Services · 01
Panel upgrades
Most homes here still run on 100 A from the 1970s. A new 200 A service is one scheduled outage and a panel you never think about again.
- Typical schedule
- 2–3 weeks
- Power off
- One day, about six hours
- Permit
- City + PG&E
Panel upgrades
How we do it.
A panel upgrade is the job we do most, and the one with the most moving parts: the Sunnyvale permit, the PG&E service appointment, the meter, the grounding, the inspection. We run all of it. You pick the day.
When a panel needs replacing
- Zinsco or Federal Pacific breakers that may not trip under fault. Insurers in Santa Clara County increasingly ask about them.
- 100 A service and a plan for an EV charger, a heat pump or an induction range. Any two of those usually tip the load calculation.
- No spare spaces, tandem breakers everywhere, or a sub-panel feeding a sub-panel.
- Scorching, buzzing, warm breakers, or lights that dim when the dryer starts.
What we install
A 200 A main breaker panel with 40 spaces, copper bus, a whole-house surge protector and a grounding electrode system brought to current code. Where you plan solar or a battery, a smart panel with per-circuit monitoring so the house sheds load instead of tripping. Where 200 A is not enough, a 225 A service with a load calculation filed with the application.
The day of
PG&E pulls the meter around eight. We swap the panel, re-land every circuit, label every breaker by room, and the inspector signs off in the afternoon. Power is back before dinner. Refrigerators are fine; we tell you the night before what to unplug.
Also
The other four.
- 02EV chargersLevel 2 at 48 A on its own circuit, load-managed when the panel is tight.
- 03LightingRecessed, under-cabinet, landscape. Dimmed properly, Title 24 compliant.
- 04RewiringKnob-and-tube, aluminum branch wiring and 1960s Eichler conduit, done room by room.
- 05Backup powerBattery, generator inlet or both, with a transfer switch that just works.
Next: a site walk.
Forty minutes at your panel. We leave you a written scope, the permit path and a start date. Prices come after the walk, never before.
Or call (408) 555-0147 to confirm availability. Visits are by arrangement.