Emergency Lighting Repair Houston: Exit Signs, Batteries, 90-Minute Tests and Free Quotes

For emergency lighting repair Houston property owners usually call a fire protection contractor or a commercial electrician. Most fixes are simple: a dead battery, a failed lamp head or an exit sign that will not hold a charge, typically $100–$400 per fixture installed. Many buildings bundle the yearly 90-minute test with their fire alarm and sprinkler inspections.

The 15 companies below come from Repairior’s Houston directory and list emergency lighting repair. None of them paid to be listed. To be upfront, most are fire protection contractors whose services include emergency and exit lighting rather than lighting specialists, and licensed electricians do this work as well.

15 Emergency Lighting Repair Companies in Houston

See every emergency lighting repair company in Houston, TX →

Compare Houston Emergency Lighting Companies

All 15 are fire protection firms that list emergency lighting among their services. Several handle it alongside annual alarm, sprinkler and extinguisher inspections, which can save a separate trip.

Company	Area	What they work on	Listed as 24/7
Cintas Fire Protection	Consulate Plaza Dr, near Bush Intercontinental, 77032	Emergency and exit lighting, extinguishers, alarm and sprinkler inspection, kitchen suppression	No
AC Fire Protection	Naomi St, near the Astrodome, 77054	Emergency exit lighting, kitchen suppression, alarms, sprinklers	No
Southeast Fire Protection, L.P.	Berry Brook Dr, southeast Houston, 77017	Emergency and exit lighting, sprinklers, alarms, extinguishers for commercial and multifamily	Yes
Reliable Fire Protection Houston	Bolin Rd, northwest Houston, 77092	Emergency lighting, extinguishers, sprinklers, alarm inspection and repair	Yes
ASAP Fire Protection	Calhoun Rd, South Side, 77021	Emergency lighting checks, extinguishers, alarms, sprinklers	Yes
Spartan Fire Protection	Bolin Rd, Spring Branch area, 77092	Emergency lighting, alarm installation and service, sprinkler repair, extinguishers	No
Fire Safe Protection Services LP	Sherwood Forest St, northwest Houston, 77043	Emergency lighting, sprinklers, alarms, extinguishers for commercial and institutional buildings	No
Impact Fire Services	N Post Oak Rd, 77055	Emergency lighting inspections, alarm inspection and repair, sprinklers, extinguishers	Yes
FirePro Tech, LLC	Jackrabbit Rd, northwest Houston, 77095	Emergency lighting, sprinkler inspection, alarms, extinguishers, construction projects	No
Capital Fire Protection LLC	Rogerdale Rd, Westchase, 77042	Emergency lighting inspections, extinguishers, alarms, sprinklers	Yes
Affordable Fire Safety	Bramble Fern Pl, Katy, 77449	Emergency lighting, alarms, sprinklers, extinguishers for offices and small jobs	No
Houston Automation, Inc.	Texas Pkwy, Stafford, 77477	Emergency lighting, alarms, sprinklers, extinguishers; early weekday hours	No
Platinum Fire Protection	Chance Ln, Rosharon, 77583	Emergency lighting, fire suppression systems, sprinklers, extinguishers	No
Summit Fire & Security	N Preston Rd, Pasadena, 77503	Emergency lighting inspection, testing and repair, alarms, sprinklers, extinguishers	No
Titan Fire & Safety	Serves Houston (mobile)	Emergency lighting, alarms, sprinklers, extinguishers, buildout life safety planning	No

What Emergency Lighting Includes

Emergency lighting is the battery-backed lighting that keeps exits, corridors and stairs visible when normal power fails. Houston buildings usually have three kinds of fixtures.

• Emergency light units: the familiar “bug eye” fixtures with two lamp heads, plus battery packs built into regular light fixtures.
• Exit signs: internally lit signs over exit doors, often combined with lamp heads in a single combo unit.
• Central systems: larger buildings may run emergency lights from a central battery inverter or a generator through a transfer switch instead of a battery in each fixture.

