Part of the house has no power?

When only some rooms or outlets are dead, the usual cause is a tripped breaker or a tripped GFCI outlet. If half the house is out, or lights dim and brighten, the problem may be on the utility's side of the meter, and that is a call to the utility.

Not sure which one it is? Snap your electrical panel and we’ll narrow it down.

Does a breaker keep tripping every time you reset it?

A circuit that trips repeatedly has its own causes. Breaker keeps tripping

Likely causes

One tripped breaker
Most commonEasy DIY
Some outlets and lights are dead and the rest work. Open the panel door (leave the cover on) and look for a handle in the middle position, or one that sits differently from the rest. Push it fully off, then on.
Tripped GFCI outlet upstream
Most commonEasy DIY
Outlets in a bathroom, garage, kitchen or outdoors are dead, and the breaker looks normal. A GFCI outlet elsewhere on the circuit, often in a garage, bathroom or outside, may have tripped. Press its reset button.
Lost leg of the utility service
Less commonCall a pro
Half the house is out, or lights dim and brighten, and some big appliances run weakly or not at all. Call the utility. Don't try to fix it yourself.
Neighborhood outage
Less commonEasy DIY
Neighbors' lights are out too, or the street is dark. Check the utility's outage map or phone line, and report it if it isn't listed.

Quick checks

Reset a breaker once. If it trips again right away, leave it off and call an electrician. Never replace a breaker with a bigger one, and never hold, tape or jam a breaker on. Never remove the panel cover. Parts inside stay live even with the main breaker off. A burning smell, scorch marks, buzzing or a warm panel means call an electrician now. If you see smoke or fire, get everyone out and call 911.

Look at which rooms and outlets are dead, and whether neighbors have power.
Open the panel door (leave the cover on) and look for a breaker handle in the middle position. Push it fully off, then on.
Press the reset button on any GFCI outlets in the bathroom, kitchen, garage and outside.
If lights are dim, bright, or flickering, or half the house is out, call the utility.
If a breaker trips again right after resetting, leave it off and call an electrician.
Photograph the open panel door showing the breakers, with the cover left on, and the label for the dead circuit.

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Snap one of these:

the open panel door showing the breakers (cover left on)
the breaker for the dead circuit and its label
the dead outlets or the room that's out
any GFCI outlets nearby, showing the Test and Reset buttons

Add a note or more photos next. Nobody calls you.

When to call a pro

Half the house out, or lights that dim and brighten: call the utility first. Call an electrician if a breaker trips again right away, if you can't find the cause, or for any burning smell, scorch mark, buzzing or warm panel. Resetting a breaker once or a GFCI outlet is a DIY job, but nothing inside the panel is. For trips that keep happening, see breaker keeps tripping. For the panel itself, see the electrical panel guide.

Typical cost: Free if it is a tripped breaker or GFCI, or a neighborhood outage. An electrician charges $50–130 an hour, and a service call runs $100–200 for the first hour, with an after-hours trip charge of $100 or more. Replacing a breaker switch runs about $200–250.

Sources: HomeAdvisor: How much does an electrician cost? (updated June 19, 2026), Fixr: Cost to replace or upgrade an electrical panel (updated January 31, 2025)

After a scan, Fixology can also help you find pros near you.