Groundwork Business Advisory

Startup Lab · Building Equipment Contractors

Residential electrician: what it costs to start

A published start-up figure, the size of the field and how long owners last. Every number names its source.

Start-up cost

$10,000-$50,000

Electrician start-up $10,000-$50,000 (StartCosts, 2026, single-source vendor estimate). Source: StartCosts, industry start-up cost guides, 2026. Lab cost band: $5K to $100K.

This is one source. Treat it as a starting figure, not a quote, and get local prices before you spend.

The field in numbers

These are Census and Bureau of Labor Statistics figures for the wider field, not for this business alone.

Industry (Census)

Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors (NAICS 238210)

Solo owners in the wider field

385,453 (Building Equipment Contractors)

Average gross sales per solo owner

$69,368 a year, before costs (gross sales, not profit)

Still open after 1, 2, 5, 10 years

76.0%, 68.1%, 53.9%, 40.1% (all businesses in the sector, Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Related businesses in the Lab

Does it fit you?

The Startup Lab asks a few plain questions about your money, time and what you like doing, then narrows 910 businesses to the few that fit. The $10 report on this business adds itemized costs, your county’s numbers and Groundwork Alumni access.

Desk nameplate in a small business office

Not sure where to start?

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