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Austin Electrical
Austin Houses Are Asking More of Their Wiring Than Ever
Electrical work in Austin splits neatly by age of house. The bungalows and ranch homes of Hyde Park, Crestview and Tarrytown were wired for a refrigerator, a few lamps and maybe a window unit. Many still have 60- or 100-amp panels, ungrounded two-prong outlets, and in the late-1960s and 1970s houses, aluminum branch wiring that needs proper connectors at every device. Add central air, a tankless water heater, a home office and an induction range and that panel is full. The suburbs built from the 1980s through the 2000s in Round Rock, Pflugerville, Cedar Park and Kyle are better off, but their panels were sized for the house as built, not for the EV charger in the garage and the heat pump conversion that Austin homeowners are adding now. And the new all-electric homes in Leander, Hutto, Manor and Mueller are well wired but full of loads their owners want to keep running when the grid does not.
That last point is the other thing that changed. Since February 2021, more Austin-area homeowners ask about standby generators and what it would take to keep the furnace, the well pump or the refrigerator on through a multi-day outage. We answer all of it with the same licensed, background-checked crews that do our plumbing and HVAC work, under Texas Electrical License 40671, and our electrical service is offered in the Austin area only. Each service is explained in depth on our electricians page.
- Licensed and permitted Texas Electrical License 40671, with permits pulled and inspections handled where the city requires them.
- One team for the whole house The electricians who wire the new AC or tankless unit work alongside the crews who install it.
- Home Comfort Guarantee A written quote before work, honored 72 hours, and 100% satisfaction backed by a 10% inconvenience refund up to $1,000.
Signs to Act On
Electrical Problems Austin Homeowners Call About
Some are nuisances. A few are fire risks. All of them are worth a licensed opinion rather than a guess.
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The AC breaker trips on hot afternoons
A compressor drawing hard at 100 degrees, a weak breaker, or a panel at capacity. Resetting it daily is not a plan.
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Lights dim when the microwave runs
Often a loose neutral or an overloaded circuit, common in older central Austin houses that have had decades of add-ons.
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A warm outlet or a burning smell
A failing device or a loose connection, and in a 1970s house possibly aluminum wiring at the terminal. Stop using it and call.
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Two-prong outlets and no GFCI in the bath
Standard in pre-1960s Austin homes. Grounding and GFCI protection are the two upgrades that matter most for safety.
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The new EV has nowhere to charge
A dedicated 240-volt circuit is a straightforward job if the panel has room. If it does not, we tell you what it takes to make room.
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You lost power for days in 2021 and do not want a repeat
A standby generator with a transfer switch, sized for the circuits that matter, is the answer for a lot of Austin-area homes.
Electrical Services
What Our Austin Electricians Do
Repairs, upgrades and installations for homes from Georgetown to Buda and out to Dripping Springs.
- Panel upgrades and replacement Bringing 60- and 100-amp panels up to modern capacity, replacing panels that inspectors flag, and adding the space new loads need. See electrical panels.
- EV charger installation Level 2 chargers on a dedicated circuit in the garage or driveway, permitted and load-calculated so nothing else in the house suffers. More at EV charging stations.
- Standby generators Whole-home or essential-circuit generators with automatic transfer switches, coordinated with our plumbers for the gas connection. Details at generators.
- Troubleshooting and repairs Dead circuits, tripping breakers, flickering lights and failed switches, traced to the cause. See electrical repairs.
- Outlets, switches and GFCI Grounded and GFCI outlets for kitchens, baths, garages and outdoor kitchens, plus dedicated circuits for the loads that keep tripping.
- Ceiling fans and lighting Fan-rated boxes on every install, recessed and exterior lighting, and the dimmers and controls that go with them.
- Safety inspections A full look at the panel, wiring type, grounding and protection, useful before buying an older Austin house or after a remodel. See electrical inspections.
- Emergency electrical service Sparking, burning smells, a dead panel or storm damage, 24 hours a day at the same price. More at emergency electrical.
How It Works
What an Electrical Visit in Austin Looks Like
Licensed, permitted, priced first. The same way we do plumbing and HVAC.
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Tell us the symptom or the project
A tripping breaker, a charger to install, a generator to size. Call or book online any hour.
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We look at the whole system
Panel capacity, wiring type, grounding and the load the house actually carries, so the fix is not just the nearest symptom.
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Written price, honored 72 hours
Itemized, with the permit included where required. No hidden fees, and no pressure to upgrade what does not need it.
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Do the work, pass inspection, guarantee it
Tested and inspected where the city requires, then backed by the Home Comfort Guarantee.
Current Specials
Save on the work your home needs most.
Need an Electrician in Austin?
Licensed, background-checked electricians around the clock, with the price agreed before the work.
What Our Customers Say
Don't just take our word for it — hear from our satisfied customers
★★★★★
Had a massive undetectable leak in a new home I just moved into... I was losing 1000+ gallons a day and was so worried about what was going to be the outcome. Then Radiant/ DAVID FARMER my saving grace, best plumber I've ever had, came to my rescue. It was a large job with doing all the leak detection and solving each problem but David was kind enough to teach me everything he was doing/what to look out for in the future to avoid issues later. It was an awful stressful situation that he made easy and fixed quickly. I think they are fairly priced and will work with budget constraints if needed. All I know is I know who my plumber is for life and I really appreciated all that Radiant and David did! UPDATE: used radiant for a AC repair and again they didn’t disappoint! April was my technician and she was AWESOME! So patient and kind and I learned a lot about my system that she showed me! Kudos again Radiant!!
