Electrical panel upgrades in El Cajon
If breakers trip when the AC kicks on, the panel is as old as the house, or you’re adding an EV charger or solar, the panel is usually where the job starts. We replace and upgrade main panels and subpanels for homes and businesses across East County.
Licensed C-10 Electrical and C-46 Solar, CSLB #1107535. Call or text, same number.
Signs it’s time
- Breakers trip when the AC, dryer or microwave starts
- The panel feels warm, buzzes, or smells like something’s burning
- It’s a fuse box, or 60 or 100 amp service
- It’s a Zinsco or Federal Pacific Stab-Lok panel
- You’re adding an EV charger, heat pump, hot tub, ADU or solar
- A home inspector or insurer flagged it during a sale or renewal
Replace, upgrade, or leave it alone
Three different jobs all get called a panel upgrade:
Replace the panel, same size
The panel is worn out or a known problem brand, but the amperage is fine for the house.
Upgrade the service
Going from 100 to 200 amps, for example. That means a new panel and meter main, and SDG&E has to approve and connect the bigger service.
Add a subpanel
The main panel is fine but out of spaces, or a garage, shop or ADU needs its own breakers.
Sometimes the right answer is none of these. A load calculation can show there’s already room for an EV charger, or that a load-management device solves it for far less than a new panel. If that’s the case, we’ll tell you.
Zinsco and Federal Pacific panels
Much of East County was built between the 1950s and the 1980s, and plenty of those homes still have their original panel. Two brands from that era come up again and again: Federal Pacific Electric (Stab-Lok) and Zinsco. Both have a long record of breakers that don’t trip when they should, and many inspectors and insurers flag them on sight.
If you have one, plan on replacing it, whatever else you’re adding.
Solar on an older panel: the 120% rule
When solar connects through a breaker in your main panel, the electrical code limits how much it can feed in: the main breaker plus 125% of the solar output can’t exceed 120% of the panel’s busbar rating. On a typical 200 amp panel with a 200 amp main, that leaves room for about 7.7 kW of inverter output.
Bigger systems need a smaller main breaker, a connection on the supply side of the main, or a bigger panel. Because Omar holds both the electrical and the solar license, the panel and the solar get planned together.
How a panel upgrade goes
The power is off for part of install day. We tell you roughly how long before we start.
Look and load calc
Panel, meter, grounding, and everything you plan to add.
Price and permit
You get the price first. We pull the permit with your city, or the County for unincorporated areas.
SDG&E
If the service size is changing, we file with SDG&E and schedule the disconnect.
Install day
Old panel out, new panel in, circuits labeled.
Inspection
The inspector signs off and permanent power is restored.
Check your panel
A rough read on whether your panel has room for an EV charger, solar or a new heat pump.
Questions about panel upgrades
How long does a panel upgrade take?
The swap itself is usually a day. If the service size is changing, the SDG&E steps add time on either side, so you get the full timeline with the quote.
Do I need a permit to replace my panel?
Yes. Panel replacements and service upgrades need a permit and an inspection in El Cajon and everywhere else in San Diego County. We pull it as part of the job.
Will a new panel let me add an EV charger?
Usually, and sometimes you don’t need a new panel at all. Use the panel check above for a rough answer; we confirm with a load calculation.
What does a panel upgrade cost?
It depends on the amperage, whether the meter and service change, where the panel sits, and how much wiring has to move. You get a price after we look at it, before any work starts.
Related work
Book service
Tell us what’s going on and how to reach you. Photos of the panel, inverter or problem help us show up with the right parts.
Request sent
Thanks. Omar will be in touch.