The job
A panel that can carry what you are adding
A heat pump, an induction range or a car charger each asks a lot of a panel. I add up what yours serves now, and tell you whether it fits before I write the estimate.
If it needs a bigger service, the power company disconnects and reconnects at the meter, and I book that for you.
A load check before the estimate
Permit and inspection on their own lines
The power company's disconnect and reconnect booked for you
When to book it
Signs you are due
Breakers that trip or feel warm
A panel that clicks off or is warm to the touch should be looked at in working hours. If it smells of burning or is scorched, leave and call 911.
Adding a heat pump or an induction range
Each wants its own circuit and a panel with room for it.
A car charger in the garage
A long run from the panel is the usual cost driver.
A panel full, with no empty slots
Doubled breakers and handwritten labels mean the house has outgrown it.
The visit, step by step
What the job includes
- 01
Step 1: Load check
I add up what the panel and the service carry and what you are adding.
- 02
Step 2: Written estimate
One price, with the permit and inspection on separate lines.
- 03
Step 3: Permit and power company
I pull the permit and book the disconnect and reconnect where the service changes.
- 04
Step 4: Work
The panel or circuit is installed in a planned day, with the power off for the shortest time the work allows.
- 05
Step 5: Inspection
Your town's inspector looks at it before it is closed up.
- 06
Step 6: Handover
Every breaker labeled, with a drawing left at the panel.
Services
How pricing works for this job
No price here, because the walls decide it. These are the things that move it.
What decides the price
Distance from the panel and the state of the service decide most of it.
Run length from the panel
Open or finished walls and ceilings
Service size and the meter base
Permit and inspection fees
What the estimate includes, and what it doesn't
Written, by line. It names the circuit, the breaker and the run.
Labor and materials by line
Not included: drywall repair and paint
Not included: the power company's own fees
What happens at the visit
I look at the panel, the meter and the run, and measure. The visit fee is on the estimate and credited to the job if you hire me.
After hours
No after-hours rate, because no after-hours work. For an emergency, call 911 or an emergency electrician.
When you get the number
In writing, after the visit, as one price for the job as written.
Questions about this job
Will a heat pump or a car charger need a new panel?
Often the first step is a load check: adding up what the panel serves now and what you want to add. Sometimes it fits, sometimes it needs a bigger service. I tell you which before I write the estimate.
Will the power be off?
Yes, for part of a working day when the panel or the service changes. I tell you the window in writing beforehand.
Can I send photos?
Yes. Text a photo of the panel door, its labels and your meter. It helps me plan the visit. I read texts in working hours.
Pick a season for it
Tell me the job and the season you want, and I will offer dates inside it.