★★★★★
We had another incredible experience with Radiant Plumbing & Air Conditioning that left us very impressed. Back in 2013, we hired this exact company to replace our old water heater, and the entire experience was absolutely outstanding. So, as soon as we realised it was time to replace our 2013 water heater, we didn’t hesitate to contact Radiant once more. Once more, Radiant and Christian, the technician, exceeded all expectations with their efforts. Christian is a true professional. We appreciated how Christian clearly explained all the different choices and worked hard to keep us near our budget limits. Our sincere thanks go to Christian and Radiant for their genuine support in helping us remain as close as possible within our financial limits. Christian was not only kind but also very respectful during his time at our house, and he did an outstanding job. Christian and the gentlemen who accompanied him performed their tasks excellently, demonstrating friendliness, kindness, and deep knowledge of their craft, which clearly marks them as true professionals. I want to express my gratitude to Radiant and also to Christian, thank you both!!
★★★★★
If you're in need of a new HVAC system because the one you got from the new home builder has broken down or is not working right, especially in this heat wave, Radiant can get you setup with a new and energy efficient system that keeps you cool and comfortable no matter the extreme temperature outside.
I highly recommend Radiant for cooling and heating. They are very friendly, knowledgeable and professional.
Their technician (Nathan B.) was outstanding and Breana the customer support manager provided stellar service and support.
They even have an annual warranty service program where they come out twice a year ahead of the winter months for heating system checkup along with system maintenance and then again in springtime to check the cooling ahead of the summer months for cooling system check and and any necessary maintenance to keep your system running efficiently and smoothly.
There warranty service is much cheaper than American HomeShield and does not require a copay or deductible. It's quite a bargain and it provides peace of mind.
Give Radiant a try and your heating and cooling worries will disappear. I absolutely recommend them with the highest rating available.
I highly recommend Radiant for cooling and heating. They are very friendly, knowledgeable and professional.
Their technician (Nathan B.) was outstanding and Breana the customer support manager provided stellar service and support.
They even have an annual warranty service program where they come out twice a year ahead of the winter months for heating system checkup along with system maintenance and then again in springtime to check the cooling ahead of the summer months for cooling system check and and any necessary maintenance to keep your system running efficiently and smoothly.
There warranty service is much cheaper than American HomeShield and does not require a copay or deductible. It's quite a bargain and it provides peace of mind.
Give Radiant a try and your heating and cooling worries will disappear. I absolutely recommend them with the highest rating available.
Maintenance Membership
Join the Care Club
Home maintenance for $9.99 a month.
Care Club members get two HVAC tune-ups and a plumbing safety inspection every year, priority scheduling, no dispatch fees — ever — and 5% off every repair.
- Priority scheduling
- Seasonal HVAC tune-ups
- Annual safety inspection
- Exclusive member discounts
- Free dispatch on repairs
- No long-term contracts
Austin Electrical Questions
Do your electricians come out to Round Rock, Kyle and Dripping Springs?
Yes. Our electrical service covers the Austin area, which means the city itself and the surrounding communities we serve for plumbing and HVAC: Round Rock, Pflugerville, Cedar Park, Leander, Georgetown, Hutto, Taylor, Elgin, Manor, Buda, Kyle, Manchaca, Del Valle, Dripping Springs, Driftwood, Spicewood, Liberty Hill and Coupland. Electrical is the one service we offer in Austin only; our San Antonio office handles plumbing and HVAC there but not electrical work. Pricing is the same across the Austin area, and there is no surcharge for the drive. The full list is on our Austin service area page.
My 1970s Austin house has aluminum wiring. Is that an emergency?
Not an emergency, but not something to ignore. Aluminum branch wiring was common in homes built in the late 1960s and early 1970s, including many in Austin, and the problem is at the connections: aluminum expands and contracts more than copper and can loosen at outlets, switches and fixtures over time, which is where the heat and the risk come from. The accepted fixes are either specific connectors rated for joining aluminum to copper at every device, or a full rewire, with the first being far less invasive. Signs to act on now are warm cover plates, flickering, or a burning smell at any device. An electrical inspection will tell you what you have and what it needs.
Can my panel handle an EV charger and a heat pump at the same time?
That is exactly the calculation we do before quoting either one. A Level 2 charger and an electric heat pump with backup heat strips are two of the largest loads a house can carry, and in a 1990s Round Rock or Cedar Park home with a 150- or 200-amp panel the answer depends on what else is already on it. Sometimes there is room. Sometimes a load-management device that pauses the charger while the heat runs solves it without a panel change. And sometimes the honest answer is a panel upgrade, which we would rather tell you before the charger is on the wall than after. Our Austin heat pumps page covers the HVAC side of that decision.
Is a standby generator worth it for an Austin home after the 2021 freeze?
For some homes, clearly yes; for others, a smaller solution is smarter. A whole-home standby generator on natural gas or propane with an automatic transfer switch keeps everything running and is the right call for a house with a well pump, medical equipment, or a household that cannot relocate during an outage. Many Austin-area homeowners land on a smaller unit that covers essential circuits: the furnace or heat pump, the refrigerator, some lights and outlets, and the tankless water heater’s freeze protection. We size it from the circuits you name, handle the electrical and transfer switch, and coordinate the gas line with our plumbers. See generators for the options, and financing is available, subject to credit approval.
*Offers cannot be combined with other promotions or applied to dispatch fees. No cash value. Must present offer at time of service. Call for details.