Every self-contained unit has the same core parts: a charger, a sealed battery, a transfer circuit that switches on when power drops, the lamps or LEDs, and a test button with a charge indicator light.

Who fixes emergency lights?

Two trades do this work. Fire protection contractors often test and repair emergency lights during their life safety inspections. Licensed electricians handle it too, especially new circuits, rewiring and large retrofits.

In Texas, electrical wiring work generally falls under Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation electrician licensing. When a fixture needs hardwiring, ask whether the technician is a licensed electrician or works under one.

Common Emergency Light and Exit Sign Problems

• Lights die within seconds of the test: almost always a worn-out battery. Replace the battery, then let it charge for 24 hours before retesting.
• Charge light off: the unit may have lost its normal power feed, a breaker may be off, or the charger board has failed.
• Lamp heads dark but the exit sign works: burned-out lamps or loose lamp head connections. Many older units are cheaper to replace with LED than to relamp.
• Exit sign dim or flickering: failing LEDs or a dying battery. Old incandescent and fluorescent exit signs are good candidates for an LED replacement.
• Units that pass the 30-second test but fail at 90 minutes: a weak battery that has lost capacity. Only the long test catches this.
• Swollen or leaking battery: replace the battery and inspect the charger. Do not keep using a damaged unit.

How Often Do Emergency Lights Need to Be Inspected?

NFPA 101, the Life Safety Code, and the International Fire Code used by Houston set out the testing schedule most fire marshals follow.

• Monthly: a functional test of at least 30 seconds. Press each test button or cut power to the circuit and confirm every light comes on.
• Annually: a full 90-minute test on battery power. Lights must stay on for the whole test.
• Records: keep written records of each test and repair. Inspectors ask for them.

Self-diagnostic units run these tests automatically and flag failures with an indicator light. They save labor in large buildings, but someone still has to look at the lights and keep the log.

The Houston Fire Marshal’s Office and other local fire marshals check emergency and exit lighting during inspections. Requirements vary by occupancy, so confirm what your building needs with your fire marshal.

Emergency exit light inspection tips

Run the annual 90-minute test after business hours or at a quiet time, because the lights will need about a day to recharge. Walk the whole exit path in the dark to spot any stretch that is not lit well enough. A dark stairwell is the classic miss.

How Often Do Emergency Light Batteries Need to Be Replaced?

Most sealed lead-acid and nickel-cadmium batteries in emergency lights last roughly 3–5 years, with some nickel-cadmium and lithium units lasting longer. Heat shortens that. A unit in a hot warehouse or an un-air-conditioned stairwell in a Houston summer will wear out sooner.

Write the install date on each battery with a marker. When units start failing the 90-minute test at around the same age, plan to replace the rest of that batch together.

Emergency Light Replacement Cost in Houston

Job	Typical Houston range (2026)
Service call or trip charge	$85–$200
Replacement battery, per unit	$30–$100 parts, plus labor
New emergency light unit, installed	$150–$350
New LED exit sign, installed	$100–$300
Combo exit sign and emergency light, installed	$175–$400
Annual 90-minute test with report, small building	$150–$500
Per-fixture test pricing, larger sites	$5–$15 per fixture
New circuit or rewiring for a fixture	$250–$800 or more

These are typical ranges for planning, not quotes. Ceiling height, lifts, fixture brand and how many units you replace at once all change the price.

Repair or replace?

Replace the battery when the unit is fairly new and only the battery has failed. Replace the whole fixture when it is old incandescent or fluorescent, the charger board is dead, the housing is cracked, or parts are no longer made. LED retrofits draw less power and the lamps rarely need changing, so a building full of aging exit signs is often cheaper to convert in one job than to fix one sign at a time.

