Panels and service
Electrical Panel Upgrades in Snoqualmie
The panel is where most other projects in a house either become possible or stop.
Capacity first, everything else after
Few people ring about the panel for its own sake. They ring because the charger will not fit, the heat pump quote arrived with a condition attached, or an inspection flagged it before a sale. What matters is whether the upgrade is genuinely needed. A full panel with empty slots is a different job from a service that is actually undersized, and the two are confused expensively often. We run the load calculation, tell you which one you have, and handle the utility coordination, the permit and the inspection if the answer is an upgrade. The installation carries our two-year workmanship warranty — if our work on it is the reason something fails, we return and correct it with no further labour charge.
What is included
A load calculation, not a glance
The real demand of the house and what is planned for it — the only honest basis for choosing a service size.
Utility coordination
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, every circuit identified as it transfers.
Permit, inspection and a readable panel
Filed, inspected, and labelled so nobody is guessing at breakers in the dark.
Why it comes up
No spare slots
The usual 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 to the eighties have documented failure issues, and insurers increasingly ask.
A large new load is coming
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. Addressing it is usually quicker than arguing about it.
How the work runs
Assess
Service size, meter position, grounding, and what is actually on the panel today.
Calculate
The load calculation gives the answer, in plain terms, with the options.
Coordinate
Permit filed and the utility booked. 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 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 an adequate service and a full panel. Those are different problems at different prices and the calculation separates them.
Will my old circuits still work?
Yes. Existing branch circuits transfer to the new panel and are identified as they go. If we find one that was already faulty, you hear about it then rather than later.
Get the capacity question answered
The load calculation and the walkthrough come as one free visit.