Compare Local Pros
Rivas Custom Electric vs St Francis Electric
Alameda Electrical Contractors Comparison · Updated March 2026
St Francis Electric brings nearly five decades of licensure and workers comp coverage, while Rivas Custom Electric offers stronger customer feedback but lacks workers comp protection.
| Rivas Custom Electric | St Francis Electric | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★ 5.0 | ★ 3.8 |
| Years Licensed | 11 years | 49 years |
| License # | 1005652 | 335324 |
| Workers' Comp | — | ✓ Yes |
| Bond Amount | $25,000 | $25,000 |
| Location | San Leandro, CA | San Leandro, CA |
| Website | rceelectric782agmail.com | www.stfranciselectric.com |
Key Differences
What Customers Say
Rivas Custom Electric
Customers emphasize exceptional communication, punctuality, and clean workmanship with direct owner involvement, resulting in repeat business and long-term professional relationships.
St Francis Electric
Customers acknowledge professional conduct and electrical expertise, but several mention concerns about responsiveness to inquiries and driving behavior by company vehicles.
Key Takeaway: Rivas receives consistently positive feedback focused on customer service details like communication and punctuality, while St Francis feedback is more mixed despite technical competence, suggesting a personalized versus institutional service model difference.
Customer Reviews
Rivas Custom Electric
Professional honest, good price I recommend 100% he make a job on my apartment very professional thank you Mr. Rivas
Very nice work and clean definitely calling him again!
"Absolutely fantastic service! Arrived on time, worked efficiently, and explained everything clearly. The quality of the work was top-notch, and they left everything neat and tidy. Highly recommend!"
St Francis Electric
The electricians at St. Francis Electric were a joy to have in our home. They're clearly experts, very polite, and did an excellent job respecting our schedule. Our electrical system feels significan...
Awesome place!!! Great company very helpful.
Great Service
Consider Rivas Custom Electric if...
- ✓ You want highly personalized service with direct owner involvement throughout your electrical project, particularly for complex residential work like kitchen remodels or panel upgrades
- ✓ You're willing to verify that your homeowner's insurance covers contractor injuries and accept the additional liability risk in exchange for the strong customer service track record
- ✓ Your project requires clear communication and punctuality, areas where Rivas consistently receives specific customer praise
- ✓ You value the relationship-building approach reflected in customers returning for additional work over many years
Consider St Francis Electric if...
- ✓ Workers compensation coverage is non-negotiable for you, eliminating your liability exposure if someone is injured during the electrical work
- ✓ Your project involves unusual complexity or older building systems where 49 years of troubleshooting experience across thousands of projects provides meaningful advantage
- ✓ You're hiring for commercial electrical work or larger-scale projects where team-based operations are more important than owner involvement
- ✓ You need a contractor with the institutional staying power that nearly five decades of continuous operation represents
Questions to Ask Before Hiring
- → For Rivas Custom Electric: Ask explicitly about liability coverage and confirm with your homeowner's insurance whether you're protected if a worker is injured on your property during electrical work.
- → For St Francis Electric: Ask about response times for questions during the project and who your main point of contact will be, given customer feedback about responsiveness concerns.
- → For both: Request references from projects completed in the past six months that match your specific electrical needs, and ask how they handle unexpected complications discovered during panel or system work.
The Bottom Line
If workers compensation coverage is essential to you and you want to eliminate liability risk, St Francis Electric is the clear choice despite concerns about responsiveness. Their 49 years of licensure also provides meaningful advantage for complex projects or older buildings. However, if you're willing to verify your homeowner's insurance covers contractor injuries and you prioritize personalized service, clear communication, and owner involvement, Rivas Custom Electric's exceptional customer feedback and 11 years of solid experience make them compelling for residential projects. For most homeowners, the workers comp issue should drive this decision: confirm your insurance coverage situation first, then decide.
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Frequently Asked Questions
For straightforward installations, probably not significantly. However, for older homes, panel upgrades in buildings with outdated wiring, or troubleshooting mysterious electrical issues, St Francis's 49 years means they've seen virtually every complication that can arise. Rivas's 11 years is still substantial and covers most common scenarios, particularly given the strong customer feedback about problem-solving abilities.
If an electrician is injured on your property and the contractor lacks workers comp, you could be sued for medical bills, lost wages, and damages. Your homeowner's insurance may cover this, but you need to verify explicitly with your insurer before hiring. Some policies exclude contractor injuries or have limited coverage. This is a real financial liability, not just a technicality.
Rivas operates with high owner involvement, creating personalized service that customers clearly appreciate. St Francis, as a larger veteran operation with moderate owner involvement, delivers technically competent work but appears less focused on communication and responsiveness. The tradeoff is common: smaller owner-operated firms often provide better customer experience, while larger established firms offer institutional advantages like workers comp and deeper experience reserves.
You can certainly ask, but obtaining workers comp insurance isn't a quick process and adds significant cost that will be passed to you. If workers comp protection matters to you, it's more practical to hire St Francis who already maintains coverage. If you prefer Rivas's customer service approach, make sure you understand and accept the liability implications and verify your homeowner's policy coverage.
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How We Compare Contractors
License Verification
All license data is sourced from official California CSLB records and verified regularly.
Review Analysis
Customer reviews are aggregated from Google and analyzed to identify patterns in service quality.
Detailed Comparison
We analyze credentials, insurance, experience, and feedback to highlight meaningful differences.
Not all licensed contractors are created equal. While a valid license is the baseline requirement in California, contractors can vary significantly in experience, insurance coverage, and customer satisfaction.
- Experience matters: A contractor with 15+ years of experience has likely encountered and solved problems that newer contractors haven't faced yet.
- Workers' compensation protects you: If a contractor without workers' comp insurance has an employee injured on your property, you could be held liable.
- Reviews reveal patterns: Individual reviews can be misleading, but patterns across many reviews often reveal a contractor's true strengths and weaknesses.
- Bond amounts vary: A contractor's bond provides financial protection if they fail to complete work as agreed. Higher bonds offer more protection.
Taking time to compare contractors on these factors can save you from costly mistakes and help ensure your project is completed by a qualified professional.
Data Sources: License information from California CSLB. Ratings and reviews from Google. Last verified March 12, 2026.
This comparison is based on publicly available information. We recommend getting multiple quotes and verifying all credentials directly before hiring.
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