Best Electrical in Irving, TX — 27 Vetted Contractors

Yes. Per the City of Irving Development Services Department, a panel upgrade requires both an electrical permit and a final inspection before the work is considered complete. Your electrician should pull the permit — not you. Additionally, because the service entrance connects to Oncor's grid, Oncor must be notified and will typically disconnect and reconnect power around the swap. A licensed Master Electrician will coordinate this. Skipping the permit means the work is unpermitted, which creates problems when you sell the home.

Go to license.tdlr.texas.gov and search by name or license number. Per the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), all electricians working for compensation in Texas must hold an active license — Master Electrician, Journeyman Electrician, or Residential Wireman. Confirm the license status shows 'Active' and that the license type matches the scope of your job. This takes about 60 seconds and is the single most important check you can do before hiring.

Possibly. Homes built in Irving between roughly 1965 and 1973 may have aluminum branch-circuit wiring, which requires specific handling to remain safe. Additionally, homes of that era often have 100-amp panels, ungrounded outlets, and no AFCI or GFCI protection — none of which meet current NEC 2020 standards Texas has adopted. Before doing any major renovation or if you're buying the home, have a licensed electrician do a full inspection. Budget $150–$400 for a thorough inspection report.

For a Level 2 (240V, 40–50A) charger in a typical Irving home with an attached garage, expect $400–$900 if your panel has capacity and the garage is close to the panel. If you need a new breaker slot, a sub-panel, or a long conduit run, costs rise to $900–$1,600. Get at least two quotes and confirm the installer will pull an Irving electrical permit — EV charger installs require inspection. Some utility programs through Oncor or state rebates may offset costs; check the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (dsireusa.org) for current TX programs.

No, not for most electrical work. Texas law (per TDLR) requires a licensed electrician for any electrical work performed for compensation beyond very minor tasks. A handyman without an electrical license cannot legally replace a panel, run new circuits, install an EV charger, or do any work requiring a permit. If an unlicensed person does the work and something goes wrong — fire, shock, failed inspection — your homeowner's insurance may deny the claim. Always verify the license at license.tdlr.texas.gov.

Per the City of Irving Building Inspections process, inspection scheduling is available online through the city's permit portal. Typical turnaround for a residential electrical inspection is 1–3 business days after the request is submitted, though summer months can stretch that slightly due to volume. Your electrician should schedule the inspection — if they're asking you to handle it, that's unusual and worth questioning. The inspector will verify the work matches the permitted scope before issuing a final approval.

It can be both, but start with the electrical side. In Irving's older homes, AC units are often on circuits that were sized for smaller, older equipment. A modern 3–4 ton central AC unit draws significant startup amperage, and an aging 20A breaker or undersized wiring may not handle it. Repeatedly tripping and resetting a breaker without fixing the root cause accelerates breaker wear and is a fire risk. Have a licensed electrician check the circuit ampacity and breaker condition before assuming the AC unit is the problem.

Expect to pay $150–$400 for a thorough residential electrical inspection from a licensed electrician in the Irving/DFW market. Be cautious of 'free inspections' offered as a sales tactic — they often come with pressure to approve expensive work immediately. A paid inspection from an independent licensed electrician gives you an unbiased written report you can use to prioritize repairs or negotiate on a home purchase. This is especially valuable for Irving homes built before 1980.