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Electrical Panel Upgrade
Fuse boxes and worn or full panels replaced, sized for today's loads and ready for a generator or EV charger. Free quotes from a family-owned electrician.
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Licensed and insured | Family owned | Free quotes | Office Mon to Fri, 7 am to 5 pm
3D Electric handles every Electrical Panel Upgrade from the first look at your old box to the final inspection. We are a family-owned, licensed and insured electrical contractor based in Belleville, with about two decades of work across Southeast Michigan. Our Electrical Panel Upgrade service covers fuse box replacement, breaker panel replacement, added circuits and generator-ready panels on one written estimate.
The panel is the metal box of breakers or fuses that feeds every circuit in your house. Most people never think about it until a breaker keeps tripping or a new appliance has nowhere to go. Panel work is one part of our residential and commercial electrical services. Below you will find the warning signs, what the job includes, how it goes on the day, and what changes the cost.
Lectro's tip
Take a photo of your panel with the door open and the label visible. It is the fastest way to start a quote, and you never need to take the cover off.
Signs Your Home Needs a New Electrical Panel
A panel rarely fails all at once. It gives small signs first. If you notice any of these, have an electrician look before you add more loads.
You still have a fuse box
Screw-in fuses served the loads of the 1950s. They are easy to defeat with an oversized fuse, and a fuse box rarely has enough circuits for a modern kitchen or a finished basement. Some insurers ask about fuse boxes, so check with yours.
Breakers trip often or feel warm
A breaker that trips again and again is telling you a circuit is overloaded or faulty. Buzzing, a burning smell, scorch marks or rust inside the box are reasons to call right away.
No open spaces and doubled-up wires
When a panel runs out of spaces, two wires sometimes get placed under one breaker screw made for one. That connection can loosen and heat up. Unless the breaker is listed for two wires, it needs a fix.
An older panel brand with a poor record
Some older panels, such as Federal Pacific and Zinsco, have a long history of breakers that may not trip when they should. Many electricians recommend replacing them. We will tell you plainly what you have.
What an Electrical Panel Upgrade Includes
A panel upgrade is more than a new box on the wall. Every job we quote covers these parts:
A load calculation that counts what you have now and what you plan to add.
A new panel and main breaker with room for future circuits.
New breakers, including arc-fault and ground-fault protection where current code calls for it.
Every circuit reconnected and checked, with loose or damaged wire ends fixed.
Grounding and bonding checked and brought up to what the inspector expects.
A labeled directory so you know which breaker runs the furnace, the sump pump and the fridge.
The permit and inspection, handled with your local building department.
Floors are covered, the work area is contained, and we clean up before we leave. That is part of our Property Protection guarantee.
Panel Upgrade or 200 Amp Service Upgrade?
Two numbers get mixed up here. The panel has a main breaker rating. The service that feeds it, from the utility drop through the meter, has its own capacity. A 200 amp panel on a 100 amp service still gives you 100 amps.
Job | What changes and when it fits |
|---|---|
Panel replacement | New panel, main breaker and breakers. Fits when the service is big enough but the panel is old, full or unsafe. |
Service upgrade | New meter base, service wires and main disconnect, often with a new panel. Fits when you need more amps. |
A 100 amp service can be enough for a smaller house with gas heat. Add central air, an electric dryer, an EV charger and a hot tub, and the math changes. When the load calculation says you need more capacity, the job becomes a 200 amp service upgrade, and the new panel is usually part of it.
Breaker Panel Replacement, Step by Step
We look at your panel, the service size, the wiring and what is connected.
We run the load calculation, including anything you plan to add.
You get a free, detailed written estimate before any work starts.
We request the permit and set a date with you.
The power goes off. The old panel comes out and the new one goes in.
Each circuit is reconnected, tested and labeled.
The inspector checks the work, and the power comes back on.
A panel cannot be swapped while it is live, so plan for the power to be off for part of the day. We tell you the plan ahead of time so you can protect the fridge and freezer and plan around work at home.
