Electrician Shirts

Your Electricians Work Inside Live Panels and Then Knock on the Next Customer's Door

Electrical work has a safety requirement that most trades do not. If your crew works on or near energized electrical equipment, NFPA 70E says they need flame-resistant clothing. That is not optional. It is federal workplace safety compliance. And the shirt you put your logo on has to meet that standard without compromising the FR rating.

Most electrical companies get this wrong in one of two ways. Either they skip the FR requirement entirely and hope nobody gets hurt, or they buy FR-rated garments and then screen print them, which voids the protection. Both mistakes are preventable if you understand the basics before you order.

This guide covers everything electrical contractors need to know about ordering custom work shirts. Garment types, materials, FR compliance, print methods, design placement, quantities, and where to get the work done. Especially the FR work, which requires a shop that actually knows how to handle it.

If This Sounds Like Your Crew, Keep Reading

Your electricians show up in random t-shirts with no branding. The ones who do have company shirts are wearing cotton tees with cracked logos. Nobody on your crew has FR-rated apparel even though half your jobs involve open panels. You tried ordering company shirts once and the print fell apart after a month.

Or maybe you have the shirts figured out for residential work, but your commercial division is growing and now you need FR-rated garments with company branding. Your current print shop says they can handle it, but they are going to screen print the logo. That is a problem.

The fix starts with understanding which jobs need which garment, and which decoration method is safe for each one.

Garment Types That Work for Electrical Crews

FR-Rated Arc Flash Shirts (The Non-Negotiable)

If your electricians work on or near energized electrical equipment above 50 volts, NFPA 70E requires flame-resistant clothing. This is not a suggestion. OSHA enforces it. The shirt must have a certified ATPV (Arc Thermal Performance Value) rating that matches the hazard risk category of the work being performed.

FR blanks from brands like Bulwark, Carhartt FR, Ariat FR, and DriFire range from $25 to $60 per garment depending on the arc rating and fabric weight. Category 1 (ATPV 4 cal/cm2) covers basic panel work. Category 2 (ATPV 8 cal/cm2) covers higher-energy tasks like working on 480-volt switchgear.

Here is the critical point: you cannot screen print on FR shirts. Plastisol ink is not flame resistant. In an arc flash event, screen printed ink can ignite or melt into the skin. The only approved decoration method for FR-rated garments is embroidery using FR-rated thread. This is a detail that many general print shops either do not know or ignore. A shop that specializes in FR workwear will use Nomex or other FR-rated thread and understand the stitch density limits that maintain the garment's protective properties.

Plan on 3 to 4 FR shirts per electrician who works on energized systems. These garments are expensive, so most companies keep the count tight and supplement with standard tees for non-energized work.

Crew Tees for Residential and Low-Voltage Work

For residential service calls, low-voltage wiring, fixture installs, and general maintenance, standard crew tees are fine. Cotton-poly blends in the $4 to $7 blank range. Next Level 6210, Bella+Canvas 3001CVC, or Gildan 64000 are all solid choices.

Screen print the back with your company name, phone number, and license number in large readable text. A customer watching your electrician work in their garage or crawlspace should be able to see your company info from across the room. Use 12 to 14 inch wide prints with bold, simple fonts.

Budget 5 to 7 per electrician. More if your crew works in summer heat and sweats through shirts regularly.

Polos for Estimators and Project Managers

Your estimators, project managers, and anyone who sits across from a general contractor or homeowner during a bid meeting needs something sharper than a crew tee. A performance polo with an embroidered left chest logo says "professional electrical contractor" without trying too hard.

Port Authority K540 or Sport-Tek ST650 run $8 to $14 for the blank. These get embroidered, not screen printed. Left chest logo, maybe a small sleeve detail. Clean and professional. Three to five per person is usually enough since these rotate slower than daily work tees.

Hi-Vis Shirts for Commercial Jobsites

Commercial and industrial electrical work often requires hi-vis apparel. Safety yellow or orange t-shirts with reflective striping, branded with your company logo in a contrasting color. ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 or Class 3 depending on the jobsite requirements.

Kishigo or Radians blanks run $8 to $15. Screen print works well here since these are not FR-rated (hi-vis and FR are separate requirements, though some garments combine both). If your crew needs both FR and hi-vis, look for dual-rated garments from Bulwark or Tingley. These cost $45 to $80 per blank.

Materials: What Holds Up in Electrical Work

Electricians deal with tight conduit runs, sharp panel edges, crawlspace work, and attic heat. The fabric needs to survive all of that without looking destroyed after two weeks.

An important note on polyester: standard polyester is never appropriate for work near energized electrical equipment. Polyester melts when exposed to heat or arc flash, and melting fabric fuses to skin. This is why NFPA 70E specifically prohibits clothing that can melt. Even for residential electricians who are not required to wear FR, cotton or cotton-blend is a safer choice than polyester when working around any electrical source.

Screen Print vs Embroidery for Electrician Shirts

This decision is simpler for electricians than it is for most trades, because FR compliance narrows the options.

