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Your electrical panel is your home's power distribution center—the critical junction where electricity enters your home and flows to every circuit, outlet, and appliance. When your panel is outdated, undersized, or simply failing from age, your entire home's electrical safety and functionality are compromised. Since 2006, Summit Electric has completed thousands of electrical panel upgrades throughout the Inland Empire, helping homeowners transition from outdated, dangerous panels to modern systems that support today's electrical demands safely.
We understand what drives homeowners to upgrade their panels. Sometimes it's obvious—breakers trip constantly, the panel feels warm, you smell burning, or your insurance company flags it as a hazard. Other times it's practical—you're adding an EV charger, installing solar panels, remodeling your kitchen, or simply trying to run your air conditioning and laundry simultaneously without losing power. Whatever brings you here, we provide professional panel upgrades that solve your immediate problem while positioning your home's electrical system for decades of reliable service.
From the initial assessment through permit filing, utility coordination, professional installation, and final inspection, we handle every aspect of your panel upgrade. You get a modern electrical system that's safe, reliable, and built to code—and you never have to take time off work to meet city inspectors or navigate utility bureaucracy.
Call (951) 550-4832 or a free panel upgrade assessment throughout the Inland Empire.
Think of your electrical panel as your home's circulatory system control center. When it's healthy and adequate, electricity flows safely to every part of your home. When it's compromised—undersized, outdated, or deteriorating—every electrical system in your home suffers, and safety risks multiply.
Most electrical problems homeowners experience trace back to panel inadequacy. Breakers that trip constantly aren't necessarily "bad breakers"—they're often doing exactly what they're designed to do, which is protect overloaded circuits. Flickering lights usually indicate voltage issues caused by inadequate service capacity. Burning smells near panels signal dangerous connection problems or failing components. These aren't minor inconveniences—they're warnings that your electrical system needs professional attention.
Modern homes demand significantly more power than homes built even 20-30 years ago. Consider what's running in your home right now: central air conditioning drawing 15-30 amps continuously during summer, kitchen with multiple appliances operating simultaneously, home office with computer equipment and monitors, entertainment systems throughout the house, smart home devices adding constant small loads, and possibly electric vehicle charging overnight. If your home was built with 60-amp or 100-amp service, your panel simply can't support these demands safely.
Certain electrical panel brands installed in homes between the 1960s-1990s are now recognized as serious fire hazards. If your home has one of these panels, replacement isn't optional—it's essential for your family's safety.
Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) Panels – Installed in millions of homes between 1950-1980, FPE Stab-Lok panels have a documented failure rate where breakers don't trip during overloads or short circuits. Independent testing found that up to 25% of FPE breakers failed to trip when they should, allowing dangerous overcurrent conditions that can cause fires. Many insurance companies refuse to cover homes with FPE panels, and those that do charge significantly higher premiums. If you have an FPE panel, replacement should be your top priority.
Zinsco Panels – Popular in the 1970s, Zinsco panels (also branded as Sylvania) suffer from breaker connection problems where the breaker remains in the "on" position even after tripping. Aluminum bus bars in these panels can corrode and melt, creating fire hazards. Like FPE panels, Zinsco panels are insurance red flags that need immediate replacement.
Pushmatic Panels—While not as hazardous as FPE or Zinsco, Pushmatic panels installed from the 1950s-1970s use outdated button-style breakers that are difficult to source for repairs. The panels lack modern safety features and should be replaced during home sales or major remodels.
If you're unsure what brand panel you have, we provide free assessments that identify your panel, evaluate its condition, and recommend appropriate action.
How do you know if your panel needs upgrading? Watch for these warning signs:
Frequent Breaker Trips—If you can't run your air conditioning and do laundry simultaneously without tripping breakers, your panel is telling you it's at capacity. Constant breaker trips aren't just annoying—they indicate your electrical system is operating at its limits.
Flickering or Dimming Lights—Lights that flicker when major appliances turn on indicate inadequate electrical capacity. Your panel can't supply the surge current needed, causing voltage drops throughout your home.
Warm or Hot Panel—Electrical panels should never feel warm to the touch. Heat indicates loose connections, failing components, or overcurrent conditions—all serious safety hazards requiring immediate professional attention.
Burning Smell Near Panel – Any burning smell near your electrical panel demands immediate attention. This indicates overheating connections or components—conditions that cause electrical fires. Turn off your main breaker and call for emergency electrical service.
Rust or Corrosion—Moisture in panels creates corrosion that compromises connections and increases fire risk. Panels with visible rust need replacement, and the moisture source needs identification and correction.
60-Amp or 100-Amp Service—If your main breaker is 60 or 100 amps, your home was built for electrical demands far lower than modern requirements. These service sizes were adequate decades ago but struggle with today's loads.
