The directory
Seven circuits. One licensed contractor.
Open any panel door and there’s a card that says what each breaker feeds. This is Sonshyne Electric’s: everything a house needs, from the service call to the new build.
I do service, remodels, panels, new construction. — Sonny Jacobs
All services- 01Service calls & troubleshootingDead outlets, tripping breakers, flickering lights and anything that stopped working.
- 02Panels & service upgradesFuse box and breaker panel replacement, repairs, upgrades and subpanels.
- 03RemodelsKitchens, baths and basements wired to current code.
- 04New constructionComplete electrical for new homes and additions, from rough-in to final.
- 05Lighting, fans & devicesFixtures, recessed lights, ceiling fans, switches and outlets installed right.
- 06Wiring & rewiringNew circuits, dedicated appliance lines and old-wiring replacement.
- 07Home power upgradesEV chargers, generator hookups, hot tubs, heat pumps and surge protection.
I put my faith into everything, business included.
- 01
Integrity first
“I value my integrity over my bank account.” That means the honest diagnosis, the fair price and no work you don’t need.
- 02
Faith in the work
“I put my faith into everything, business included.” The same care goes into the wiring you’ll never see as the fixtures you will.
- 03
Residential, all of it
“If it’s residential I do it all.” Service calls, panels, remodels and new construction, from one licensed contractor.
Licensed, on the record
The credential you can check yourself.
Washington licenses electrical contractors through the Department of Labor & Industries. Sonshyne Electric LLC holds an active electrical contractor license with the residential specialty, and anyone can look it up.
Permits go where they belong: the City of Spokane inside city limits, L&I almost everywhere else in the county.
- Business
- Sonshyne Electric LLC
- License
- SONSHEL762MK
- Type
- Electrical Contractor
- Specialty
- 02 Residential
- Principal
- Sonny B. Jacobs
- Expires
- August 10, 2028
Wired for Spokane houses
Three eras of houses. Three kinds of work.
Spokane’s housing tells you what’s behind the walls. Knowing the era of a house is half the diagnosis.
- 1890–1930
The old neighborhoods
South Hill, Browne’s Addition, Perry, Logan, Garland, Hillyard. Knob-and-tube, fuse boxes, two-prong outlets and services sized for a few lights.
- 1950–1980
Ramblers and split-levels
The Valley and the north side. Federal Pacific and Zinsco panels, some 1965–73 aluminum wiring, and panels with no spaces left.
- 1990–today
Newer subdivisions
Liberty Lake, Airway Heights, Mead. Sound wiring, now asked to carry EV chargers, hot tubs, heat pumps and finished basements.
Service area
Spokane and the towns around it.
- Spokane home baseHome base. Sonshyne Electric works on houses all over the city, and a lot of them are older than the light bulbs in them.Electrician in Spokane
- Spokane ValleyRanch houses, split-levels and new subdivisions from Millwood to Greenacres, with more than one electric utility in the mix.Electrician in Spokane Valley
- Liberty LakeNewer homes, bigger loads. Liberty Lake’s houses are mostly young; the work is about adding to them, not rescuing them.Electrician in Liberty Lake
- CheneyA college town with its own city power department, older homes near downtown, and a lot of rentals.Electrician in Cheney
- MeadNorth of the city: suburban streets, acreage, detached shops and long runs to outbuildings.Electrician in Mead
- Airway HeightsWest Plains growth: a fast-building city of newer homes next to Fairchild Air Force Base.Electrician in Airway Heights
How it works
Straightforward, start to finish.
Call or send the details
Call (509) 202-9833 or use the request form. A few lines about the house and the problem is plenty.
A straight look at the job
Sonshyne Electric looks at what’s there, tells you what it found, and explains your options in plain words.
A clear price, then the work
You know the scope and the price before work starts. Permits are pulled when the job needs one.
Tested, labeled, inspected
The work is tested, the panel directory is updated, and inspected work is signed off before the job is called done.
Straight answers
Electrical questions, answered.
I smell something burning near an outlet or the panel. What should I do?
Turn off the breaker for that circuit, or the main breaker, if you can do it safely, and then call an electrician. If you see smoke or fire, get everyone out and call 911.
Don’t keep using the outlet or reset the breaker to see what happens. A burning or hot-plastic smell usually means a connection is overheating, and that can start a fire inside the wall.
What is knob-and-tube wiring, and is it common in Spokane?
Knob-and-tube is the earliest type of household wiring: single wires run on porcelain knobs and through porcelain tubes, with no ground. It is common in Spokane homes built before about the 1940s, on the South Hill, in Browne’s Addition, the Perry District, Hillyard and other older neighborhoods.
It wasn’t designed for today’s loads, it was never meant to be covered by insulation, and decades of add-ons often leave risky splices. Most electricians recommend replacing any that is still in use.
How do I know if I need a panel or service upgrade?
Common signs are a fuse box or very old panel, no open breaker spaces, breakers that trip under normal use, or plans to add a big load like a heat pump, EV charger, hot tub or addition.
A load calculation, based on the house and what’s in it, shows whether your service is big enough or needs to go up, often from 100 to 200 amps.
What electrical work does a kitchen remodel need?
Kitchens need at least two 20-amp small-appliance circuits for the countertops, GFCI protection on countertop outlets, and dedicated circuits for appliances such as the dishwasher, disposal, microwave and range.
Island and peninsula outlets, under-cabinet lighting and the lighting plan are all easier to get right before the cabinets go in.
What’s the safe way to hook up a portable generator?
Through a generator inlet with an interlock on your panel, or a transfer switch, installed with a permit. Either one keeps the generator from feeding back into the utility lines.
Never backfeed through a dryer or other outlet with a double-ended cord. It can electrocute line workers and start fires. Always run the generator outdoors, well away from windows, doors and vents, because of carbon monoxide.