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Electrical Panel Upgrade Ann Arbor, MI
Fuse boxes and full panels replaced in older city houses, rentals and township homes, with room for a heat pump, charger or generator. Free written quote.
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3D Electric takes on every Electrical Panel Upgrade Ann Arbor, MI job for houses inside the city and in Pittsfield and Scio townships. We come over from our Belleville shop, about 20 miles east, and we already have a generator installation in Ann Arbor behind us. This page on Electrical Panel Upgrade Ann Arbor, MI covers what we find in local basements, which office issues your permit, and how the day goes when DTE has to pull the meter.
We are a family-owned, licensed and insured electrical contractor with about two decades in the trade. Your quote is free and written down before any work starts. For wiring repairs, new circuits and the rest of our local work, see our Ann Arbor electrician services.
Lectro's tip
If your panel door has a penciled circuit list, leave it in place for the visit, since old labels show us what each wire feeds.
What we find inside Ann Arbor electrical panels
Ann Arbor had 49,337 households in 2020, in housing that runs from 19th-century homes to recent township subdivisions. The panel usually tells you which era a house belongs to.
Old West Side and older city blocks
The Old West Side went on the National Register in 1972, and many of its houses were rewired in stages. We often find a fuse box that still feeds part of the house, or a small breaker panel added beside it. Cloth-covered cable near the box hints at how much original wiring is left.
Rentals near campus
A house split into units near the University of Michigan may have one panel per unit, plus a house panel for the basement and laundry. Each one feeds a separate household, so a swap means planning the shutdown with the owner and the tenants.
Pittsfield and Scio township homes
Many newer township houses already have 200-amp service. The limit there is open spaces, not amps. A finished basement, a hot tub and a car charger can fill the last slots quickly.
The panel you have, what it limits and the usual fix
What we find | What it limits | The usual fix |
|---|---|---|
A fuse box still in service | Few circuits; oversized fuses | New panel, often with a service upgrade |
A 60 or 100 amp panel with every space used | Any new circuit | Larger panel after a load calculation |
Two wires under one breaker screw | Loose, hot connections | One space per circuit in the new panel |
Federal Pacific or Zinsco equipment | Breakers that may fail to trip | Replacement, which we usually advise |
A 200 amp panel with no open spaces | Large new loads | A bigger panel, a subpanel or load management |
A short weekday visit tells you which row fits your house.
Planning for a heat pump, a charger or a generator
Big new loads start most of our panel calls. A heat pump, a Level 2 charger, an induction range and a hot tub each want a large breaker of their own. The load calculation shows whether your service can carry them. When it cannot, the job grows into a 200 amp service upgrade in Ann Arbor.
Tree Town outages and backup power
Ann Arbor's nickname is Tree Town, and those trees reach the lines. In February 2023 an ice storm left about 38% of Washtenaw DTE customers still dark two days later. That July, a storm cut power to more than 176,000 DTE customers, with trees and limbs down around Ann Arbor.
If a standby generator is on your list, plan it with the panel. A transfer switch sits between the meter and the panel, or a generator subpanel holds the circuits you pick. Our Ann Arbor generator installation page covers the Generac, Honeywell and Kohler units we install.
Permits in the city, Pittsfield or Scio
City of Ann Arbor: the Building Department in Build, Rent, Inspect, at 301 E. Huron St. Applications go through the city's STREAM permit system.
Pittsfield Charter Township: its own building office.
Scio Township: its own building office as well.
We file the permit and book the inspection. Forms and fees change, so confirm current requirements for your address with that office. City ordinances protect the Old West Side historic district. If the meter or service mast has to move on the outside of the house, ask the city whether that exterior change needs its own review.
The DTE meter pull
DTE Energy serves most Ann Arbor addresses. If your bill comes from Consumers Energy, tell us, since that utility serves the far western edge of Washtenaw County. When the meter has to come off for the swap, the utility pulls and resets it on its own schedule. We set that date early and tell you when the power goes off.
How a panel swap runs at an Ann Arbor address
Send a photo of the panel with the door open and the label showing. We use it to load the truck before the drive.
We visit on a weekday, open the panel, check the meter base and note what each circuit feeds.
We run a load calculation that counts what you plan to add in the next few years.
You get a free written estimate that lists the panel, any service work and the permit.
We file the permit and set a date with you, and with DTE if the meter comes out.
The old panel comes out and the new one goes in. Every circuit is reconnected, tested and labeled.
The inspector signs off, the power comes back on, and we show you the new labels.
Floors are covered, the work area is contained, and we clean up before we leave.
Worth adding while the panel is open
With the power already off, a whole-house surge protector mounts beside the new breakers on short leads. It is also the easiest time to add circuits you know are coming, such as a kitchen remodel or new outdoor lights. Our page on lighting installation in Ann Arbor covers fixtures and outdoor lights.
What moves the price
A straight panel swap costs less than a full service upgrade. Beyond that, the price depends on how many circuits need rework, the shape of the meter base, any move of the panel, and generator or surge equipment added on the same visit. Permit fees differ between the city and the townships. The regional guide to how an electrical panel upgrade works explains each part in more detail.
See 3D Electric in Ann Arbor for every local service, request an Ann Arbor panel quote, or use the main 3D Electric contact page.
Related pages
Repairs, circuits, lighting and more
Meter base and service entrance work
Added at the panel
Generac, Honeywell and Kohler
The full panel guide
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually, yes. The age of the house does not decide it. What matters is whether the service, the meter base and the wiring path can take the change, and we check those at the first visit.
For a city address, the Building Department in Build, Rent, Inspect, with the application filed in STREAM. Pittsfield and Scio townships have their own offices. Confirm current requirements for your address before work is scheduled.
Part of a day in most cases, since a panel cannot be changed while it is live. The length depends on the work and on when DTE pulls and resets the meter. We give you the plan before the work date.
Yes. Every unit fed by that panel loses power during the swap, so we plan the shutdown with you and your tenants. Tell us how many units and panels the house has when you call.
Usually because the spaces are full, not because the service is too small. A larger panel or a subpanel can add room on the same service. A load calculation tells us which one fits.
Plan them together. The panel and the transfer switch or generator subpanel work as one setup, so we size them at the same visit. That way no circuit gets moved twice.