Houston Outages, Hurricanes and Emergency Lights

Houston tests its emergency lights for real more often than most cities. Hurricane Beryl in 2024 and the February 2021 freeze left many buildings without power for days, long after a 90-minute battery was spent.

• After an outage: batteries that ran flat need a full recharge. Test every unit a day or two after power returns and replace any that fail.
• Generator-backed buildings: high-rises, hospitals and some apartment complexes feed emergency lighting from a generator. The generator and transfer switch need their own testing.
• Humidity: parking garages, pool areas and exterior exits see corrosion on contacts and housings. Use wet-location rated fixtures outside.
• Restaurants and warehouses: grease and dust build up on lenses and sensors, and forklifts damage low-mounted signs.

How to Choose an Emergency Lighting Technician

• Ask whether the company does testing only, or testing plus repairs and fixture replacement.
• Ask who handles hardwired work and for the electrician’s license number.
• If the same company inspects your fire alarm or sprinklers, ask for the State Fire Marshal’s Office license numbers that cover that work.
• Get a written report listing every fixture, its location, its test result and what was fixed.
• Ask whether batteries and lamps carry a warranty and how long replacement parts take.
• Ask if they can bundle emergency lighting with your other annual inspections.

How to Get a Fast, Accurate Quote

1. Count your emergency lights, exit signs and combo units, by floor if you can.
2. Press each test button and note which fixtures fail or stay dark.
3. Take photos of the label inside a failed unit so the technician knows the battery and model.
4. Note ceiling heights over about 12 feet and any fixtures that need a lift.
5. Include any fire marshal correction notice and its deadline.
6. Send it through Repairior’s free quote form and compare per-fixture prices.

Related Fire and Life Safety Services in Houston

Emergency lights work alongside the rest of your building’s life safety systems:

• Fire alarm repair and inspection companies in Houston
• Fire sprinkler repair and inspection companies in Houston
• Fire extinguisher inspection and recharge in Houston
• Backup generator repair in Houston
• All fire and life safety companies in Houston, TX

Emergency Lighting Repair Houston: FAQs

Who fixes emergency lights?

Fire protection contractors and licensed electricians. Fire protection companies often handle testing and simple repairs during inspections, while electricians handle new circuits and rewiring.

How often do emergency lights need to be inspected?

A 30-second functional test every month and a 90-minute test every year, with written records of both. Confirm details for your building with your fire marshal.

How often do emergency light batteries need to be replaced?

Typically every 3–5 years, sooner in hot spaces. Replace any battery that cannot carry the lights for the full 90-minute test.

What does emergency light replacement cost?

In Houston, a new emergency light or exit sign usually runs $100–$400 installed. A battery alone is often $30–$100 plus labor.

Can exit signs be repaired?

Often, yes. Exit sign repair usually means a new battery, LED board or charger. Old incandescent and fluorescent signs are usually better replaced with LED units.

What is checked during an emergency exit light inspection?

The technician tests each fixture on battery power, checks that lamp heads are aimed at the exit path, confirms exit signs are lit and readable, and records any failures.

Why does my emergency light keep beeping or blinking?

Self-diagnostic units signal a failed test, a bad battery or a lamp fault. Check the indicator code in the manual, then replace the battery or call a technician.

Conclusion

Most emergency lighting repair Houston jobs come down to batteries, lamps and old exit signs. Run your monthly test, write down every failure, and send that list to two or three companies before your annual inspection or the next storm season.

About This Guide

Editorial policy: Companies are listed from Repairior’s Houston directory based on the services, location and details in their profiles. Cost figures are typical planning ranges for Houston in 2026, and code requirements are described in general terms. Your fire marshal has the final say.

Transparency: No company paid to appear in this guide or to be ranked higher. Repairior did not inspect, test or hire these companies. Check licenses and get written quotes before you hire.

About the author: This guide was written by Quesnel S for the Repairior Editorial Team, which covers repair and building services for property owners and businesses across Houston and other U.S. cities.