Clean Finish Electrical · Serving Lake Forest since 2016
Your electrician in Lake Forest.
Lake Forest is home base. I live here, so most calls in town get a same-day look, and I know which tracts still carry their original 1970s panels.
Texting is fastest. Brian usually answers within the hour during the day.
What I see in Lake Forest homes
Lake Forest is two cities in one. The original El Toro tracts and the streets around Sun and Sail Club went up in the late 1960s and through the 1970s, and a lot of those homes still have the panel they were built with: 100-amp service, sometimes a Zinsco or Federal Pacific panel, and a garage that was wired for a single opener and a freezer. Foothill Ranch and Portola Hills came in the 1990s, and Baker Ranch followed in the 2010s, with 200-amp service and room to add circuits.
In the older tracts the calls are what you would expect from fifty-year-old wiring: half the house dead from one bad connection, breakers that trip when the microwave and the toaster run together, backstabbed outlets that have loosened up, and bathrooms and kitchens that never got GFCI protection. I trace the actual fault rather than guessing, and I tell you honestly whether the panel needs replacing or just a breaker.
In the newer neighborhoods the homes mostly need additions: a Level 2 EV charger in the garage, a dedicated circuit for a spa or a workshop, recessed lighting to replace the builder-grade cans, and cameras and doorbells wired properly instead of hanging off a plug. Whichever side of town you are on, I tell you what I see before I touch anything, and I do not sell you work you do not need.
Two of the reviews on this site come from Lake Forest homes: one from an owner who had called six electricians before me and had no power until I came out, and one from an owner whose pendant lights came out so straight the drywall crew asked for my number. That is the standard for every job here.
Permits in Lake Forest
Panel replacements, service upgrades, EV chargers, and new circuits in Lake Forest go through the City of Lake Forest Building Division at City Hall, 100 Civic Center Drive. Some permit types can be applied for online through the city's eLakeForest portal; I pull the permit, schedule the inspection, and I am there when the inspector comes. For a main service upgrade I also coordinate the disconnect and reconnect with Southern California Edison, which serves all of Lake Forest.
What I do in Lake Forest
If electricity goes to it or through it, I do it.
Troubleshooting and repair
Dead outlets, tripping breakers, half the house out. Found and fixed, usually the same day.
Panels and service upgrades
Sub-panels, 200-amp main service, and the call to your utility, Edison or SDG&E, when the problem is on their side.
EV chargers
Tesla and every other charger, hardwired or 50-amp outlet, permit pulled and inspected.
Lighting and design
Recessed, pendants, under-cabinet LED, dimmers, fans. Aligned to the room, not just to the joist.
Pool and outdoor
Pool pumps, lights, GFCI, automation, patio and landscape lighting that survives the weather.
Smart home and cameras
Ring, Nest, doorbell cameras, smart switches, and the wiring that makes them reliable.
Reviews
What Lake Forest customers say.
He was punctual and clearly communicated the work he was completing. Detailed in everything he did.
The pendant lights hung perfectly aligned. Our drywall repair team asked for Brian's number because they had never seen such detail.
Brian was the 7th electrician I called who was able to come to my house. If it wasn't for Brian, I wouldn't have power until Monday.
Questions from Lake Forest
My 1970s Lake Forest house has a Zinsco panel. Do I need to replace it?
Not always today, but it is worth a look. Zinsco and Federal Pacific panels from that era have documented failure patterns, and the breakers can fail to trip. I will open it, tell you what I see, and give you a real number for a replacement if it needs one. Nobody gets a scare pitch from me.
Can you add an EV charger in a Foothill Ranch or Baker Ranch garage?
Usually the same week. Those homes have 200-amp service and room in the panel, so it is a dedicated circuit, the charger, and a permit. Text me a photo of your panel and I will tell you before I come out.
How fast can you get to Lake Forest?
I live here. If I am on a job I will text you back within the hour and usually get to you the same day, weekends included.
Also serving Mission Viejo, Irvine, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Aliso Viejo, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Rancho Santa Margarita, Tustin, Costa Mesa, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, and the rest of Orange County.
Request a quote
Tell Brian what is going on.
Fastest: text a photo to (949) 357-6448. The form below works too, but allow 24 to 48 hours for a reply.
Texting is fastest. Brian usually answers within the hour during the day.