Generator Subpanels and Generator-Ready Panels
The panel is where a generator connects to the house. If a generator is anywhere in your plans, tell us before the panel is ordered. Planning both together avoids moving circuits twice.
Whole-house backup
A service-rated automatic transfer switch sits between the meter and the panel and moves the whole house to generator power. This is the usual setup for whole house generator installation with a Generac, Honeywell or Kohler standby unit.
A generator subpanel for essential circuits
A smaller transfer switch or a generator subpanel feeds only the circuits you pick, such as the furnace, sump pump, well pump, fridge and a few lights. We move those circuits from the main panel into the subpanel. Our generator transfer switch installation page covers the equipment.
Portable generator hookups
For a portable generator, an interlock kit on the main panel and an outdoor inlet box let you power chosen circuits safely. See generator interlock kit installation. Never backfeed a panel through a dryer outlet. It is illegal and dangerous for line workers.
Room for an EV Charger, Heat Pump or Hot Tub
Big new loads are the most common reason people call us about a panel. A Level 2 charger, a heat pump, a hot tub or an electric range each needs its own large breaker. Sometimes your current panel has the room and the capacity. Sometimes it needs a new panel, a service upgrade, or load management that keeps two big loads from running at once. If you are planning EV charger installation, the load calculation for the charger and the panel is done together.
Electrical Panel Upgrade Cost Factors
Every house is different, so we quote after seeing your panel. These are the things that move the price:
A straight panel swap versus a full service upgrade
The panel size and the number of circuits that need rework
The condition of the old wiring, the meter base and the service mast
Moving the panel to a new location
Adding a generator subpanel, transfer switch or interlock at the same time
Permit fees, which vary by township and city
The box is already open during a panel job, so it is a good time to add whole house surge protector installation. Our Straightforward Pricing guarantee means a detailed written estimate in advance and no hidden charges. Financing is available.
Permits, Inspection and DTE Energy
Panel replacements usually need an electrical permit and an inspection. Your township or city building department issues the permit, and the forms and fees vary. Confirm current requirements for your address before work is scheduled.
If the meter has to come off, the utility is part of the job. Most of our area is served by DTE Energy, which handles the disconnect and reconnect at the meter on its own schedule. We plan around it and tell you when the power will be off.
For local details, see our pages on panel upgrades in Belleville, panel replacement in Ann Arbor and panel work in Ypsilanti. Ready to start? Request a free panel upgrade quote and send a photo of your panel label.
Related pages
Local details for Belleville homes
Local details for Ann Arbor homes
Local details for Ypsilanti homes
More capacity from the meter in
Protection added at the panel
Automatic and manual switches
Tripping breakers and dead circuits
Everything 3D Electric does
Frequently Asked Questions
Common signs are a fuse box, breakers that trip often, buzzing or heat, scorch marks, no open spaces, or two wires under one breaker. Older brands such as Federal Pacific and Zinsco are also worth a look. A short visit tells you more than guessing, and the quote is free.
It depends on whether you need only a new panel or a full service upgrade, how many circuits need rework, and the condition of the wiring and meter base. Adding a generator subpanel or surge protection also changes the total. We give you a detailed written estimate after seeing the panel.
A panel upgrade replaces the breaker box inside the house. A service upgrade replaces what brings power in: the service entrance wires, the meter base and the main disconnect. Many 200 amp service upgrades include a new panel, so some jobs are both.
Usually yes, and an inspection follows the work. The permit comes from your township or city building department. Confirm current requirements for your address before the job is scheduled.
A panel cannot be swapped while it is live, so the power is off for part of the job. The length depends on the work and on whether DTE Energy has to disconnect the meter. We tell you the plan before the day.
Sometimes. It depends on the service size, the open spaces and your other loads. A load calculation answers it, and the estimate says plainly if the panel needs work first.
A generator subpanel is a small panel that holds only the circuits you want on backup power, such as the furnace, sump pump and fridge. A transfer switch feeds it from the generator during an outage. It is a common choice when you do not need the whole house backed up.