Mata Electrical · MATAEES758OR
Electrical Panel Upgrades in Snohomish and King County
Older homes were built for fewer amps. If your panel is full, warm, or tripping breakers when you add a load, a 100-to-200-amp upgrade gives you room to grow and brings the service up to today's code.
Real work, installed safely and to code.
Square D Homeline 200A panel with surge protection and dedicated branch circuits.
Clean branch circuit organization, dual-pole breaker sizing for heat pump and EV loads, and a full directory card labeled for the homeowner.
What this actually involves
Most homes built before the 1990s were wired for 100 amps or less. That was plenty when a house had a fridge, a few lights, and a tube TV. Add a heat pump, an EV charger, a hot tub, or a second fridge in the garage, and the panel runs out of room.
A panel upgrade replaces your main service panel and usually raises the amperage from 100 to 200. New breakers, a new main, and often a new meter socket and service entrance cable. The goal is capacity and a panel that meets today's code.
Two older panel brands come up a lot: Federal Pacific Electric and Zinsco. Both have a track record of breakers that fail to trip when they should. If you have one, most electricians and inspectors will recommend replacing it even if nothing has gone wrong yet.
Upgrades are permitted work. We coordinate with Snohomish PUD or Puget Sound Energy on the utility side and schedule the inspection so the job is signed off and legal.
Signs you need this
- Breakers trip when you run the microwave and the toaster at the same time.
- The panel is warm to the touch, or you smell something odd near it.
- Lights dim or flicker when an appliance kicks on.
- You're adding an EV, a heat pump, or a hot tub and there are no open breaker slots.
- The panel is a Federal Pacific or Zinsco, or is labeled 60 or 100 amps.
- You're selling the home and the inspector flagged the panel.
What affects the job
Price depends on what we find when we come out. These are the real variables for panel upgrades - knowing them makes the estimate call easier.
- How high you go on amperage - 200 is standard, but some loads push toward 400.
- Whether the meter socket and service entrance cable also need replacing.
- How far the panel is from the meter and the utility connection point.
- Whether the panel needs to move to meet current clearance code.
- Utility requirements from Snohomish PUD or Puget Sound Energy.
What to have ready
- 01A photo of your current panel with the door open.
- 02The amperage listed on the main breaker.
- 03A list of what you're planning to add (EV, heat pump, hot tub, etc.).
- 04Roughly when the home was built.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a panel upgrade take?
Most residential panel upgrades are done in a day. The utility reconnect and the inspection happen around that, so the full close-out can take a few days depending on PUD or PSE scheduling and the inspector's availability.
Will my power be off?
Yes, the power has to be off while the panel and service entrance are swapped. We plan the cut for a single block of time during the day and tell you ahead of time so you can plan around it.
Do you pull the permit?
Yes. A panel upgrade is permitted work and we handle the permit and the inspection. You get the signed-off paperwork, which matters if you ever sell the home.
Can I just add a subpanel instead?
Sometimes. If your main panel has capacity but no physical room, a subpanel can free up space. But if the main service itself is too small for what you're adding, the service has to be upgraded. We'll tell you which one you actually need after we look.
Related services
Get a free estimate
Tell us what you need and where you are. We come out, look at the job, and give you a real number.
Prefer to talk? Call (425) 555-0142, monday-friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm pacific.
If you are seeing sparks, smell something burning, or your panel feels hot, stop and call us right now at (425) 555-0142. Do not use this form for an emergency.