Electrical FAQ — Flat-Rate Pricing, Safety & Service

Rates vary by company, so ask any electrician for the hourly rate, the minimum charge and any trip charge before booking. Clements Electric does not bill residential work by the hour: you get a written flat-rate quote for the job before work starts, or a detailed itemized quote if you prefer.

There is no set rate in Texas; each contractor sets its own. What matters more is the total for your job, in writing, before work begins. That is how Clements Electric prices: a flat-rate quote per job, so the price does not change if the work takes longer than expected.

Troubleshooting and power restoration at Clements Electric starts at $240, and that fee is credited toward the repair if you go ahead. We find the fault, then give you a flat-rate price for the fix before doing it. Same-day service runs 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Monday through Friday; we are closed weekends but take weekend emergency calls at 817-803-4444.

It depends on the job. Our published planning prices are: GFCI outlet installed $150–$350, recessed or LED light $125–$350 per light, whole-house surge protector $350–$850, troubleshooting from $240, EV charger installation $800–$2,500, and a 100-amp to 200-amp panel replacement $2,200–$4,800 all in. These are ranges, not quotes: every job is priced in writing after we have seen it. Estimates for new work are free.

Hourly rates differ from one DFW company to the next, and a rate alone doesn't tell you the total once minimums and trip charges are added. Clements Electric quotes per job instead of per hour, with free estimates for new work and troubleshooting from $240 when something has stopped working.

Outlet replacement at Clements Electric starts at $150, and a GFCI outlet runs $150–$350 installed, including the device, labor and testing. Homes wired with aluminum branch circuits (generally built about 1965–1973) need connections made with methods rated for aluminum, which we check before quoting.

For a homeowner budgeting a rewire: whole-house rewiring in DFW typically runs $6.50–$12.40 per square foot, so about $9,750–$18,600 for 1,500 sq ft, depending on wall and attic access, the number of devices, the panel and the permit. Clements Electric gives a written quote after an on-site assessment.

There isn't one; outlets, panels, troubleshooting and rewires are priced differently. Clements Electric publishes planning ranges on each service page (for example GFCI outlets $150–$350, surge protectors $350–$850, panel replacements $2,200–$4,800) and gives a written quote for your specific job.

Clements Electric charges nothing to come out and quote new work; estimates are free. When something has stopped working and we need to find the fault, troubleshooting starts at $240 and is credited toward the repair if you go ahead.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes employment and wage figures for electricians (occupation 47-2111) in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area each year in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics; that is the most reliable current source. Pay varies with license level, experience and overtime. Clements Electric is a veteran-owned company; licensed Texas electricians interested in working with us can call 817-803-4444.

Starting pay depends on the employer, so ask during hiring. What the state sets is the path: anyone doing non-exempt electrical work in Texas must hold a TDLR license and work through a licensed electrical contractor, starting with an apprentice license. To qualify for the journeyman exam, TDLR requires at least 7,000 hours of on-the-job training under the supervision of a Texas-licensed Master Electrician.

The most common are breakers that keep tripping, dead outlets, flickering lights, warm or discolored outlets and switch plates, buzzing from outlets or the panel, and GFCI outlets that won't reset. Older homes add their own: Federal Pacific Stab-Lok panels (in 1983 the CPSC confirmed some of their breakers failed UL calibration tests, though it ordered no recall), Zinsco panels, two-prong ungrounded outlets, and aluminum branch wiring from about 1965–1973.

Call right away for a burning smell, sparking, buzzing or crackling, hot outlet covers, or a breaker that trips again after you reset it; if there is smoke or flame, call 911 first. Also call for flickering that continues after changing the bulb, exposed wiring, outlets that won't hold a plug, or before adding an EV charger, large appliance or addition. Clements Electric offers same-day service 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Monday through Friday, and takes weekend emergency calls at 817-803-4444.

There's no fixed schedule for a home; have it inspected when something prompts it: buying or selling a house, an older home that has never been checked, after a flood or storm damage, before adding large loads like an EV charger or hot tub, or when you notice warning signs such as warm outlets or repeated tripping. Clements Electric inspections start at $150 and include a written report.

