the work, this company discovered that Magnolia electric never even checked for grounding. This heater should have its own circuit because it is of such a high voltage. This could've caused a fire; it was a very dangerous situation.
Response from Magnolia Electric & General Building Co

"I told you what is your problem and offered rewire that particular receptacle. You said you have no money to pay just replace the exising receptacle and I did what you asked. 5 months later you asked me to comeback and do what I suggested to do in the first place and prorated the money you paid 5 months before. Well sorry I can not work that way."


Christine E.
Feb 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$125
He fixed it. Quickly, at a reasonable rate.

MARK V.
Feb 2010
1.0
They told me they would call me back and didn't. Unreliable.
Response from Magnolia Electric & General Building Co

"WHY SHOULD I CALL YOU AFTER I TOLD YOU WE ARE NOT AVAILABLE NEXT 10 DAYS. AFTER I GIVE MY AVAILABLE DAY YOU DECIDED TO WAIT, I DIDN'T ASK YOU TO WAIT THAT LONG, I WOULDN'T, AT LEAST NOT FOR CHANDELIER. BUT AFTER YOU DECIDE TO WAIT, ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS WAIT 10 DAYS AND SEE IF I AM CALLING YOU BACK OR NOT. THEN LEAVE YOUR ACCURATE FEEDBACK."


R G.
Jan 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$200
Ertan is a very pleasant person and good at his work. He answers his phone, is punctual and schedules immediate follow-up. I highly recommend Ertan for any repair work.

Jonathan F.
Jan 2010
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,450
Great service, unbelievably professional! Will definitely recommend to friends and colleagues.

Jeff H.
Sep 2009
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$4,000
Having dealt with many contractors in the past, it was refreshing to have Ertan show up on time - sometimes early! He started on our recessed lights and quickly had them installed within the first day. One of the things we were most concerned about was the damage that would result from installing the recessed lights in existing construction. We were pleased that Ertan took great care to minimize the number of cuts he had to make into our walls. For those cuts that he did have to make, he professionally patched them and sanded them over (we still need to paint, though). He was quick on installing the new circuit breaker panel and meter, installing grounding rods, and installing the electric (and spa disconnect) for our hot tub. What one contractor told us would be a 2-week project took Ertan only 4 days to complete. We did have one small problem after Ertan finished the project, but he was very responsive and quickly came to our house to resolve the issue. All in all, we would definitely use Ertan again. I can't say enough about his punctuality and willingness to do what we asked. We would recommend him for most any project.

R S.
Aug 2009
1.0
$2,318
He initially gave a fair estimate. The trouble began when he started making recommendations. The worse was that although I requested under-cabinet lighting under every cabinet--he stated there was no need to do this up front (pull so many wires), but since a wire was required for each fixture per city codes he would just pull the three wires, then install the three lights and after the inspection he would connect the remaining fixtures to the existing ones. It was my mistake to agree, but he is quite friendly and gave a very fair quote--so I thought it wouldn't hurt to make the job easier for him. The problem is once he was paid, and the inspection passed--he would not come out to install the remaining fixtures--even though I had purchased them. As well, when I asked if he was going to measure for the placement of the overhead canned lights he said it wasn't needed. Again, it would have required adding some wood supports to get them symmetrical. They looked OK until the cabinets were in and then became obvious his shortcut made the job look shabby. (At the time he was laying out the fixtures I had supplied the plans for the cabinets and even marked their outlines out on the floor.)
Response from Magnolia Electric & General Building Co

"THE WORK WAS FINISHED AS PER YOUR REQUEST AND PASSED ALL INSPECTIONS FLAWLESSLY. YOU HAVE WIRING UNDER EVERY CABINET WITHOUT EXCEPTION. I TOLD YOU WHAT KIND OF FIXTURE YOU SHOULD BE BUYING BUT YOU BOUGHT THE CHEAPEST FIXTURES, AND THEY ARE ILLEGAL TO USE IN THIS CITY. I PURCHASED THE RIGHT ONES FROM MY POCKET (YOU DID NOT PAY FOR IT) AND INSTALLED THEM. I EXPLAINED TO YOU HOW YOU CAN DO IT YOURSELF SINCE I CAN NOT DO ANY WORK AGAINST CODES. IT IS FUNNY TO HEAR THAT THE OVERHEAD LIGHTS ARE NOT SPACED EVENLY. WE DESIGN AND INSTALL LIGHTING NOT ONLY IN RESIDENTIAL, BUT COMMERCIAL AS WELL. IN SOME WORK, WE INSTALLED 45 PIECES OF RECESSED LIGHTING AT ONCE, AND COUNTLESS SPECIAL PICTURE LIGHTING IN AN ART GALLERY WHERE ¼ INCH IS CONSIDERED A MISTAKE. I HAVE ALL OF YOUR VOICE MAILS AND I HEARD WHAT YOU WERE SAYING: IF I DO NOT DO THIS, YOU WILL LEAVE BAD FEEDBACK. HERE YOU DID IT, BUT I AM STILL NOT GOING TO DO YOUR ILLEGAL WORK."


Stan Z.
Aug 2009
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$750
Excellent.

Natalia Z.
Jul 2009
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$4,000
great experience overall, we had a lot of work to start with but ertan was wonderful - he has great insight into things and instead of asking "what do you want me to do", he'd say things like "what are you planning on doing with this room, what are you going to place on this wall, etc". he helped us plan out our lighting in such a way that it would complement the house and our tastes. he was also very helpful in other areas as we were doing our remodel, things that he may not have needed to participate in but didn't mind the bother. very helpful, attentive, patient, and understanding.
Showing 1-25 of 85

Licensing

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FAQ

Magnolia Electric & General Building Co is currently rated 4.8 overall out of 5.
Yes, Magnolia Electric & General Building Co offers free project estimates.
No, Magnolia Electric & General Building Co does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, Magnolia Electric & General Building Co does not offer a senior discount.
No, Magnolia Electric & General Building Co does not offer emergency services.
No, Magnolia Electric & General Building Co does not offer warranties.

Contact Information

534 N Civic Dr, #D, Walnut Creek, CA 94597

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