Morris County electrician · Essex and Union too
Electrician for Morris County, NJ: repairs, panels, generators and EV chargers
MDL Electric Cooling & Heating is a licensed New Jersey electrical contractor in West Orange, about 19 road miles from the Morristown Green. Call 973.809.2339 for a breaker that keeps tripping, a panel, a generator or an EV charger. Published electrician rates run $50 to $130 an hour plus a $100 to $200 service call (HomeGuide, 2026), not an MDL price.
The short answer
Who is a licensed electrician for Morris County, and what does a visit cost?
MDL Electric Cooling & Heating works in Morris County from 4 Harrison Ave in West Orange, about 19 road miles from the Morristown Green. Call 973.809.2339 with your town, your ZIP code and what stopped working. MDL lists NJ Electrical Business Permit #34EB01606200, NJ Electrical Contractor #34EI01606200, and NJ Master HVACR Contractor #19HC00308200.
HomeGuide puts electrician rates at $50 to $130 an hour, plus a $100 to $200 service call that covers the first hour (updated February 12, 2026). That is a published range, not an MDL quote. See the price table.
MDL is based in Essex County, not Morris County. It lists eight Morris County towns by name. For any other town, call to confirm before you book. MDL also serves Essex County and Union County.
Your town and ZIPMorristown and Morris Township share 07960 but have separate permit offices, so the street address matters.
What happenedA breaker that trips again, lights that flicker, a dead outlet, a warm switch plate or a burning smell.
What you want addedA generator, an EV charger, new lights, more outlets or a bigger panel.
Your houseRoughly when it was built, and whether the panel has breakers or fuses.
What MDL does in Morris County
Electrical work first, with heating and cooling under the same roof.
Each line links to the MDL page with the full details, prices and rules for that job.
- Electrical repair and troubleshooting. A breaker that trips again right after a reset, a dead circuit, flickering lights or a warm outlet. MDL finds the cause before replacing parts. See electrical repair.
- Panel upgrades. More capacity before a heat pump, an EV charger or a kitchen remodel. See panel upgrades.
- Generators. A standby generator, or a safe hookup for a portable one. See generator installation and generator repair.
- EV chargers. A Level 2 charger on its own circuit, sized to what your panel can carry. See EV charger installation.
- Lighting and fans. Recessed lights, new fixtures and ceiling fans. See recessed lighting and ceiling fan installation.
- Old wiring. Knob-and-tube or cloth-covered wiring found during a sale or a remodel. See knob and tube replacement.
- Smoke and CO alarms. Selling a home? New Jersey's alarm rules for a sale are in the smoke and CO detector guide.
- Urgent electrical problems. Sparks, a burning smell or power to only part of the house. See emergency electrician. Call 911 first if there is fire or smoke.
- Heating and cooling too. MDL holds a master HVACR license. See heating repair and AC repair.
Morris County towns
The eight Morris County towns MDL lists, and who supplies their power.
Morris County has 39 municipalities across 477.8 square miles, from Victory Gardens to Parsippany-Troy Hills, according to Morris County. MDL's service-area list names the eight below. If your town is not here, call to confirm your town.
Scroll sideways to see the whole table.
| Town | ZIP | Electric utility | MDL page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morristown | 07960 | JCP&L | Morristown electrician and HVAC |
| Chatham Borough and Township | 07928 | JCP&L | Chatham electrician |
| Madison | 07940 | Madison Electric Department (borough-owned); JCP&L lists part of 07940 | This page |
| Parsippany | 07054 | JCP&L | This page |
| Denville | 07834 | JCP&L | This page |
| Randolph | 07869 | JCP&L | This page |
| Rockaway | 07866 | JCP&L | This page |
| Montville | 07045 | JCP&L | This page |
- Madison runs its own power company. The Madison Electric Department calls itself a "hometown" utility and has served the borough for over 100 years. In Madison, a meter or service question goes to the borough, 973-966-7330.Madison Borough
- Butler does too. The Borough of Butler is on the American Public Power Association's list of New Jersey public power towns, with Madison.APPA
- Everywhere else on this list, it is JCP&L. JCP&L says it serves 1.1 million customers in 13 counties, Morris among them. Its Morris County reliability work, started in December 2024, covered more than five miles of lines in Chester, Washington and Roxbury townships.FirstEnergy
- Why it matters to an electrician. A panel upgrade, a new service or some generator work has to be scheduled with the utility that owns your meter. MDL needs to know which one it is.
Older houses
Morris County homes are newer than Essex or Union homes, but nearly half predate 1970.
Census Bureau figures for all housing units, American Community Survey 2024 1-year, via Census Reporter, read October 29, 2026.