FR-rated garments: Embroidery only. No exceptions. Screen printing, heat transfers, vinyl, and DTF are all prohibited on FR clothing because the materials can ignite or melt. The embroidery must use FR-rated thread (Nomex or equivalent). This is not standard thread. Your shop needs to stock it or order it specifically for FR work.

Standard crew tees: Screen printing is the most cost-effective option. Large back prints with company name, phone number, and license number. DTF transfers are also an option for smaller runs or detailed artwork.

Polos: Embroidery. Left chest logo, clean and professional. Standard polyester embroidery thread is fine here since these are not FR garments.

Hi-vis shirts: Screen printing works well. Use contrasting ink colors that stand out against the safety yellow or orange base.

Design: What to Put on Your Electrician Shirts

Electrician shirts need specific information that other trades do not always carry. Here is what should be on every shirt your crew wears.

Back print (screen printed crew tees): Company name in large, bold text. Phone number directly below. The words "Licensed & Insured" which immediately builds trust with residential customers. Your state license number, which is required by law in many jurisdictions. Keep the font simple and readable from 20 to 30 feet.

Left chest (embroidered polos and FR shirts): Company logo or company name with a small icon. Keep the design under 10,000 stitches to avoid puckering on lighter fabrics. On FR shirts, stitch density matters because excessive embroidery can create a weak point in the flame-resistant barrier.

Right chest or sleeve (optional): Certifications, employee name, or a secondary identifier like "Service" or "Install" to help customers and general contractors identify crew roles on a jobsite.

Examples: How It Comes Together

A typical electrical contractor with 8 employees doing both residential and commercial work might order like this:

Residential crew (4 electricians): 5 navy poly-cotton crew tees each, screen printed. Back print: company name, phone, license number. Left chest: small company logo. Total: 20 tees. Cost at $14 per shirt: $280.

Commercial crew (3 electricians): 4 FR-rated long sleeve shirts each, embroidered left chest with FR thread. Plus 3 hi-vis tees each, screen printed. Total: 12 FR shirts + 9 hi-vis tees. FR cost at $55 per shirt (blank + embroidery): $660. Hi-vis at $16 per shirt: $144.

Estimator/PM (1 person): 4 embroidered performance polos. Cost at $26 per polo: $104.

Total program cost: $1,188 for a fully outfitted 8-person electrical company. The FR shirts account for more than half the budget, which is typical. This is not the place to cut corners.

Order Planning and Timing

Standard crew tees and polos: 2 to 3 weeks production time at most shops. Order 4 to 6 weeks before you need them to account for artwork approvals and shipping.

FR-rated embroidery: 3 to 4 weeks minimum. FR blanks may need to be special ordered depending on sizes and styles. FR thread may also need to be ordered. Start this process 6 to 8 weeks before you need the garments.

Always keep 3 to 5 extra shirts in common sizes (L, XL, 2XL) for new hires. Running out of branded shirts and having a new electrician show up in a blank tee undermines the entire program.

Order Checklist for Electrical Contractors

Common Mistakes Electrical Companies Make When Ordering Shirts

Not ordering FR when NFPA 70E requires it. This is the biggest one. Many electrical companies either do not know about the FR requirement or assume it does not apply to their work. If your electricians work on energized panels, switchgear, or any system above 50 volts with exposed live parts, FR clothing is mandatory. An arc flash incident without proper FR protection can cause severe burns. The OSHA fine is the least of your problems.

Screen printing FR shirts. This is the second biggest mistake and it is surprisingly common. A shop that does not specialize in FR work may not even know this is a problem. They will screen print your logo on an $50 FR shirt, hand it back to you, and you will have a garment that looks correct but fails in the one situation where it matters most. Always verify that your shop understands FR decoration requirements.

Using polyester for field work. Standard polyester melts. It is comfortable and looks great, but if it contacts a heat source or is involved in an arc flash event, it fuses to skin. Keep polyester for office staff, estimators, and anyone who is never near an electrical source.

Skipping the license number. Many states require electrical contractors to display their license number on vehicles and uniforms. Check your state licensing board requirements. Adding it to the back print costs nothing extra and keeps you compliant.

Ordering one type of shirt for every situation. Residential service calls, commercial jobsites, bid meetings, and energized panel work all require different garments. A single cotton tee does not cover all four. Match the garment to the situation.

Finding the Right Shop for Your Electrical Company

The most important factor in choosing a print shop for electrician apparel is whether they can handle FR work. If your crew needs FR-rated garments, you need a shop that stocks FR blanks, uses FR-rated embroidery thread, and understands stitch density limits for arc-rated fabrics. This is a specialized skill.

For standard crew tees and polos, any established screen printing and embroidery shop can handle the work. Look for shops that serve trade companies regularly, offer reorder programs, and can turn orders around in 2 to 3 weeks.

We have worked with the shops listed below and matched them to specific situations based on their capabilities. Read the descriptions to find the one that fits your crew size, location, and the type of work you need done.