Adding Major Appliances or Systems – Planning to install an EV charger, add air conditioning, install solar panels, or undertake major remodels? Your existing panel might lack the capacity to support these additions safely.
Insurance Requirements—Many insurance companies now require panel upgrades as a condition of coverage, particularly for FPE and Zinsco panels. If your insurance company flagged your panel, replacement protects both your coverage and your family.
Failed Home Inspection—Buying or selling a home and the inspector flagged the electrical panel? This needs resolution before closing. Panel replacement removes this obstacle and protects the transaction.
We start every panel upgrade with a thorough assessment of your current electrical system. This isn't a quick glance—it's a comprehensive evaluation that gives you complete information about your home's electrical condition.
During the assessment, we examine your current panel's brand, age, and condition, measure available capacity and load, identify any hazardous panels (FPE, Zinsco, etc.), check for code violations or safety concerns, assess your meter base and service entrance, discuss your current electrical needs and future plans, and identify any aluminum wiring requiring special attention.
We use this information to recommend the appropriate panel size for your home. Most modern homes need 200-amp service, but some smaller homes function well with 150-amp panels, while larger homes or those with extensive electrical demands might benefit from 400-amp service. We size your panel based on your actual needs—not the minimum code requirement, not the most expensive option we can sell, but the right capacity for your home's current and foreseeable future demands.
After the assessment, you receive a detailed written quote that includes all costs—new panel and breakers, labor for complete installation, all necessary permits, utility coordination fees, and final inspection. No hidden fees, no surprises, no last-minute upsells. The price we quote is the price you pay unless you ask us to do additional work beyond the original scope.
All electrical panel upgrades require permits from your local building department. We handle this entire process for you—you never need to visit city offices or deal with bureaucratic paperwork.
We prepare the permit application with technical specifications, submit it to your city or county building department, pay all permit fees (included in your quote), respond to any plan review questions if required, and keep you informed of approval status. Permit review typically takes 3-7 business days depending on your jurisdiction and current workload.
Why are permits important? They ensure work meets current electrical code, create a paper trail that protects your home's value, satisfy insurance company requirements, and demonstrate professional installation when you sell your home. Unpermitted panel work creates serious problems during home sales—buyers discover it during inspections and demand corrections, price reductions or simply walk away. We handle permits properly to protect your investment.
For panel upgrades, we typically need Southern California Edison to temporarily disconnect power at your meter so we can safely work on the main electrical service. We handle all SCE coordination—you don't need to call them or navigate their system.
We schedule meter disconnect for the morning of installation day, coordinate timing so your power is off for the shortest period possible, complete all work efficiently while power is disconnected, request meter reconnection when work is ready, and coordinate any necessary service upgrades from their infrastructure. Most panel upgrades have power restored the same day, typically by late afternoon. For homes requiring utility service upgrades (transformer changes or service line upgrades), the timeline might extend to 1-2 days, but we coordinate this entirely with SCE.
On installation day, our licensed electricians arrive on schedule with all necessary equipment and materials. The installation process typically takes 6-8 hours for standard panel upgrades, though larger projects or complex situations might take longer.
Our installation process includes turning off main power and coordinating SCE meter disconnect, carefully removing the old panel while documenting circuit connections, installing the new panel with secure mounting and proper clearances, transferring all circuits to new breakers, clearly labeling every circuit for future convenience, testing every circuit and breaker for proper operation, installing proper grounding and bonding per code, ensuring all connections are tight and secure, and cleaning the work area thoroughly—you won't know we were there except for your new panel.
We take pride in clean, professional installations. Your new panel will be properly labeled, neatly wired, securely mounted, and ready for decades of reliable service. This isn't quick work—it's careful, methodical work done by licensed professionals who understand that your family's safety depends on getting every detail right.
After installation, your city or county building department inspector visits to verify the work meets all code requirements. We schedule this inspection, we're present during the inspection to answer any questions, and we ensure the work passes on the first visit.
If the inspector identifies any issues requiring correction (rare with our work), we address them immediately at no additional cost and schedule re-inspection. You receive final inspection approval documentation proving the work was completed legally and professionally. This documentation is valuable when selling your home—it demonstrates that major electrical work was permitted and inspected.
Highly recommended by us! We used Summit for our EV Charger upgrade and installing a subpanel for some outdoor upgrades at our place in Idyllwild. Matt is very responsive and got us quotes and a plan quickly. The work was great and we will use him again for our future electrical work.
John Sawyer
Electrical safety starts with your panel. Here are the reasons why you should work with us:
Panel upgrade costs vary based on several factors. Understanding these helps you evaluate quotes and make informed decisions.
