Electrical guide · Last updated August 10, 2026
How to hire an electrician in Lagos without risking your house
Bad electrical work in Lagos does not just trip your breaker — it burns houses and kills appliances. Unstable grid supply, undersized cabling and improvised inverter installs make competence non-negotiable. Here is how to vet an electrician, what fair rates look like, and when to stop the job.
6 checks before you let anyone touch your wiring
- 1
Ask what they are actually trained on
Domestic wiring, inverter/solar systems and industrial three-phase work are different skill sets. A great socket-and-switch electrician is not automatically the right person for a 5kVA hybrid inverter.
- 2
Look for a tester, not just a screwdriver
A competent electrician arrives with a multimeter and a test screwdriver at minimum, and can tell you your incoming voltage and whether your earthing works. No instruments is a hard stop.
- 3
Insist on earthing and RCD/breaker talk
Any electrician who dismisses earthing or wants to replace a tripping breaker with a bigger one instead of finding the fault should not be in your house.
- 4
Get materials specified by size, not vibe
Cable must be quoted by size — 1.5mm² for lighting, 2.5mm² for sockets, heavier for AC and cookers. 'I will buy the wire' with no size is how undersized cable gets installed.
- 5
Separate labour from materials in the quote
You should see a labour figure and a materials list. It stops mark-up disputes and lets you buy genuine parts yourself if you prefer.
- 6
Verify identity and past jobs
On OyaLink every electrician is identity-verified with ratings from real completed bookings, and payment only completes after you confirm the job.
Typical Lagos electrical rates
| Job | Low | Typical | High | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fault diagnosis / call-out | ₦5,000 | ₦10,000 | ₦15,000 | Often credited against the repair if you proceed. Ask upfront. |
| Replace socket, switch or ceiling fitting | ₦3,000 | ₦6,000 | ₦12,000 | Labour per point; materials extra. Cheaper when several points are done in one visit. |
| Trace and fix a tripping circuit | ₦8,000 | ₦18,000 | ₦40,000 | Priced by hours spent tracing. Hidden joint or damp wall faults sit at the top end. |
| Change-over switch / distribution board work | ₦20,000 | ₦45,000 | ₦90,000 | Labour only. Genuine breakers and a proper DB enclosure add materials cost. |
| Inverter install (1–1.5kVA, batteries supplied) | ₦25,000 | ₦45,000 | ₦80,000 | Installation labour and cabling. Battery and inverter hardware quoted separately. |
| Rewire a 3-bedroom flat | ₦250,000 | ₦450,000 | ₦900,000 | Full surface or conduit rewire including DB, materials and testing. |
Ranges are guides only — the final quote is always agreed with your pro on WhatsApp before any work starts.
Warning signs to walk away from
⚠️ 'Just put a bigger breaker'
Upsizing a breaker to stop nuisance tripping removes your protection and leaves the fault in place. This is the single most dangerous shortcut in Lagos homes.
⚠️ Twisted joints buried in the wall
Connections must be in a junction box or terminal block, accessible. Twisted-and-taped joints plastered over cause fires and are impossible to find later.
⚠️ Big materials advance, no receipts
A materials advance is normal; refusing to show receipts or brand names is not. Ask for the packaging of breakers and cable.
⚠️ No test before handover
A competent job ends with the electrician demonstrating each circuit and showing that the earth and breakers work. Skipping this means nobody verified the work.
Common questions
How much does an electrician charge in Lagos?
A call-out or diagnosis visit typically runs ₦5,000–₦15,000, small per-point work like sockets and fittings ₦3,000–₦12,000 in labour, and larger jobs such as distribution board work ₦20,000–₦90,000. Materials are usually quoted separately.
Is the call-out fee deducted from the repair?
Many Lagos electricians credit the diagnosis fee against the job if you approve the repair. It is not automatic — ask before they come out and get the answer in writing on WhatsApp.
Can the same electrician install my inverter or solar?
Only if they specifically do inverter and solar work. Battery sizing, charge controllers and change-over wiring are a separate specialisation from house wiring, and a wrong install shortens battery life dramatically.
My breaker keeps tripping — what should I ask for?
Ask for fault tracing, not a bigger breaker. A competent electrician isolates circuits one by one, measures insulation and load, and identifies the faulty appliance, cable or damp point. Tripping is a symptom being reported correctly by your protection.
Who is liable if bad wiring causes damage?
Independent artisans rarely carry liability cover, which is why verification and a written scope matter. Booking through OyaLink gives you an identity-verified pro, a record of the agreed job, and a dispute path if the work fails.
No power, or wiring you do not trust?
Get matched with identity-verified electricians near you in Lagos. Agree the scope and quote on WhatsApp, then pay only once the job is confirmed done.
Find an electrician in Lagos