Panels and service
Electrical Panel Upgrades in Duvall
The panel is where almost every other project in the house either becomes possible or stops.
Capacity first, everything else after
People rarely call about the panel for its own sake. They call because the charger will not fit, the heat pump quote came with a condition, or the home inspection flagged it. What matters is whether the upgrade is genuinely needed. A full panel left with empty slots is a different job from a service that is actually undersized, and those two are frequently confused — sometimes expensively. We run the load calculation and tell you which one you have, then handle the utility coordination, the permit and the inspection if the answer is an upgrade.
What the job includes
A load calculation, not a glance
We work out the real demand of the house and what is planned for it, which is the only basis for choosing a service size.
Utility coordination
Service disconnect and reconnect arranged with the utility, and the meter base addressed where it needs to be.
The panel change itself
New panel and breakers, grounding and bonding brought up to current requirements, and every circuit identified as it is transferred.
Permit, inspection and a readable panel
Filed, inspected, and labelled properly so nobody is guessing at breakers in the dark.
Reasons this comes up
No spare slots left
The common trigger, and the one most often solvable short of a full change. Worth a proper look before committing.
A known problem panel brand
Some panels from the sixties through the eighties have documented failure issues, and insurers increasingly ask about them.
You are adding a large load
Chargers, heat pumps and shop equipment all force the capacity question, usually in that order.
A sale or refinance flagged it
Inspection reports routinely call out aged services. Getting it addressed properly tends to be quicker than arguing about it.
How the work runs
Assess
Service size, meter location, grounding, and what is actually on the panel today.
Calculate
The load calculation decides the answer. You get it in plain terms with the options.
Coordinate
Permit filed and the utility scheduled. We handle both.
Change and inspect
Panel swapped, circuits transferred and identified, inspection signed off.
Questions about this work
How long is the power off?
Most of a working day for a straightforward change, and we agree the window with you beforehand. Where the utility has to disconnect and reconnect, their timing drives the day and we schedule around it.
Do I definitely need a bigger service?
Not necessarily. A great many houses have a service that is adequate and a panel that is simply full. Those are different problems with different prices, and the load calculation separates them.
Will my old circuits still work afterwards?
Yes. Existing branch circuits are transferred to the new panel and identified as they go. If we find a circuit that was already faulty, you hear about it then rather than later.
Get the capacity question answered
The load calculation and the estimate come as one free visit.