Current Panel Location and Accessibility – Panels in easily accessible garages or utility areas cost less to replace than panels in cramped spaces, behind finished walls, or in difficult locations. Sometimes existing panels are installed in locations that no longer meet current code clearance requirements, requiring relocation that adds cost.
Service Size and Capacity—Upgrading from 100-amp to 200-amp service costs more than replacing a 200-amp panel with another 200-amp panel. Larger services (300-amp or 400-amp) cost more than standard 200-amp installations.
Number of Circuits—Homes with many circuits require larger panels with more circuit positions. A 20-circuit panel costs less than a 40-circuit panel. We count your existing circuits and recommend panels with adequate positions plus room for future expansion.
Meter Base and Service Entrance Condition—If your meter base is old or doesn't meet current code, it needs replacement during the panel upgrade. Service entrance cables sometimes need upgrading to support increased capacity. These additions increase project cost but are necessary for code compliance.
Aluminum Wiring—Homes with aluminum branch circuit wiring require special connection treatment during panel upgrades. We use proper COPALUM connectors or approved methods to prevent future problems, which adds labor time and material cost but is essential for safety.
Distance from Meter to Panel—If your panel is located far from your meter, the service entrance cables between them might need replacement or upgrading. Long runs add material and labor costs.
Required Service Upgrades—Sometimes upgrading your panel requires SCE to upgrade their infrastructure—transformer changes, service line upgrades, or meter base relocations. We coordinate these with SCE, but utility work adds time and sometimes cost to projects.
Local Permit Fees—Permit fees vary by jurisdiction. Most cities charge $200-400 for panel upgrade permits. These fees are included in our quotes.
For most Inland Empire homes, electrical panel upgrades range from $2,500 to $5,000. Here's what different scenarios typically cost:
Standard 100-amp to 200-amp Upgrade—$2,800-3,800 for straightforward installations in accessible locations with no complications.
Panel Replacement (Same Capacity)—$2,500-3,200 for replacing an old or hazardous panel with a new panel of the same capacity.
Service Upgrade with Meter Base Replacement—$3,500-4,800 when meter base needs replacement along with the panel upgrade.
Complex Installations – $4,200-5,500+ for installations requiring service entrance rework, panel relocation, aluminum wiring treatment, or extensive troubleshooting of existing issues.
These ranges include all labor, materials, permits, and SCE coordination. We provide written quotes after assessing your specific situation so you know exactly what to expect with no surprises.
The most important benefit of panel upgrades is safety. Modern panels with properly sized breakers, secure connections, and adequate capacity protect your home from electrical fires far better than old, undersized, or hazardous panels.
Federal Pacific and Zinsco panels pose genuine fire risks that disappear when replaced with modern panels from reputable manufacturers. Even panels that aren't hazardous brands benefit from replacement if they're old—electrical components deteriorate over time, and connections loosen from thermal cycling. A new panel eliminates these accumulated risks.
Modern panels include better safety features than older panels: AFCI (arc-fault circuit interrupter) protection that detects dangerous arcing conditions, better ground-fault protection, improved breaker designs that respond more reliably to overcurrent conditions, and better connection methods that stay tight over time.
Panel upgrades give you the capacity to live comfortably in your home without constantly managing electrical loads. You can run air conditioning and do laundry simultaneously, operate multiple kitchen appliances at once, charge electric vehicles overnight, and add future loads without worrying about exceeding capacity.
For many homeowners, this freedom from electrical limitations is life-changing. No more planning which appliances you can run together. No more resetting tripped breakers. No more flickering lights when the AC compressor starts. Your electrical system simply works as it should.
Many home improvements require adequate electrical capacity. You can't install an EV charger in a garage if your panel lacks capacity. You can't add central air conditioning if your service is maxed out. You can't install solar panels if your panel can't handle the bidirectional power flow.
Panel upgrades unlock these improvements. Once your electrical foundation is adequate, you can proceed with renovations, additions, and upgrades that improve your home's comfort, efficiency, and value.
Modern electrical systems are significant selling points. Home buyers and their inspectors scrutinize electrical panels carefully. Homes with new panels pass inspections smoothly, satisfy lenders and insurance companies, and demonstrate that critical home systems have been professionally maintained.
Conversely, homes with FPE or Zinsco panels face serious marketability problems. Many buyers walk away immediately when inspectors flag hazardous panels. Those who remain demand panel replacement before closing or substantial price reductions to cover replacement costs. Upgrading proactively removes this obstacle and protects your home's value.
More insurance companies now inspect electrical panels and require upgrades as a condition of coverage. If your insurer flagged your panel, replacement is essentially mandatory if you want to maintain coverage. Even if your current insurer hasn't required upgrades yet, shopping for new insurance with an outdated panel often results in coverage denials or premiums far higher than homes with modern panels.
