Services
Panel upgrades & service changes
Outdated panels trip, run hot and limit what you can add. We upgrade service to 200A, replace problem panels and leave every circuit labelled.
What's included
- Load calculation and permit handling
- 200A service upgrades and meter changes
- Replacement of Federal Pacific and Zinsco panels
- AFCI and GFCI protection on required circuits
- Printed circuit directory for the door
When it’s time to replace a panel
A panel isn’t something to replace on a hunch. The usual triggers are physical: breakers that feel warm, a faint burning smell near the panel, rust or scorch marks inside the cover, or a service size that can’t keep up with a modern kitchen and an EV charger.
Federal Pacific Stab-Lok and Zinsco panels are a special case. They’re known to fail to trip under fault conditions, and most insurers will ask about them by name. If you have one, replacement is usually the cheapest path to both safety and insurability.
What the job involves
We start with a load calculation to see what your existing service can actually carry. From there we pull the permit, schedule the disconnect with the utility, and plan the changeover so you’re without power for hours rather than days.
On the day, we replace the panel and service entrance, torque every termination to spec, install the required arc-fault and ground-fault protection, and test each circuit before we close it up. You get a typed circuit directory and a walkthrough of what changed.
What it costs
Most 200A residential service changes in Austin land between $2,400 and $4,800 depending on mast height, meter location and how much of the old wiring has to be brought up to current code. You’ll get that number in writing before we order parts.