Residential work is mostly outlet and switch repair and replacement (GFCI outlets $150–$350), troubleshooting dead circuits and tripping breakers (from $240), lighting and ceiling fans ($125–$350 per recessed light), panel replacements (100 A to 200 A typically $2,200–$4,800), whole-house surge protection ($350–$850), EV charger circuits ($800–$2,500) and standby generators (a typical 20 kW Cummins installation is an estimated $13,500–$17,000. Estimate only. Every installation is different; a site visit is required to determine whether your installation will cost less or more than this estimate.). Each is quoted in writing before work starts.

If one bulb flickers, start with the bulb and a dimmer that may not be rated for LEDs. If lights flicker across several rooms, or keep flickering after the bulb is changed, have it checked: the cause can be a loose connection, an overloaded circuit, a failing breaker or a utility-side problem, and loose connections can overheat. A brief dip when the AC compressor starts can be normal.

Inside DFW city limits, most electrical work does: panel replacements, service changes, new circuits, rewires, generators and EV chargers all need a city electrical permit and inspection. Texas law requires electrical work to be done by a licensed contractor, with a narrow exemption for owners working on the home they live in, and cities such as Dallas and Fort Worth set their own limits on homeowner permits. Clements Electric pulls the permit and schedules the inspection on permitted jobs.

Age alone doesn't decide it. Replacement is worth discussing if the panel is a Federal Pacific Stab-Lok or a Zinsco, if breakers trip often or feel warm, if there is rust, corrosion or a burning smell, or if a load calculation shows it can't carry what you plan to add, such as an EV charger or hot tub. We'll look at it and tell you whether it needs replacing, and a 100-amp to 200-amp replacement typically runs $2,200–$4,800 all in.

A panel upgrade replaces the existing panel with a modern breaker panel and, when needed, the meter base, service entrance cable and grounding, built to the electrical code edition your city enforces. It needs a city permit and inspection, and the utility disconnects and reconnects power. A 100-amp to 200-amp replacement typically runs $2,200–$4,800 all in, quoted in writing after an on-site load calculation.

Call 817-803-4444, book online, or use the contact form. We ask about the home and the work, look at it, and give you a written quote before any work begins: a flat rate, or a detailed itemized quote if you prefer. Estimates for new work are free.

Yes. Clements Electric offers same-day service across Mansfield, Arlington, Fort Worth, Dallas and the surrounding DFW cities, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Monday through Friday. We are closed weekends but take weekend emergency calls at 817-803-4444.

Yes: ceiling fans, chandeliers, pendants, recessed lights, under-cabinet lighting and outdoor fixtures. Ceiling fans go on boxes rated to carry them. New recessed lights run $125–$350 per light installed.

Yes. Clements Electric installs Cummins standby generators as the electrical contractor for UTS ElectricPros, LLC, the authorized Cummins dealer. We size the unit with a load calculation, install the automatic transfer switch and pull the permits; a licensed plumber runs the gas line, or you can hire your own. A typical 20 kW whole-house installation is an estimated $13,500–$17,000. Estimate only. Every installation is different; a site visit is required to determine whether your installation will cost less or more than this estimate. We also install manual transfer switches and inlets for portable generators. UTS ElectricPros also sells the Cummins portable, RV and mobile trailer range online at utselectricpros.com; those ship from Cummins stock in Dallas direct to your door with no installation needed.

Yes. We install smart switches and dimmers, run the neutrals and switch wiring they need, and wire for thermostats, cameras, doorbells and low-voltage cabling in new construction or existing homes. Many smart switches need a neutral wire in the switch box, which older homes may not have; we check before you buy.

A standby generator is permanently installed, runs on natural gas or propane, and starts on its own through an automatic transfer switch when utility power fails. A portable hookup is an inlet and a manual transfer switch or interlock: you wheel the generator out, plug it in and switch over selected circuits yourself. We install both.

A whole-home rewire typically takes 5–8 business days for a 1,000–1,500 sq ft single-story house, 8–14 business days for 1,500–2,500 sq ft, and 12–18 for a 2,500–3,500 sq ft two-story, plus the city inspection. Wall and attic access is the biggest variable, and plaster walls take longer.