- About 98,000 Morris County homes were built before 1970. That is 98,467 of 201,564 housing units. All of them were wired decades before home EV chargers.
- Check the panel before adding a big load. MDL adds up what the house already draws before a heat pump, a charger or a generator goes in. If the panel is full, that comes first.
- Fuses or cloth wiring change the job. Say so when you call, so MDL can plan for it. See knob and tube replacement.
Scroll sideways to see the whole table.
| County | Median year built | Built before 1970 | Built 1939 or earlier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morris | 1971 | 48.9% | 13.7% |
| Essex | 1959 | 63.0% | 30.3% |
| Union | 1957 | 66.6% | 22.7% |
Cost
What an electrician costs: published ranges, not an MDL quote.
From HomeGuide, updated February 12, 2026, read October 29, 2026. These are national ranges. None is an MDL price. Call MDL for a price on your job.
Scroll sideways to see the whole table.
| What | Published price |
|---|---|
| Hourly rate | $50 to $130 an hour |
| Service call, covers the first hour | $100 to $200 |
| Separate trip fee, where charged | $40 to $100 |
| Emergency electrician | $150 to $200 an hour |
| Electrical inspection | $100 to $200 |
| Circuit breaker replacement | $100 to $260 |
| GFCI outlet installed | $150 to $350 |
| Whole-house surge protector | $200 to $800 |
| Subpanel installed | $500 to $1,700 |
| Rewiring a house | $5 to $17 per square foot |
- The service call is the floor. HomeGuide says the fee covers travel time and stays the same even if the job takes under an hour.HomeGuide
- Distance can matter. MDL drives from West Orange. Ask whether a trip charge applies to your town when you call.
- Bigger jobs are priced after a look. A panel, a generator or an EV charger depends on the house, so MDL prices it after seeing the panel and the route.
Licences and permits
Who may do electrical work in New Jersey, and when your town needs a permit.
Permits come from your town's construction office, not from Morris County. Each of the 39 towns runs its own. New Jersey's electrical subcode is the National Electrical Code 2023 (N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.16).
Scroll sideways to see the whole table.
| Type of work | Examples in a one- or two-family home | What the code requires |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary maintenance (5:23-2.7) | Replacing a switch, outlet or light fixture with a like item | No permit and no notice |
| Minor work (5:23-2.17A) | Five or fewer new outlets on circuits that can carry the load; like-for-like rewiring; wiring for a new AC unit, dryer or range | Notice before work starts, then a permit application within five business days |
| Everything else (5:23-2.14) | A new panel or service, new circuits, a generator | A construction permit before work starts |
| Emergency work (5:23-2.14) | A repair that cannot wait | Notice as soon as practicable, and a permit applied for within 72 hours |
- A business needs a licence and a permit. New Jersey law says no one may advertise or work in business as an electrical contractor without a business permit and a licensed electrical contractor.N.J.S.A. 45:5A-9
- Five years before the licence exam. The same law requires at least five years in electrical construction and installation before an applicant can sit for the exam.N.J.S.A. 45:5A-9
- Over 10 volts, it is licensed work. The state electrical board says work at 10 volts or more is generally not exempt from licensing.NJ electrical board FAQ
- Check any licence online. Use the state's license verification page. MDL's numbers are listed at the top of this page.
- Morristown has two offices. The Town of Morristown and Morris Township share the 07960 ZIP but run separate construction offices. The Morristown page explains which is which.
Why it matters
Electrical problems start about 46,650 home fires a year.
What the National Fire Protection Association found, and what to do when something feels wrong.
- 46,652 home electrical fires a year. NFPA says US fire departments responded to that annual average from 2020 to 2024. They caused an average of 527 deaths, 1,580 injuries and $2.4 billion in damage each year.NFPA
- Nearly half start in the wiring and lights. NFPA says 47% involved electrical distribution, lighting or power transfer equipment.NFPA
- A breaker that keeps tripping is a warning. Do not keep resetting it. Unplug what is on that circuit and call an electrician.
- Smoke, sparks or a burning smell: call 911 first. Then call MDL when everyone is safe. A downed line or an outage goes to your utility.
Nearby
MDL's pages for Morris, Essex and Union counties.
Start with the county page, then the town page if there is one.
Essex County
Union County
New this fall from MDL: GFCI outlet installation, video doorbell wiring, security camera wiring and TV mounting with an outlet behind it.
Request a Morris County electrician
Send your town, ZIP code and what you need.
Add a photo of the panel label or the problem if it is safe to take one. Never remove a panel cover to do it.
