Dallas electrical repairs: Hiring and Permits

Check credentials before comparing quotes

Ask for the company's electrical contractor license number and the assigned electrician's name and license number. TDLR provides Verify a License and Search Licenses options for checking credentials. For non-exempt work, Texas requires individual licensing and work through a licensed electrical contractor. [3]

For permitted work, check the contractor's City registration through DallasNow. You need no account for this lookup: choose Contractor Registration, select Search Applications, and search by business name or registration number. Check Active status, the expiration date, and registration for the electrical trade. The City guide identifies a registered Master Electrician as eligible to obtain an electrical permit; a journeyman cannot obtain one independently. [2]

Request a current certificate of insurance and a written scope. Include responsibility for inspection corrections and completion records in the agreement. Ask for warranty terms, exclusions, and the process for reporting a problem after the repair.

Describe symptoms and control the diagnostic budget

Give the electrician a symptom history rather than a diagnosis. Identify the affected rooms, outlets, lights, or equipment. Note when the problem started, what was operating at the time, and whether you noticed it after a storm or previous work. Take photographs only from a safe position without opening equipment or approaching damaged service wiring.

Ask what the diagnostic charge covers and whether the contractor credits it toward an approved repair. Agree on a spending limit for troubleshooting. Before approving more work, request an explanation of the fault, the proposed correction, and any uncertainty that remains.

Compare written quotes for the same scope. Separate diagnosis, repair labor, parts, permit administration, City fees, and any after-hours charge. Ask who will make access openings and restore wall or ceiling finishes. Discuss the expected power-off period and any equipment you need to keep operating during the visit.

Confirm the permit scope and prepare for inspections

Confirm the exemption for a specific device replacement before work begins. Dallas's FAQ requires electrical permits unless Chapter 52 exempts the work. The City's trade guide includes wiring, panel upgrades, new circuits, and service changes in its electrical permit guidance. Give the contractor or City staff a precise work description when asking which requirement applies. [1] [2]

For electrical work within a larger remodel, have the electrician link the trade permit to the primary building permit using the exact primary record number. Dallas schedules electrical inspections through the electrical trade record rather than the main building record. Keep both numbers with your project documents. [2]

Arrange who will meet the inspector, provide equipment access, and secure pets. The City guide lists a locked site, a dog, or unfinished work as reasons for a Cannot Inspect result, which carries a reinspection fee. Leave work requiring inspection exposed until approval; the City may require selective demolition if someone covers it too soon. [2]

Separate an Oncor outage from customer-equipment damage

If Oncor serves your address, distinguish its equipment from equipment you maintain. Oncor lists wooden utility poles, overhead and underground power lines, service lines to the home, transformers, and electric meters as its equipment. The homeowner maintains the meter base, weatherhead, and associated customer wiring. Oncor requires licensed repairs to damaged customer equipment before it can restore power. [4]

Report an Oncor outage at 888.313.4747. If you see a downed power line, stay away, keep others away, and call 911. Avoid approaching damaged equipment to identify parts or take photographs. [4]

Selected Dallas administrative fees for permitted electrical work

Choose your next step

Your hiring checklist

1. Record affected devices, symptoms, timing, and any recent storm or construction work.
2. Collect the company and assigned electrician's credentials for verification.
3. Request insurance documentation, the diagnostic charge, and a troubleshooting spending limit.
4. Record the agreed permit and inspection responsibilities in the written scope.
5. Discuss shutdown timing, equipment access, and finish restoration.
6. For service damage, assign utility calls and inspection-release coordination.
7. Keep the invoice, repair description, warranty terms, and applicable inspection results.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does replacing an outlet, switch, or breaker require a permit?

Confirm the exemption for the specific replacement with the contractor or City staff. Dallas requires permits for electrical work unless Chapter 52 exempts it. Ask which exemption applies to the proposed scope before work starts. [1]

Must a Master Electrician perform the entire repair?

Dallas identifies a registered Master Electrician as the person eligible to obtain an electrical permit and says journeymen cannot obtain permits independently. TDLR requires licensed individuals to perform non-exempt work through a licensed electrical contractor. Ask who will perform your repair and who will oversee the permitted job. [2] [3]

How much should I budget?

Obtain a contractor quote for diagnosis, labor, and parts. The selected City administrative fees shown here do not establish those repair prices. Ask the contractor to explain which City fees apply and whether its quote includes them. [2]

Will Oncor replace my damaged meter base?

The homeowner maintains the meter base; Oncor owns the electric meter. Oncor directs customers to hire a licensed electrician for damaged customer equipment. Confirm any inspection requirement and the reconnection sequence before arranging the work. [4]