Water flows when you turn on the tap, even during storms. Your lights stay on when everyone else’s go dark. Your electrical panel doesn’t trip every time you run the dryer and the well pump at the same time.
That’s what happens when a licensed electrical company in Foster, RI actually understands rural properties. You’re not dealing with someone who only works on cookie-cutter subdivisions. Your property has well pumps pulling 240 volts, outbuildings that need proper wiring, and service lines running through trees that drop branches every winter.
We’ve spent 30 years working on properties exactly like yours. We know what fails first during ice storms. We know how pressure switches wear out. We know that your electrical system isn’t just about convenience—it’s about having water, heat, and the basics you need to live out here.
Lightning Electric has been serving Rhode Island for over three decades. We’re a local electrical contractor in Foster, RI that’s completed more than 1,500 commercial projects and countless residential jobs across the state.
We’re licensed Master Electricians. We’re certified Generac dealers. We’re members of the Rhode Island Electrical Inspectors IAEI Roger Williams Chapter. That’s not bragging—it’s just what’s required to do this work correctly.
Foster isn’t Providence. You’ve got properties on wooded lots with long driveways and well water. You need electricians who understand that your electrical system powers more than lights and outlets. It powers your water supply, your septic pump, your backup heat. When we show up, we already know what we’re looking at.
You call or contact us with your electrical issue or project. We ask questions about what’s happening, what you need, and what your property looks like. If it’s an emergency—like your well pump is down or you’ve lost power to part of your house—we respond fast.
We schedule a time that works for you. Our electrician shows up, assesses the situation, and explains what needs to happen. If it’s a straightforward repair, we handle it on the spot. If it’s a bigger project like a panel upgrade or generator installation, we walk you through the scope, timeline, and cost before we start.
Once you approve the work, we get it done right. That means proper wire sizing, code-compliant installations, and systems that’ll hold up to rural Rhode Island conditions. We test everything before we leave. You get a system that works, documentation for your records, and a Certificate of Insurance if you need it.
Ready to get started?
We wire and repair well pump systems—the dedicated 240-volt circuits, pressure switches, control boxes, and low water cutoff protection that keeps your water running. We install and service backup generators so you’re not without power during the outages that hit rural areas harder and longer than town centers.
We upgrade electrical panels that can’t handle modern loads. Older homes in Foster weren’t built for the electrical demand you’re putting on them now. We size panels correctly, install proper breakers, and make sure your system can handle everything you’re running.
We handle outbuilding wiring for garages, barns, workshops, and sheds. We install EV charging stations as more people make the switch to electric vehicles. We troubleshoot electrical problems that other contractors can’t figure out—the intermittent issues, the weird voltage drops, the circuits that trip for no obvious reason.
Rhode Island adopted the 2020 NEC effective February 2022. Every residential and commercial electrical project we complete in Foster, RI meets or exceeds that code. You’re not getting shortcuts or workarounds. You’re getting work that passes inspection the first time.
If your well pump is down, you don’t have water. We treat that as an emergency.
We respond to electrical emergencies in Foster 24/7. How fast we get there depends on where our crews are and what time you call, but we prioritize well pump failures because we know you’re dead in the water—literally. Most well pump electrical issues come down to a few common problems: tripped breakers, failed pressure switches, bad control boxes, or damaged wiring from vibration or rodents.
When we arrive, we diagnose the issue first. Sometimes it’s a simple reset or a $50 part. Sometimes the pump itself is shot and needs replacement. Either way, we’ll tell you exactly what’s wrong and what it’ll take to fix it before we do anything. Our trucks carry common well pump electrical components, so if it’s something standard, we can usually get you back up and running the same day.
It depends on what you need to run during an outage. Most people want their well pump, refrigerator, some lights, and heat. That’s different from running your entire house like normal.
A typical Foster home with a well pump, septic system, oil burner or pellet stove, refrigerator, freezer, and some lighting circuits usually needs a generator in the 12-22 kW range. If you want central air conditioning or a large electric heating system, you’re looking at larger units. If you just want the basics, you can get by with less.
We’re certified Generac dealers, so we size generators based on actual load calculations—not guesses. We look at your electrical panel, add up what you’re running, account for startup surges on motors and pumps, and recommend a unit that’ll handle your real-world needs. We also factor in fuel type. Most rural properties use propane or natural gas for generators. Propane tanks need to be sized correctly too, especially if you’re also using propane for heat or cooking.
We service all of Rhode Island. Foster is part of our regular service area, but we’re not limited to one town.
We’ve been working across the state for 30 years. We know the rural areas—Foster, Glocester, Scituate, Exeter—and we know the differences between working in these towns versus working in more developed areas. Rural properties have longer service runs, more exposure to weather and trees, and electrical systems that power critical infrastructure like wells and septic pumps.
That said, we also handle commercial and residential work in every other part of Rhode Island. We’ve completed over 1,500 commercial projects throughout the region. Whether you’re in Foster or anywhere else in the state, you’re getting the same licensed electricians, the same quality work, and the same 30-plus years of experience. We don’t change our standards based on zip code.
We’re fully licensed Master Electricians. Not apprentices. Not handymen who “do electrical.” Licensed professionals who’ve passed the state requirements and maintain current certifications.
Rhode Island requires electrical contractors to hold a Master Electrician license to pull permits and perform electrical work. We hold those licenses. We’re also Electrical Inspector Certified, which means we understand code from both sides—installation and inspection. We’re members of the Rhode Island Electrical Inspectors IAEI Roger Williams Chapter and comply with the NFPA’s Certification Code of Ethics.
We carry full insurance and provide Certificates of Insurance on request. That matters if something goes wrong or if your homeowner’s insurance needs documentation. It also matters for resale value—unpermitted electrical work done by unlicensed contractors can kill a home sale or force you to rip everything out and redo it correctly. When we do the work, it’s documented, permitted, inspected, and done right the first time.
Panel upgrades typically run anywhere from a few thousand dollars to significantly more, depending on what’s involved. There’s no flat rate because every job is different.
If you’re going from an old 100-amp panel to a new 200-amp panel in the same location with decent access, that’s one price. If we’re relocating the panel, upgrading the service entrance, replacing the meter base, or dealing with outdated wiring that needs to be brought up to code, that’s a different scope entirely. Some homes in Foster still have old fuse boxes or undersized panels that were fine in 1960 but can’t handle modern electrical loads.
We give you a clear estimate before we start. That estimate includes the panel itself, the labor, the permit, and any additional work that’s required to meet current NEC code. We don’t lowball you and then hit you with change orders. We assess the job, tell you what it’ll cost, and stick to that number unless you change the scope. If your service entrance needs upgrading or your grounding system isn’t up to code, we’ll tell you upfront—not after we’ve already torn into your wall.
We plan for that, especially in rural areas where outages are more common. If we’re doing work that requires shutting off your power, we let you know ahead of time how long you’ll be without electricity.
For most service upgrades or panel replacements, your power will be off for several hours while we complete the work. We coordinate with you to schedule that downtime when it’s least disruptive. If you have medical equipment or other critical needs, we work around that. Some jobs require coordination with your utility company to disconnect and reconnect service—we handle that scheduling.
If an unplanned outage happens during our work, we secure everything safely and either wait it out or reschedule depending on the situation and how far along we are. Our goal is to leave your electrical system safe and functional at the end of every day, even if the project isn’t finished. You won’t be left with an unsafe or non-functional electrical system overnight.
Local Resources
Useful Links
