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

CSLB #354550 · C-10 Electrical · Licensed since 1978

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 — 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 the C-10 license was issued. Still current and active.

Generations on the truck. Clyde qualified it, Shane runs it.

C-10

The only CSLB classification that legally covers electrical work.

Same day

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