City First Electric reviews
• last updated FEB 26, 2026Loading map...
The Verdict
City First Electric is a gamble you shouldn't take. We found a company split into two: one set of technicians praised by name in hundreds of reviews, and another group accused of systematic overcharging and fabricated diagnoses. One customer hired City First after a different contractor left her home in chaos for four days, and Joseph fixed everything in under two hours. But 66 reviews describe technicians inventing expensive problems that didn't exist. In one case, a tech quoted $600 to create a new circuit for a broken light. A week later, a TV installer fixed it in 30 minutes by repairing a simple wire break. Another homeowner was told her kitchen circuit couldn't handle her appliances, when in fact her kitchen was gutted and had no appliances at all. The pattern repeats: technicians spend minimal time onsite, recommend panel upgrades costing thousands, then leave. We also found 58 reviews describing no-shows, language barriers with the office, and techs who refuse to attempt repairs. Whether you get Joseph or get scammed appears to be pure luck.
If you're assigned City First through a home warranty, request a different company. The risk of paying $75 for a misdiagnosis designed to upsell a $4,000 panel replacement outweighs the chance you'll get one of their competent technicians.
Reviews That Shaped Our Verdict
Amanda A., a realtor with Homes for Heroes, faced a sudden kitchen electrical failure after using an air fryer and hired a company to fix it. That repair attempt turned into a nightmare: she ended up with no lights in most of the house, running extension cords and walking through the kitchen, laundry room, bathroom and bedroom with flashlights for three nights while only the living room lights worked. With summer heat and ceiling fans out, the initial crew spent two days diagnosing the problem, cut open the ceiling and even a duct, and left the home in chaos over a four-day stretch. Joseph from First City Electric arrived, diagnosed the issue, and put the kitchen back together in under two hours. He arrived on time, remained professional, and communicated each step so she could follow what was happening. As someone whose referral business matters professionally, she will be sending clients to Joseph and First City Electric from now on — what stood out was that one skilled electrician cleared four days of disruption and restored the house quickly while explaining the work as he went.
Allen F. took a half day off work to meet an electrician American Home Shield had dispatched after a light stopped working. The tech arrived on time — the only bright spot — then spent nearly two hours probing switches and outlets before concluding the circuit had somehow overloaded, telling him the repair wouldn’t be covered by insurance and that fixes would top $600, including installing a new circuit. That left him out a $75 dispatch fee and a wasted morning, frustrated at the prospect of hiring additional trades for drywall if the pricey work were needed. About a week later a separate contractor who came to wall-mount a TV glanced at the same problem, found a break in the circuit, and corrected it in roughly 30 minutes (apparently without charging beyond the quoted TV/outlet job). Allen ended up with the light working and no large electrical bill, and with the clear impression that the AHS-assigned electrician had misdiagnosed the issue and cost him time and money. The detail that sticks: a two-hour, $600-plus diagnosis that proved unnecessary versus a 30-minute fix — a reason he wants AHS to stop sending this company to other members.
Robbin T. hired First American Home Warranty to handle a breaker that kept tripping on her 1948 ranch-style home. First American dispatched City First Electric, and she ended up with what felt like a 15–20 minute visit from a tech named Cesar — though the invoice claims he was there an hour. Cesar’s write-up said the main panel wasn’t compatible and recommended updating it and running a new circuit for a “new kitchen.” Robbin found that detail strikingly wrong: the kitchen is original to the house, currently gutted except for the sink, and contains no new appliances (only a Cuisinart Griddler and a hot plate). She had already had the panel problem diagnosed by two other licensed electricians before calling the warranty company, so Cesar offered no new technical insight beyond pointing out where a new panel might go. First American then sent a $75 service-call bill for a diagnosis that duplicated the owners’ existing findings and included inaccurate descriptions. When Robbin called City First to challenge the charge and the work-order wording, office staff said the tech didn’t remember and managers weren’t returning calls. Frustrated, she opened complaints with the licensing bureau,
Platforms Monitored
Performance by Work Type
How We Got To Trust Score 52
Clean Record
Unauthorized Activities
Passed screening
Misleading Claims
Passed screening
Background Check
Serving customers for 12 years
Operating longer than most installers in the market.
BBB Rating
Not BBB rated.
Natural Review Patterns
Reviews were posted naturally over time.
Contractor License
License information could not be confirmed.
What You Can Expect
Desideseos had a scheduled visit to look over electrical work, and the tech showed up on time, professional, courteous and genuinely helpful. They appreciated that the on-site inspection was followed almost immediately by an emailed estimate, so cost details arrived without any chasing. That combination of punctuality and a fast, clear follow-up left them ready to call First Electric again. The thing that stood out most was how quickly the estimate hit their inbox after the technician’s visit.
Kyle arranged for the company to come out through his home warranty to handle a small electrical repair at his house. He waited three weeks, placed five calls that went unanswered, and learned from the warranty provider that the job wouldn’t be covered unless he still wanted the company to do it. When he called back the firm issued a surprisingly high quote. He asked for the manager who handles bids to call and reconsider the price because of the delay; a week passed with no return call, and a later promise to call back also evaporated. The home warranty ultimately refunded him because of the long wait. Nearly six weeks later he hired a licensed electrician with a much higher rating who finished the straightforward job for about half the original quote. He never really got to judge the company’s workmanship — what stuck with him was the repeated silence and the inflated price that proved unnecessary.
Tommy F. needed the install to fit around his schedule, and Remi stepped in to coordinate a schedule change so the crew could work when he was available. He watched Tim B., the electrician, track down an unexpected electrical discrepancy during the visit and repair it immediately, avoiding delays. The combination of flexible scheduling and on-the-spot troubleshooting left him confident the team could handle both planning and surprises.