Serving the Des Moines, Omaha & Salt Lake City Metro Areas
24/7 Emergency Dispatch · Des Moines Metro
(515) 310-1262
Get an Electrician Headed Your Way
Tell us what is happening and a dispatcher will call you right back.
Smoke, sparks or a burning smell right now? Don’t fill out a form — call (515) 310-1262 now.
No obligation. We never sell your information.
24/7 — No Overtime Charges
Electrical Emergency? We Answer 24/7 — And You Approve the Price First
A breaker that will not reset, a burning smell at an outlet, half the house dark. Call and a real person picks up — night, weekend or holiday. A licensed Golden Rule electrician finds the fault, hands you the price in writing, and does not start until you say go.
- Answered 24/7 — nights, weekends and holidays
- No overtime charges, even at 2 a.m.
- Written price you approve before any work starts
- Licensed electricians · 100% satisfaction guarantee
Family owned · Serving Central Iowa since 1999 · 100+ trucks in the metro
4.9★
9,500+ local reviews
A+
BBB accredited
24/7
Emergency dispatch
100+
Trucks in the metro
$0
Overtime charges
When to stop waiting
If any of this is happening, it is an emergency.
Electrical faults do not stay small quietly. These are the calls we want you to make tonight rather than Monday morning.
A breaker keeps tripping or will not reset
A breaker that trips once is telling you something. One that trips again the moment you reset it — or refuses to reset at all — is a short or an overloaded circuit, and it is doing its job by staying off. Leave it off and call.
Burning smell, scorch marks or a hot outlet
A hot-plastic or fishy smell near an outlet, switch or panel, brown scorching around a receptacle, or a cover plate that is warm to the touch. That is heat where there should be none.
Sparks from an outlet, switch or panel
A brief snap when a plug goes in happens. Visible arcing, repeated sparking, or a pop followed by a dead circuit does not. Stop using that outlet and shut the circuit off at the panel.
Half the house lost power
Some rooms live, some dead, with the utility reporting no outage. That pattern usually points at a lost leg feeding the panel or a failing main connection — and it can damage appliances while you wait.
Panel buzzing, humming or warm
A panel should be silent and cool. Buzzing, crackling, a warm cover, or lights that dim and surge when a large appliance starts all point at a loose or failing connection inside it.
Downed line, damaged mast or water in the panel
Stay well away and keep everyone back. Never touch a downed line or anything it is touching. Call 911 and MidAmerican Energy first. Once the utility has made the site safe, call us for the service mast, meter base or panel repair.
While you wait for us
Before we get there: what to shut off.
Thirty seconds of the right move keeps a fault from becoming a fire. Find your problem, do this, then call.
Breaker keeps trippingLeave it in the off position. Repeatedly resetting a breaker onto a real fault is how arcing starts. Unplug whatever was running on that circuit.Leave the breaker off
Burning smell or a hot outletShut off the breaker feeding that room first, then unplug what you safely can. Never pull a plug that is hot or discolored while the circuit is still live.Kill that circuit at the panel
Sparking outlet or switchStop using it entirely and turn off its breaker. Do not tape it over or cap it and keep using the room.Breaker off, stop using it
Half the house darkCheck with a neighbor and MidAmerican Energy first to rule out an outage. If it is only your house, leave the panel alone and call — do not start flipping the main.Rule out the utility, then call
Downed line, water in the panel, or smokeDo not touch the panel, the line, or anything near it. Get everyone out and call 911 and MidAmerican Energy from a safe distance.Leave it — call 911 first
Then call us — we answer 24/7 (515) 310-1262
Not sure which breaker feeds the room you are worried about? Tell the dispatcher what you are looking at and they will walk you through the panel while a truck is on the way.
How it works
From your call to the circuit safe and fixed.
Six steps, one licensed crew, and a price you sign off on before anyone opens a panel.
1
You call, a person answers
No phone tree at midnight. Tell us what is happening and we will tell you what to shut off right now.
2
We dispatch the nearest truck
With 100+ trucks across the metro, dispatch sends whoever can reach you soonest and gives you a real arrival window.
3
We find the actual fault
A licensed Golden Rule electrician traces the circuit and finds the cause instead of guessing at it — and shows you what they found.
4
Upfront price, your approval
You get the number in writing, including your options, before any work begins. Nothing starts until you approve it.
5
Repair, test and clean up
We make the repair to code, test the circuit, pull a permit where the work requires one, and leave your house the way we found it.
6
You still have our number
Questions next week? You are calling the same local company that did the work, not a call center three states away.
Electrical services
What our electricians handle.
The emergency tonight, and the repair, wiring and installation work that follows it.
Electrical repair & troubleshooting
Dead outlets, failing switches, flickering lights, circuits that trip. We trace the fault back to its source and repair it rather than swapping parts and hoping.
Panels, breakers & service upgrades
Breaker replacement, failing or obsolete panels, and service upgrades for homes that have outgrown their capacity. Permitted and inspected where required.
Wiring & rewiring
Damaged, overloaded or aging wiring, aluminum and knob-and-tube concerns, new circuits for additions and remodels, and code corrections found on an inspection.
Outlets, switches & GFCI
Replacing burned or loose receptacles, adding outlets where you actually need them, and GFCI and AFCI protection in kitchens, baths, garages and basements.
