Onyx Electrical in Baltimore: Licensed Work for Panels, Permits, and Residential Rewiring

Onyx Electrical is a licensed electrical contractor serving Baltimore homeowners and small commercial clients with panel upgrades, service calls, and code-compliant rewiring work that requires city permits and inspection sign-off.

What Onyx Electrical actually is

A full-service licensed electrical operation focused on residential work in Baltimore, Onyx handles jobs that range from outlet and fixture installation to major panel replacements and whole-house rewiring. The company is Maryland-licensed, meaning it can pull permits with the city, a requirement for any work involving the main panel or service upgrade. Most of their work involves homes built before 1980, where knob-and-tube or aluminum wiring replacement is common, and newer homes where panel capacity has become the bottleneck for EV charging, heat pump installation, or kitchen renovation demand.

Services and pricing

Onyx charges a service call fee of $85 to diagnose electrical problems; that fee applies toward the final bill if the homeowner moves forward with repair. Routine work like outlet installation, switch replacement, or light fixture hanging runs $150 to $300 per job depending on difficulty and existing conditions. Panel upgrades, the most expensive category, range from $3,500 to $6,500 depending on whether the meter base needs relocation and whether service-entrance wire requires replacement. A 100-amp to 200-amp panel upgrade typically falls in the $4,500 to $5,500 range for Baltimore homes. All work includes a one-year warranty on labor. Pricing should be confirmed directly, as material costs fluctuate.

How Onyx compares to other Baltimore electricians

Baltimore has no shortage of licensed electricians. Semper Electrical, a larger outfit with multiple crews, handles similar work but typically runs 2 to 3 weeks out on scheduling; Onyx's typical lead time is 5 to 10 business days. Semper's service call fee is $99. For straightforward outlet or fixture work, both charge within $50 of each other. Satterfield Electric, an older established firm, specializes in commercial work and industrial maintenance, making them overqualified for residential panel work and less flexible on small jobs. Handyman networks and unlicensed "electricians" will quote lower on panel work, but Baltimore's electrical inspector will reject any panel work done without a licensed contractor's permit, leaving the homeowner to hire Onyx or a peer firm to correct it. Onyx makes sense for permit-required work; a handyman is appropriate only for outlets, switches, and fixtures that don't touch the service.

Who Onyx suits and who it does not

Onyx is the right choice for homeowners planning a renovation that demands a panel upgrade, anyone converting heating systems or adding a heat pump, and EV-ready installation work. It fits Baltimore's older stock of homes with undersized or failing panels. It does not suit someone who needs an electrician in the next 48 hours for an emergency; a larger firm like Semper or an after-hours service will respond faster. Onyx is not a good fit for apartment dwellers or renters, since panel and service work requires owner consent. It is also not ideal for purely cosmetic lighting design consultation; their focus is code compliance and capacity, not interior lighting aesthetics.

What the first visit involves

After scheduling, Onyx sends a licensed electrician to walk the home, assess the existing panel and service entrance, and identify any code violations or capacity shortfalls. For a panel upgrade, the electrician will inspect the meter base, service-entrance wire, grounding, and any previous unpermitted work. A written estimate follows within 2 business days. If the job requires a permit, Onyx obtains it; Baltimore's electrical permit process takes 3 to 5 business days for review. Once permitted, the work typically completes in one day for a panel swap, though rewiring projects can stretch across a week. The city's electrical inspector must sign off before power restoration. Onyx coordinates the inspection; the homeowner does not attend.

Hours, parking, and logistics

Onyx operates Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., with emergency callback availability on weekends for active jobs. Most work is on-site at the home; no in-office visit is required. Parking at residential calls is the homeowner's responsibility. Service calls must be booked at least one business day in advance. Material lead times vary; panels and service-entrance cable are typically in stock, but specialty breakers or wire gauges may add 3 to 5 days. Confirm current availability when scheduling.

Onyx's strength is getting residential panel and rewiring work through Baltimore's permitting system without rework or city rejection, a significant advantage in a city where inspector rigor is real and unpermitted electrical work is common. For any job touching the service or panel, it is the one decision that matters.