At Clements Electric a diagnostic visit is $240, credited toward the repair if you go ahead, and every repair is quoted as a written flat rate before work starts. Estimates for new work are free. Other electricians may bill by the hour; here is how the two models compare.
This guide is part of our Electrical Repair service in Dallas–Fort Worth.
At Clements Electric, finding a fault costs $240: troubleshooting and power restoration, credited toward the repair if you go ahead. The repair itself is quoted as a written flat rate before any work starts, and estimates for new work such as a panel, a generator or new circuits are free. There is no trip fee and no hourly meter (electrical repairs).
Many electricians bill by the hour instead, often with a service-call or trip charge. Neither model is a scam, but they put the risk in different places, and it helps to know which one you are being quoted.
The problem with hourly billing
Under an hourly model, the longer a job takes, the more the contractor earns. Nobody sets out to work slowly, but the incentive points the wrong way, and the customer carries all of the risk of an estimate being wrong. You also cannot approve the cost in advance, because nobody knows what it will be — including the electrician.
Flat-rate pricing inverts that. We look at the job, tell you what it costs, and you decide before anything starts. If it takes longer than we expected, that is our problem rather than yours. If we find something genuinely different once the wall is open, we stop and requote rather than letting the meter run.
What actually drives the price
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Scope | Replacing a receptacle and tracing an intermittent fault across a circuit are not the same job, even though both start as 'an outlet problem'. |
| Access | A panel in an open garage wall costs less to work on than one boxed in behind finished storage. |
| Age and wiring type | Aluminum branch wiring needs connectors rated for it. Ungrounded circuits and cloth-insulated wiring change the scope. |
| Permit and inspection | Service and panel work is permitted and inspected. Requirements and fees differ by city across DFW. |
| Utility coordination | A service upgrade needs the utility to disconnect and release the meter. That is scheduling, not just labor. |
Reference points for common work
Every job gets its own written quote, but these are the planning ranges we publish. All are estimates, and the real price is set after we see the job.
| Work | Typical installed price |
|---|---|
| Diagnostic: troubleshooting and power restoration | $240, credited toward the repair |
| GFCI outlet | $150–$350 per outlet (outlets and GFCIs) |
| Recessed or LED light | $125–$350 per light (LED lighting) |
| Whole-house surge protector | $350–$850 (surge protection) |
| Level 2 EV charger | $800–$2,500 (EV chargers) |
| 100-amp to 200-amp panel replacement | $2,200–$4,800 all in (panel upgrades) |
| 20 kW Cummins whole-house generator | $13,500–$17,000 all in (generators) |
Estimate only. Every installation is different; a site visit is required to determine whether your installation will cost less or more than this estimate.
For panel work in particular, the meter base, service entrance, grounding and panel location move the price, which is why it is quoted after an on-site load calculation. The Federal Pacific replacement guide walks through what changes it.
Questions worth asking any electrician
- Are you a licensed Texas electrical contractor, and what is the TECL number? Ours is 40628 and you can verify it with TDLR.
- Is the quote flat-rate or hourly, and what happens if it takes longer than expected?
- Who pulls the permit and schedules the inspection?
- Does the price include utility coordination on a service upgrade?
- What happens if something is wrong with the work afterward? Our answer: we come back and fix workmanship issues at no charge.
The license question matters more than people expect. Texas licenses electrical contractors through TDLR, and any contractor's number can be checked on TDLR's license search.
Want a number before anyone starts?
Written flat-rate quotes on every job. Licensed Texas Electrical Contractor TECL #40628, Master Electrician #214180. Veteran-owned, licensed since 1982.
Pricing questions
Hourly rates vary by company, so ask for the rate, the minimum and any trip charge when you call. Clements Electric does not bill hourly: a diagnostic visit is $240, credited toward the repair if you go ahead, and the repair is quoted as a written flat rate before work starts. Estimates for new work are free.
Not inherently, and it removes the risk of an underestimate landing on you. What it buys is certainty: you approve a number before anything starts, and if the work takes longer than expected the contractor carries that rather than the customer.
Yes. Troubleshooting and power restoration is $240, and that is credited toward the repair if you go ahead. You get a written flat-rate quote for the repair before any work starts. Estimates for new work are free.
Financing for larger projects such as panel upgrades, generators and rewires is available through Synchrony Bank. You apply to Synchrony directly, Synchrony makes the credit decision and sets the terms, and all financing is subject to credit approval.
