Founded February 2009 by Josh Barnes · 17 years on Florida license ES12000724 · owner still the named qualifier.
Barnes Electric of Central FL, Inc. is a family-owned residential specialty electrical contractor — founded in February 2009 by Josh Barnes, and run by the same owner ever since. Josh is the named qualifier on Florida license ES12000724: the person legally responsible for the work on every job we take. Not a name on a truck — the person on the license.
That’s the difference. We’re not a franchise, not a call center, and not a rotating crew of subcontractors who’ve never met. There’s no regional manager and no script. When you hire Barnes Electric, you’re hiring the company Josh built — and Josh or one of his team walks every estimate personally.
Seventeen years in, the work is still what it’s always been: custom homes, whole-home rewires, panel and service upgrades, architectural lighting design, whole-home standby generators, and storm-season service work across Polk, Highlands, and Sumter counties — with an average project around $50,000 per independent BuildZoom data. Real electrical scope, owned end to end, by people whose name is on it.
Josh Barnes incorporated the company in February 2009 and earned his Florida license that June. Seventeen years later he’s still the named qualifier on ES12000724 — the person legally responsible for the work on every job.
Most of that work is residential: custom homes, whole-home rewires, panel upgrades, architectural lighting, standby generators, and storm-season service upgrades. The average project runs about $50,000 per independent BuildZoom data — real electrical scope, not a service-call shop.
Not a franchise. No call center, no script, no regional manager. When you hire Barnes Electric, you’re hiring the company Josh built — the one with his name and license number behind every job.
There are other family-owned electricians in Lakeland. What we invite you to do is verify what’s on file:
Full scope, framing through finish.
Load calc, transfer switch, gas coordination, slab — one scope.
Sized for where the home is going, not where it’s been.
Fixture spec, layer plan, dimming protocol, rough-in.
Service load calc included, sized for the panel and the vehicle.
Fully FPL-coordinated, same-week scheduling.
In July of 2025 we had some electrical work (fixture exchange) done during a remodel by Barnes Electric of Central Florida out of Lakeland. We could not have been happier and pleased with the work done by Derek and Ely. The guys paid special attention to making sure the wood floors were protected and the walls and ceilings had no marks left on them. We could not be happier with the outcome! Thank you guys!
Best in the business. Josh and his team really do good work. I highly recommend you give them a call if you want the job done right! I don’t even consider calling any other company when I need electrical work done.
As a developer, finding good contractors who do quality work at competitive prices is a consistent effort. In finding and working with Barnes, we have not wanted for Electric services or HVAC service at all. Spectacular customer service from the awesome office staff and the highest quality of work. You can expect all inspections to pass with flying colors when you trust the right team, and Josh has built that here!
We walk the project with you, scope the work, and quote it in writing — no upsell scripts, no surprise change orders.
Barnes Electric of Central FL, Inc.
8131 HWY 98 N · Lakeland, FL 33809
(863) 213-5099
Service@barneselectricfl.com
Counties served:
Polk — Lakeland, Winter Haven, Bartow, Auburndale, Haines City, Lake Wales, Davenport
Highlands — Sebring, Avon Park, Lake Placid
Sumter — The Villages, Bushnell, Webster