Panel upgrades satisfy insurance requirements and often reduce premiums. The investment in panel replacement can partially offset itself through lower insurance costs over time.
Old panels with loose connections waste energy through resistance heating. When connections aren't tight, electrical resistance increases, which generates heat and wastes power. While this waste might seem small, it accumulates over time and shows up in your electric bills.
New panels with modern, tight connections reduce this waste. Combined with properly sized circuits that don't operate near capacity limits, new panels can actually reduce your overall energy consumption slightly—not enough to notice day-to-day, but measurable over months and years.
Most standard panel upgrades complete in one day. We start in the morning, coordinate with SCE for meter disconnect, install your new panel, reconnect your meter, and have you operational by late afternoon or early evening. Your power is typically off for 6-8 hours during the installation day. More complex projects—those requiring significant rewiring, panel relocation, service entrance rework, or utility service upgrades—might take 1.5-2 days. We'll give you an accurate timeline during your free assessment.
Most modern homes need 200-amp service. This provides adequate capacity for all typical residential loads plus room for additions like EV chargers, solar panels, or future remodels.
Smaller homes (under 1,500 square feet) with modest electrical needs might function well with 150-amp service. Larger homes (over 3,000 square feet) with extensive electrical demands—multiple HVAC systems, large kitchens, workshops, electric vehicle charging, solar panels—sometimes benefit from 300-amp or 400-amp service.
We assess your specific situation and recommend appropriate capacity based on your actual needs, not a one-size-fits-all formula.
Sometimes. If your current meter base is old, damaged, or doesn't meet current code requirements, it needs replacement during the panel upgrade. This is common but not universal—many meter bases can remain while upgrading the panel.We evaluate your meter base during assessment and include any necessary meter work in your quote. Southern California Edison typically replaces the actual meter (the round device that measures consumption) at no cost to you when we coordinate service disconnect/reconnect.
Yes, always. Electrical panel upgrades require permits from your local building department. We handle the entire permit process—application, submission, fees, and coordination with inspectors.Never accept unpermitted panel work. Unpermitted work creates serious problems when selling your home, voids insurance coverage, and might require complete reinstallation to bring up to code.
Yes. Your power will be off during the installation day, but you can remain in your home. Many homeowners plan errands or activities outside the home during the power outage, but staying home is perfectly fine. Just be prepared for a day without power—no refrigerator, no air conditioning, no computers, no TV.We recommend preparing by charging phones and devices the night before, making ice if you need to keep food cold, and planning meals that don't require cooking. If you have medical equipment requiring power, discuss this during scheduling so we can plan accordingly.
Most 100-amp services can't safely support modern residential electrical demands. If you have central air conditioning, modern kitchen appliances, electric vehicle charging, or plans to add any of these, upgrading to 200-amp service is strongly recommended. Some small homes with minimal electrical demands can continue operating on 100-amp service if the panel is modern and in good condition. During your assessment, we'll evaluate whether your current capacity is adequate or whether an upgrade is recommended.
Federal Pacific (FPE) and Zinsco panels are documented fire hazards that need immediate replacement. During your assessment, we'll confirm whether you have one of these panels, explain the specific risks, and recommend replacement as a safety priority.Insurance companies often require immediate replacement of these panels as a condition of coverage. Even if your insurer hasn't flagged it yet, replacement eliminates serious fire risks and prevents future insurance complications.
If your city inspector identifies issues requiring correction (rare with our work), we fix them immediately at no additional cost and schedule a re-inspection. Our work is guaranteed to pass inspection—if it doesn't pass, we make it right. We have decades of experience with local building departments throughout the Inland Empire. We know what inspectors look for, and we install panels that meet or exceed all code requirements.
Summit Electric provides professional panel upgrade services throughout Riverside County and the entire Inland Empire. We've completed thousands of panel upgrades in every city we serve, and we understand the specific requirements, common issues, and typical home configurations in each area.
No matter where you're located in the Inland Empire, we provide professional panel upgrade services with permits, utility coordination, and guaranteed code compliance.
If you're experiencing constant breaker trips, planning major electrical additions, dealing with hazardous Federal Pacific or Zinsco panels, or simply want peace of mind that your home's electrical system is safe and adequate, Summit Electric provides professional panel upgrades throughout the Inland Empire.We've completed thousands of panel upgrades since 2006. We know exactly what's involved, we handle every aspect professionally, and we guarantee work that passes inspection and serves your family safely for decades.
Call (951) 550-4832 to schedule your free panel assessment, or request a quote online. We'll evaluate your current panel, discuss your electrical needs, and provide a detailed written quote with no pressure and no obligation.