Lighting, fans & fixtures
Interior and exterior lighting, recessed and under-cabinet installs, ceiling fans, and fixture replacement done cleanly and mounted properly.
Safety & whole-home installs
Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, whole-home surge protection, EV charger circuits and generator wiring — plus electrical safety inspections.
Why it matters who you call
2 a.m. is when the surprises show up on the invoice.
Emergency work is where the industry does its worst pricing. Here is how we handle it.
No overtime charges
Nights, weekends and holidays are priced the same as a Tuesday afternoon. The clock on the wall does not change your number.
You approve the price before we start
Upfront pricing in writing, with the options laid out. No hourly meter running while you stand there wondering what it will come to.
Licensed electricians on our payroll
The person coming to your house is a Golden Rule employee — licensed, background-checked and trained — not a subcontractor we found for the night.
Guaranteed work, with financing
Every repair is backed by our 100% satisfaction guarantee and permitted where code requires it. If the fix turns into a panel or a rewire, financing is available on approved credit.
Smelling something burning right now?
Shut that breaker off and call. We answer 24/7 and there is no overtime charge.
From our neighbors
4.9 stars across 9,500+ Google reviews.
Recent reviews from Des Moines metro homeowners who called us for electrical work.
★★★★★
“Dalton Ballard and his team member replaced all of our faulty fire alarms with a new system, fixed an electrical breaker and labeled all switches. They were courteous, clean and professional.”
Mark Triplett · Google
★★★★★
“Travis did a great explaining what need to be done after electrical inspection. He explained why for possible upgrades and answered all my questions.”
Mark Wessels · Google
★★★★★
“Good job explaining what he was doing and why, replaced the defective smoke detector quickly.”
Travis Mcalpin · Google
Reviews are unedited and pulled from our Google Business Profile. Read all 9,500+ reviews on Google →
Common questions
Emergency electrical, answered.
Do you really answer 24/7?
Yes. Call (515) 310-1262 at any hour and a person answers — nights, weekends and holidays included. Emergency calls go straight to dispatch, and dispatch can tell you which breaker to shut off while a truck is already being assigned.
Do you charge extra for nights, weekends or holidays?
No. Golden Rule does not add overtime charges. A 2 a.m. burning outlet is priced the same as the same repair on a Tuesday afternoon, and you see the price in writing before we start.
My breaker keeps tripping. Is that an emergency?
Treat it as one if it trips again immediately after you reset it, will not reset at all, or trips alongside a burning smell, a warm outlet or any scorching. That is a short or a ground fault, not a nuisance. Leave the breaker off and call — resetting it repeatedly onto a real fault is how arcing and fires start. A breaker that trips once when several space heaters are on the same circuit is usually an overload, and we can sort that out on a scheduled visit.
How fast can an electrician get here?
It depends on where you are in the metro and what is already on the board — storm nights are busier than most. We run 100+ trucks across Central Iowa, and the dispatcher will give you a real arrival window on the call rather than a vague promise. If you have smoke, sparks or a burning smell, say so; that changes how the call is prioritized.
What is this going to cost?
We cannot price an electrical repair honestly over the phone without seeing it, so here is the commitment instead: a licensed electrician diagnoses the fault on site, presents the price in writing with your options, and does not begin work until you approve it. No hourly meter, no surprises added at the end.
What should I do right now while I wait?
Shut off the breaker feeding the circuit you are worried about and stop using that outlet or switch. If you smell burning, unplug what you safely can only after the breaker is off. If there is smoke, a downed line, or water in or near the panel, get everyone out and call 911 and MidAmerican Energy from a safe distance before you call us.
Half my house lost power but my neighbors have theirs. What is that?
That pattern usually means one of the two legs feeding your panel has been lost, often at the main connection, the meter base or the service mast. It is worth calling right away: unbalanced voltage can damage motors and electronics while you wait. Confirm with MidAmerican Energy that there is no outage on their side, leave the panel alone, and call us.
Do you offer financing on an emergency repair?
Yes. Financing is available on approved credit with monthly payment options, which matters when an emergency turns into a panel replacement or a rewire. We go over the terms in writing alongside the price.
Are your electricians licensed and background-checked?
Yes. The electrician who shows up is a Golden Rule employee — licensed, background-checked and trained in house, not a subcontractor hired for the night. Work is done to code and permits are pulled where the repair requires them.
Do you handle electrical work that is not an emergency?
Yes. The same licensed electricians handle panel and service upgrades, wiring and rewiring, outlets and switches, GFCI and AFCI protection, lighting and ceiling fans, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, whole-home surge protection, EV charger circuits, generator wiring and electrical safety inspections. Call the same number and we will schedule it.
What areas do you serve?
We cover the Des Moines metro and Central Iowa — Des Moines, West Des Moines, Ankeny, Urbandale, Waukee, Johnston, Grimes, Altoona, Clive, Norwalk, Indianola, Ames and the surrounding communities listed below.
Service area
Where we answer emergency calls.
AdelAltoonaAmesAnkenyBondurantBooneCliveColfaxDallas CenterDes MoinesGrangerGrimesIndianolaJohnstonMadridMingoMitchellvilleNevadaNewtonNorwalkPanoraPerryPleasant HillPleasantvillePolk CityStuartUrbandaleWaukeeWest Des MoinesWinterset
