Austin electrical in numbers
| What we measured | Austin |
|---|---|
| Electrical permits, three years | 24,726 |
| Firms | 1,193 |
| Firms with a permit in the last 12 months | 694 |
| Firms matched to an active TDLR license | 65.9% |
| Usual days from permit to completion | 76 |
| Completed (permits a year or more old) | 90.4% |
| 10th / 90th-percentile firm (10+ permits) | 76.3% / 96.8% |
| Firms under 70% completed | 14 of 336 |
| Firms with exactly one permit | 405 (33.9%) |
Filing peaks in June (index 112) and is lowest in December (83). For national price ranges, see electrical work cost.
Which license an Austin electrician needs
Texas licenses electricians through TDLR. The firm needs an electrical contractor license and must hold or employ a master electrician, and TDLR says "anyone performing electrical work must obtain a license prior to performing the work", so even an apprentice on site needs an apprentice license (TDLR FAQ, read 20 October 2026). Austin then requires trade contractors to hold "a state license and registration", with the City registration matching the state license and renewed each year (City of Austin, read 22 October 2026).
The five-minute check: ask for the contractor license number and the master electrician's name, search both on TDLR License Search, and check the expiry dates and that the company matches your quote. Ask who will be on site and look their names up too. More in the Austin contractor license lookup.
The permit rule for electrical work in Austin
Austin's Work Exempt from Building Permits list includes "Replacement of branch circuit overcurrent devices of the required capacity in the same location" (City of Austin, read 22 October 2026). A breaker swapped like for like needs no permit; a new panel, a service upgrade, a new circuit or an EV charger is not on the list. The electrician pulls the permit. Search your address in Austin Build + Connect (Public Search, no account) once the job is booked: the permit should name your electrician. Panel rules in other cities: do I need a permit for an electrical panel upgrade.
Red flags in the Austin record
- A completed share under 76.3%. That is the 10th-percentile line among the 336 Austin electricians with 10 or more permits; 14 complete under 70%. Ask about the open permits by address.
- A TDLR license that is not active. 59 electrical firms on Austin permits (4.9%) matched a TDLR record that has expired or lapsed.
- No master electrician named. 29.2% of firms had no TDLR match by business name, because Texas trade licenses belong to people and companies permit under other names. Without the name and number from the quote, there is nothing to check.
- A firm that stopped filing. 68 electrical firms with 5 or more permits filed none in the last 12 months.
- Someone who will do it "without the City". Anything beyond a like-for-like breaker swap needs a permit in Austin.
The busiest Austin electricians in the last 12 months
Ranked by Austin electrical permits in the last 12 months of the window. Volume, not quality; some of the busiest firms specialise in one job, such as EV chargers or home batteries.
| Firm | Permits, last 12 months | Permits, three years |
|---|---|---|
| In Charge Electrical Services, LLC | 497 | 1,346 |
| Aei Electric LLC | 454 | 1,367 |
| Ies Residential, Inc. | 399 | 667 |
| Base Power | 287 | 290 |
| Landmark Electric | 228 | 693 |
Each firm's completed share and TDLR status are on the compare list, next to its volume.
See every Austin electrician by completed permits and TDLR license →
What the Austin record does not tell you
A completed permit means the City's inspector passed the work. Austin's electrical permits record no job value, so we cannot show what Austin electricians charge. License status is a name match to TDLR's file; unmatched is not unlicensed. The City registration is not in our data. Insurance never appears on a permit. The national checklist with ten questions is in hiring an electrician.
How we know this
Permits are City of Austin issued construction permits classified as electrical, 2023-10 to 2026-09, snapshot 10 October 2026. "Completed" uses permits a year or more old; days to completion is the median from issue to completion. Percentile and under-70% figures use electrical firms with 10 or more permits. The busiest-firm table ranks by permits in the last 12 months. License status is our name match to TDLR's electrical contractor file. Rules are quoted from TDLR (read 20 October 2026) and City of Austin pages (read 22 October 2026).
Numbers come from City of Austin issued construction permits, data through October 10, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- How do I choose an electrician in Austin?
Check the TDLR electrical contractor license and the master electrician behind it, make sure the firm pulls the City electrical permit, and read its Austin completed share: 90.4% of Austin electrical permits a year or more old were completed, and the 10th-percentile firm with 10 or more permits completed 76.3%.
- Does an electrician need a license in Austin?
Yes. TDLR licenses electrical contractors, who must hold or employ a master electrician, and TDLR says anyone performing electrical work must be licensed before doing it, apprentices included. Austin also requires electrical contractors to register with the City, matching the state license.
- Do I need a permit to replace an electrical panel in Austin?
Yes. Austin's exempt list covers replacing branch-circuit breakers of the required capacity in the same location, not a panel. The electrician pulls the permit; check it on Austin Build + Connect.
- How long does an electrical permit take to close in Austin?
The usual Austin electrical permit was completed 76 days after issue. Ask who books the final inspection and get the result in writing.
- Who are the biggest electricians in Austin?
By permits in the last 12 months, In Charge Electrical Services, LLC led with 497. The five busiest firms hold 18.8% of Austin's electrical permits; 405 firms filed exactly one.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Hiring an electrician: 5 red flags and 10 questions, checked against electrical permits in 45 cities
- Contractor red flags, including the three you can see in the public record
- Hiring an electrician in Bellevue, WA: the L&I electrical license, the permit, and what 8,000 electrical permits show
- Hiring an electrician in Chicago: the city license, the express permit, and what 12,000 electrical permits show
- Hiring an electrician in Greensboro: the NC electrical license, the permit, and what 17,500 electrical permits show
- Hiring an electrician in Nashville: the master's certificate, the state license, and what 50,000 electrical permits show
For one city
- License Search — Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (2026-10-22)
- Electrical Safety and Licensing FAQs — TDLR (accessed 2026-10-20)
- Contractor Registration — City of Austin Development Services (2026-10-22)
- Work Exempt from Building Permits — City of Austin Development Services (accessed 2026-10-22)
- Austin Build + Connect (AB+C) — City of Austin Development Services (2026-10-22)