Lakeway, TX — Serving the Lake Travis Area & Greater Austin Mary@simmselectric.com
Licensed & Insured · TDLR Master Electrician
Austin, TX · Whole-Home Surge Protection

Whole-Home Surge Protection
in Austin, TX

Protect your panel, appliances, HVAC, EV charger, and electronics from Texas lightning and grid surges. Type 1 & Type 2 surge protective devices installed at your panel by licensed Master Electricians — for homes and businesses across the Austin area since 1997.

200+ five-star reviews Meets 2023 NEC surge code Family-owned since 1997
200+ Five-Star ReviewsVerified Google reviews
Licensed & InsuredTexas Department of Licensing & Regulation
Code-Compliant InstallsMeets 2023 NEC surge requirements
Family-Owned Since 1997Local Austin-area business
Whole-Home Surge Protection by Simms Electrical Services

One Power Surge Can Cost More Than a Lifetime of Protection

A power surge is a sudden spike of voltage pushed through your wiring — and it doesn't take a direct lightning strike to do damage. Most surges come from inside the grid: utility switching, downed lines, transformer faults, and even large appliances like your AC compressor cycling on and off. Central Texas gets more than its share of thunderstorms and grid strain, and every spike puts your electronics, appliances, and HVAC in the line of fire.

A whole-home surge protector — also called a whole-house surge protector or surge protective device (SPD) — is installed right at your electrical panel that clamps those voltage spikes before they reach your circuits. It's the difference between protecting a power strip's worth of gear and protecting everything hard-wired in your home — your HVAC system, EV charger, refrigerator, oven, well pump, smart-home equipment, and every outlet in the house. As of the 2023 National Electrical Code (Section 230.67), surge protection is now required on dwelling units, including whenever a home's service panel is replaced — so if you're upgrading your panel, this is the moment to do it right.

Looking for Austin surge protection you can count on? Simms Electrical Services installs surge protection for both homes and businesses across the Austin area. We're family-owned — not a national franchise — with 39 years of experience in the trade and licensed Master Electricians on every job. We size the right device for your panel, verify your grounding and bonding (a surge device only works on a properly grounded system), and give you upfront pricing before we start.

What We Do

Surge protection services in Austin, TX

Layered protection from the meter to your most sensitive electronics — for homes and businesses.

Whole-Home Surge ProtectionType 2 surge protective device installed at your main panel to shield the whole house
Service-Entrance (Type 1) ProtectionA first line of defense at the service entrance for maximum surge capacity
Panel Upgrade + SurgeAdd code-required surge protection while we replace or upgrade your panel
Point-of-Use ProtectionLayered protection for computers, AV gear, and sensitive electronics
HVAC & Appliance ProtectionProtect big-ticket equipment — AC, heat pump, refrigerator, oven, well pump
EV Charger & Solar ProtectionGuard chargers, inverters, and battery systems from voltage spikes
Storm & Lightning Damage RepairPost-surge inspection, device replacement, and circuit troubleshooting
Commercial Surge ProtectionProtect business equipment and 3-phase panels — offices, retail & more
Surge & Safety InspectionWe check grounding, bonding, and your panel so protection actually works
Why Austin Homeowners & Businesses Choose Us

What makes Simms Electrical Services different

Grounding & bonding done right

A surge device only works on a properly grounded, bonded panel — we verify it, not just bolt on a box.

Master electricians on every job

Not apprentices — licensed Master Electricians, every time.

Family-owned since 1997

Kurt and Mary Simms are local — this is their community too.

Code-compliant installs

We meet the 2023 NEC surge requirement — the right device, sized and installed to code.

Honest, upfront pricing

Clear estimates and no surprises — we tell you what it'll cost before we start.

Fully licensed & insured

Texas TDLR licensed — you're protected on every job.

What Our Customers Say

Real reviews from Austin-area customers

Don't take our word for it — here's what businesses and homeowners across the Austin area are saying.

★★★★★

"Kurt Simms of Simms Electrical Services right in Lakeway. Very professional, on time, reasonable pricing, great work."

CR
C.R.
Lakeway, TX · via Nextdoor
★★★★★

"I highly recommend Simms Electrical Services. They scheduled timely service with a master electrician who quickly resolved a complex set of high- and low-voltage issues, with all the supplies on the truck. Impressive service."

DP
David Paynter
Google Review
★★★★★

"75% of our business is from returning customers — and we're proud of that. It means we're doing something right."

KS
Kurt Simms
Owner, Simms Electrical Services
Where We Work

Surge protection across greater Austin

Based in Lakeway, we install surge protection for homes and businesses across the Austin metro — from Lake Travis-area homes to retail centers, offices, and HOAs. If it has a panel, we can protect it.

Austin Lakeway Bee Cave The Hills West Lake Hills Steiner Ranch Cedar Park Round Rock Hudson Bend Spicewood Lago Vista Lost Creek Barton Creek Anderson Mill
Surge Protection FAQ

Common questions about whole-home surge protection

Straight answers to what Austin homeowners ask us most about surge protector installation.

Do I really need a whole-house surge protector?

If you have anything electronic worth protecting — HVAC, appliances, an EV charger, computers, or smart-home gear — yes. Most homes see dozens of small surges a month, and roughly 80% of them come from inside the house (large appliances cycling on and off), not just lightning. A single big surge can destroy thousands of dollars of equipment. A whole-house surge protector is inexpensive insurance by comparison.

How much does whole-house surge protection cost in Austin?

Most whole-house surge protector installations run in the low hundreds of dollars installed — the exact price depends on your panel, the device rating, and whether any grounding or panel work is needed. We give you an upfront, no-obligation estimate before we start, so there are no surprises.

Is surge protection required by code?

Yes. The National Electrical Code has required surge protective devices on dwelling units since the 2020 edition (Section 230.67), and the 2023 code carries it forward — including whenever a home's service equipment or panel is replaced. If you're upgrading your panel, surge protection is now part of a code-compliant job.

What's the difference between a whole-house surge protector and a power strip?

A plug-in power strip only protects what's plugged into it. A whole-house surge protector is wired into your electrical panel, so it protects everything in the home — including hard-wired equipment like your AC, oven, well pump, and EV charger that can't plug into a strip. The two work best together: panel-level protection first, point-of-use protectors for your most sensitive electronics.

Will a surge protector stop lightning damage?

A whole-house surge protector greatly reduces damage from nearby strikes and grid surges by diverting excess voltage away from your circuits. No device can absorb a direct lightning strike, but proper panel-level protection — combined with good grounding and bonding, which we always verify — is your strongest, code-recognized defense.

Don't wait for the next storm to protect your home

Call us or send us a message — a licensed Master Electrician will get back to you the same business day with a clear, no-obligation estimate for whole-home surge protection.

Call (512) 766-5399 Request Service
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