Cumberland County, Maine
Licensed, insured electrical work for Yarmouth homes and businesses, with the owner on every job.
Yarmouth grew around the four falls of the Royal River, and its houses tell that story in layers: sea captains' homes and mill-era buildings near Main Street, then a wave of 1960s and 1970s neighborhoods, then Cousins and Littlejohn Islands out in Casco Bay. Goodnow Electric, a licensed, bonded and insured Maine master electrician based in Westbrook, works on panels and services, EV chargers, standby generators, rewiring, lighting and after-hours emergencies for Yarmouth homeowners.
Yarmouth's housing is defined by one period more than any other. The American Community Survey puts about 39 percent of the town's roughly 3,640 homes in the 1960 to 1979 range, and the median year built is 1973. About 17 percent are older than 1940, while only about 11 percent date from 2000 or later. Around 76 percent are single-family detached houses and about 80 percent are owner-occupied, with a modest share of two- to four-unit buildings. For electrical work, that profile points to a lot of original 100-amp services, first-generation breaker panels now fifty years old, and kitchens, baths and basements wired for a household that used far less power than one does today.
Oil heats about 58 percent of Yarmouth's occupied homes, according to the ACS, well above the share in neighboring Cumberland. Utility gas reaches about 16 percent; Summit Natural Gas of Maine is headquartered in Yarmouth and lists the town among the places it built pipe into. Electricity heats about 12 percent and propane about 9 percent. The town runs Efficiency Yarmouth, a free energy coaching program that walks residents through heat pumps, weatherization and rebates. Each oil boiler replaced by heat pumps adds winter load to a panel that may date from the 1970s, and an EV charger adds more.
Central Maine Power serves Yarmouth, and the town's position on Casco Bay adds coastal flooding to the usual tree damage. The National Weather Service logged damaging wind gusts through December 18, 2023, when about 40 percent of electric customers in the region lost power, and a 63 mph gust at the Portland Jetport on January 10, 2024. Three days later, the storm tide reached 14.57 feet in Portland, with significant waterfront damage across Cumberland County. FEMA issued new flood maps for Yarmouth in December 2023, covering Cousins Island, Littlejohn Island, the harbor and the mouth of the Royal River.
Yarmouth separated from North Yarmouth in 1849. The Royal River's falls powered fifty-seven mills and factories from 1674 onward, and the town's shipyards launched almost three hundred vessels between 1790 and 1890. Twelve properties are on the National Register, from the 1785 Cushing and Hannah Prince House to North Yarmouth Academy and the 1906 Grand Trunk railroad station just south of Main Street. Cousins Island, reached by the Snodgrass Bridge, is home to the Cousins Island Chapel and the oil-fired Wyman power station. Each July the Yarmouth Clam Festival draws around 120,000 people.
Yarmouth permits and inspects electrical work itself. The Building Permits and Codes office lists a town electrical inspector alongside the code enforcement officer, conducts electrical inspections on Mondays and Wednesdays, and asks for 48 hours' notice. Electrical permit applications can be submitted by email. The office also warns that high volume means applications take about 30 days on average before review. A temporary moratorium in the Royal River sewershed, extended to February 27, 2027, bars new dwelling units, including accessory units with a bedroom or bathroom, and additions that add bedrooms. Shoreland permits are handled by the same department.
Commercial, solar, smart home and new construction work are covered on our full list of electrical services.
Close to Yarmouth, we also work in Cumberland, North Yarmouth, Freeport, Falmouth, Pownal, and Brunswick. Every town we serve is listed on our service area page.
Homeowners here often read why LED lighting upgrades pay back fastest, electrical planning for a new home in Southern Maine, and whole-house vs. portable generators for Maine homes.
More resources: answers to common electrical questions, our generator sizing guide, and electrical tips and guides for Maine homeowners.
“Brett was super responsive when we called. He had John out to our house 48 hours later! Brett and John were both very friendly and John did excellent work! Would highly recommend Goodnow Electric and will use them again when needed. 10/10!”
Gina McCurdy • July 2025 • Google Review
Tell us what you need done and where; a licensed electrician will reply with a written quote.
