Spark Services Electrical Panel Upgrade

Electrical Panel Upgrade in California

Replace an old or undersized main panel with a modern service.

A 200 amp panel upgrade in Los Angeles runs 2,800 to 6,500 dollars and takes one day, plus a power shutoff from the utility.

The short version

Most homes built before 1980 have 100 amps or less at the main.
The permit and the utility disconnect are part of the job, not extras.
Federal Pacific and Zinsco panels get replaced, never repaired.
A panel swap and a service upgrade are two different prices.

What a panel upgrade actually replaces

The panel is the steel box where power from the street splits into the circuits in your home. An upgrade replaces that box, the main breaker, the breakers inside it, the grounding, and usually the cable running from the meter.

There are two jobs people call a panel upgrade. A panel swap keeps the same service size and puts a new box on the wall. A service upgrade raises the amps, which means the utility has to change what feeds the house. The second job costs more and takes longer because another company has to show up.

Signs your panel is out of room

Breakers that trip when two things run at once, a panel with every slot filled, double tapped breakers with two wires under one screw, and a main rated at 60 or 100 amps all say the same thing. The house asks for more than the panel can give.

Age matters on its own. Federal Pacific Stab Lok and Zinsco panels were installed all over Los Angeles from the fifties through the seventies, and both have a record of breakers that fail to trip. Insurers ask about them by name. No electrician will repair one.

What the day looks like

Power goes off in the morning. The electrician pulls the old panel, sets the new one, moves every circuit over and labels it, drives new ground rods, and bonds the water and gas lines. An inspector comes out, and the utility reconnects.

Plan for the power to be off six to eight hours. Ask the electrician to tell you the day before so you can empty the fridge shelf you care about and charge what you need.

What moves the price

The panel size, whether the meter has to move, the length of the run from the meter to the panel, and whether the house needs a new mast through the roof. A panel on the far side of a finished wall costs more than one in a garage.

An upgrade is also the cheapest moment to plan ahead. Adding space for a car charger or a heat pump while the box is open costs very little. Coming back for it later means another permit and another day.