Morris County FAQ
Questions people in Morris County ask about electricians.
Short answers, with the source named where a number or a rule is involved.
Is MDL an electrician for Morris County, NJ?
Yes. MDL Electric Cooling & Heating works in Morris County from 4 Harrison Ave in West Orange, about 19 road miles from the Morristown Green. MDL lists NJ Electrical Business Permit #34EB01606200, NJ Electrical Contractor #34EI01606200, and NJ Master HVACR Contractor #19HC00308200. Call 973.809.2339 with your town and ZIP code.
Which Morris County towns does MDL serve?
MDL's service-area list names Chatham, Morristown, Parsippany, Madison, Denville, Randolph, Rockaway and Montville. Chatham and Morristown have their own MDL pages. Morris County has 39 towns in all. If yours is not on the list, call to confirm your town before you book.
How much does an electrician cost in Morris County, NJ?
HomeGuide (updated February 12, 2026) puts electrician rates at $50 to $130 an hour, with a $100 to $200 service call that covers the first hour. Some electricians add a separate $40 to $100 trip fee. These are published national ranges, not an MDL quote. Call MDL for a price on your job.
Can a general contractor do electrical work in NJ?
Not as a business, unless the company holds an electrical contractor business permit. New Jersey law (N.J.S.A. 45:5A-9) says no one may advertise or work in business as an electrical contractor without a business permit and a licensed electrical contractor. A general contractor normally hires a licensed electrical contractor for the wiring.
Is it legal to do your own electrical work in NJ?
New Jersey's licence law covers electrical contracting for hire. A New Jersey appeals court decision notes the electrical board's ruling that a homeowner working on their own home does not need a contractor licence. The construction code still applies, so most wiring work needs a permit and an inspection from your town. Ask your town's construction office before you start.
Do I need a permit for electrical work in Morris County?
Usually, and it comes from your town, not the county. Under N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7, swapping a switch, outlet or light fixture for a like item is ordinary maintenance with no permit. Adding five or fewer outlets on circuits that can carry the load is minor work: notice before work starts, then a permit application within five business days. A panel or service change needs a permit first.
How do I check an electrician's license in New Jersey?
Use the state's license lookup on the NJ Division of Consumer Affairs website. The Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors licenses contractors, and the business permit is renewed every three years. To sit for the licence exam, state law requires at least five years in electrical construction and installation.
Who supplies electricity in Morris County, NJ?
In seven of the eight Morris County towns MDL lists, it is Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), going by JCP&L's ZIP code list. JCP&L says it serves 1.1 million customers in 13 counties, Morris among them. Madison runs its own borough electric department, and so does Butler. Report a power outage to your utility, not to an electrician.
Does MDL install generators and EV chargers in Morris County?
MDL lists generator installation and EV charger installation among its electrical services. Both usually need a permit from your town, and both depend on what your panel can carry. Tell MDL your town, the generator or charger you want, and where your panel sits.
Does MDL also do heating and cooling in Morris County?
Yes. MDL holds a New Jersey master HVACR license along with its electrical licence. So a furnace, boiler, heat pump or air conditioner that needs a new circuit can stay with one contractor. See MDL's heating repair and AC repair pages.
Is MDL located in Morris County?
No. MDL is based at 4 Harrison Ave in West Orange, in Essex County. A route planner puts the Morristown Green about 18.8 road miles away, roughly 27 minutes when traffic is light. Towns farther west take longer, so say your town when you call.
Why does the age of my Morris County house matter to an electrician?
Older houses were wired for fewer appliances. Census figures (ACS 2024 1-year) show the median Morris County home was built in 1971, and 48.9% were built before 1970. Before a heat pump, EV charger or generator goes in, MDL checks what the existing wiring and panel can carry.
Sources
Where the numbers and rules on this page come from.
All read October 29, 2026.
- HomeGuide, electrician cost per hour (updated February 12, 2026): rates, service calls and job prices.
- N.J.A.C. 5:23-2 and N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.16, NJ Department of Community Affairs (published through August 17, 2026): ordinary maintenance, minor work, permits, NEC 2023.
- N.J.S.A. 45:5A-9, via Justia, and the NJ Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors FAQ.
- Sands v. Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, NJ Appellate Division, via CourtListener: the board's ruling on homeowners.
- NFPA, Home Fires Caused by Electrical Failure or Malfunction (2020 to 2024).
- US Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year, tables B25034 and B25035, via Census Reporter.
- Morris County, Past and Present: 39 municipalities, 477.8 square miles.
- JCP&L ZIP code list and FirstEnergy, December 5, 2024.
- Madison Borough Electric Utility and the American Public Power Association.
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