Panel upgrades & sub-panels in South Orange County

The panel is the heart of the house. Most of them here are due for a checkup.

New residential breaker panel with the cover off, cables formed neatly around both sides and landed on two columns of breakers — From Shane's jobs: new panel, conductors dressed and landed

South Orange County was largely built in the 1970s and 80s, and a lot of it still runs on its original panel. Some of those are simply old. Some (Zinsco, Federal Pacific and their relatives) are brands that insurers and home inspectors now flag on sight, because their breakers have a documented habit of not tripping when they should.

A service upgrade from 100A to 200A rewires the head end of the house: new panel, new breakers, new grounding, coordinated with the utility and inspected. It is the foundation every other upgrade stands on: the EV charger, the ADU, the kitchen remodel with the 48-inch range.

Sub-panels are the smaller, smarter cousin: a panel at the garage, shop or ADU that shortens every circuit run and leaves room to grow. Where a full upgrade is not needed, a sub-panel is often the honest recommendation.

What this covers

100A to 200A service upgrades, utility coordination included
Replacement of flagged panels (Zinsco, Federal Pacific and similar)
Sub-panels for garages, workshops, ADUs and additions
Whole-panel rebreakering with AFCI/GFCI where code requires it
Grounding and bonding corrections
Panel labeling that a stranger could read: every circuit, legibly

The craft argument. Panel work is where a license stops being paperwork. It is the one job on the house where the utility, the city and the insurer all look at the result, and the one where "handyman special" costs the most to undo.

Get a straight answer

A photo by text is the fastest way to a real number. Small jobs get priced the same day.

(949) 702-0385 Text a photo

Electrical work contracted under C K ELECTRIC · CSLB Lic. #354550 (C-10) · Farmer Works Electric license in process

From Shane’s jobs

Tall commercial panelboard with blue doors open, rows of breakers down the center and branch wiring neatly bundled along both gutters — Commercial panel upgrade, wiring dressed and landed

SolarEdge inverter, utility meter, AC disconnect and main panel mounted on a gray stucco wall of a house — Solar inverter, meter and AC disconnect on a house

Gray multi-unit meter stack in a utility room with three meters set and unit labels written on the covers — Meter stack for a multi-unit building

A small house with two new meter sockets on the wall, a ladder against the roof and an electrician working at the service mast — Service upgrade underway, new meter sockets set

More field photos →

Questions people ask

How do I know if my panel needs replacing?

Age and brand are the first tells. If it is original to a 1970s house, or the label says Zinsco or Federal Pacific, it is worth a look. Warm breakers, rust, a burning smell or breakers that trip constantly (or never) move it from "worth a look" to "soon."

Does a panel upgrade require a permit?

Always. It also involves the utility disconnecting and reconnecting service. Both are handled as part of the job, and that coordination is most of what you are paying for beyond the hardware.

Do I need 200A for an EV charger?

Not necessarily. A load calculation says what your service can actually carry; power-sharing and load management stretch a 100A panel further than most people expect. The upgrade is quoted when the math requires it, not before.

1978

Year C K ELECTRIC’s C-10 license #354550 was issued. Still current and active.

Generations in the trade. Clyde holds the license, Shane runs the work.

C-10

California’s license class for electrical contracting.

Same day

Texted photos usually get a real answer back the same day, from Shane and not a call center.