The electrical side of a great kitchen
Complete kitchen electrical: dedicated circuits, under cabinet lighting, appliance hookups, and code upgrades.
What electrical work does a kitchen remodel need?
More than any other room in the house. A kitchen packs heavy appliances, water, and lighting into one space, so the electrical scope covers dedicated circuits for the big loads, GFCI protection near the sink and counters, appliance hookups, and lighting that makes the room work.
- Dedicated Circuits
- Under Cabinet Lighting
- Appliance Hookups
- GFCI Protection
Why do kitchens need dedicated circuits?
Because kitchen appliances are power hungry and they run at the same time. A range, a microwave, a dishwasher, and a refrigerator each want serious current, and when several of them share one aging circuit, the breaker trips right in the middle of dinner. Dedicated circuits give each major appliance its own path back to the panel, which is both the safe way and the code compliant way to wire a modern kitchen.
This is also the point where an older home can hit a wall: the panel may not have room for the new circuits a kitchen needs. We check that early. If your panel is out of space or capacity, we will lay out what a panel upgrade involves alongside the kitchen work, in one written quote, before anything begins.
What is GFCI protection and why does my kitchen need it?
A GFCI outlet watches the current flowing through it and shuts off in a fraction of a second if electricity starts leaking somewhere it should not, like through water or through you. Kitchens put outlets close to sinks and wet counters, which is exactly why code requires GFCI protection there. We install it as a standard part of every kitchen project, along with any other code upgrades your kitchen is due for.
Remodels are also the cheapest moment to think about light. Walls and ceilings are already open, so adding recessed fixtures or under cabinet lighting costs a fraction of retrofitting later. If lighting is a big part of your plans, our lighting installation service covers the design side too.
What affects the cost of kitchen electrical work?
The number of new circuits, how far the kitchen sits from the panel, how much of the old wiring can stay, and how much lighting you are adding. A cosmetic refresh that keeps appliances in place is a smaller job than a full gut remodel with a new layout. We give you a free estimate and a written quote before work begins, and the job site gets left cleaner than we found it.
Kitchen wiring mixes water, heat, and heavy loads, which is why it is licensed work everywhere in the scope, from moving an outlet to hooking up a range. If an outlet near your sink has stopped working or a switch plate feels warm, leave it alone and call a licensed electrician at (608) 772-2456.
Kitchen electrical questions, answered
Why does my breaker trip when I run two kitchen appliances at once?
Because they are probably sharing one circuit that was never meant to carry both. Modern kitchens solve this with dedicated circuits for the heavy appliances, so the microwave, toaster, and coffee maker are not fighting over the same breaker. It is one of the first things we fix in a kitchen remodel.
Can you add under cabinet lighting to my kitchen?
Yes. Under cabinet lighting is part of our kitchen electrical work, and a remodel is the ideal time to wire it in cleanly, with the switching where you actually want it.
Do you hook up the new appliances?
Yes. Appliance hookups are part of the scope. We run the right circuit for each appliance and make the final connections, so everything is powered the way its manufacturer intended.
Will my remodeled kitchen meet code?
Yes. Every install meets or exceeds current NEC and local code requirements, including GFCI protection where code calls for it. Code upgrades are a standard part of our kitchen work, and we leave the job inspection ready.
Get the wiring right the first time
Free estimates across Madison, Milwaukee, and surrounding areas.