A panel upgrade is the job most New Jersey homes need before anything else. Central air, an EV charger, a finished basement and a second refrigerator all draw from a service that was very likely sized decades ago for a much smaller house.
Work is performed under NJ Electrical Contractor Bus. Permit #34EB01810700, out of our Hazlet and Bridgewater offices. We pull the permits, keep the process seamless, and make sure the job gets done right.
Electrical Panel Work We Handle in New Jersey
Service Upgrades: 100A to 200A
The full job — new meter can, main power cable, panel, grounding and grounding. This is what the utility and the inspector both sign off on.
Main Panel Replacement
Same amps, new panel. The usual reason is a known-defect brand, corrosion, double-tapped breakers or simply no space left for another circuit.
Sub-Panels
A sub-panel feeds a garage, addition, workshop or finished basement without replacing the main service. Often the cheaper correct answer.
Meter Can and Main power feed Repairs
Cracked meter sockets, pulled-away masts and frayed service cable. These are safety items, not cosmetic ones, and the utility will flag them.
What Actually Drives the Cost of a Panel Upgrade
Most panel upgrades land between $2,000 and $7,000. That is a wide range because a panel upgrade is really four or five jobs that may or may not all apply to your house.
Amps AND PANEL TYPE
A straight 100A to 200A swap costs less than a service that needs a new mast, meter can and entrance cable. The panel itself is rarely the expensive part.
WHETHER THE Main power feed GOES TOO
If the cable from the weatherhead to the meter is undersized or damaged it has to be replaced with the panel. That is the single biggest swing in the price.
KNOWN-DEFECT BRANDS
Federal Pacific Stab-Lok and Zinsco panels have documented failure-to-trip histories. These get replaced, not repaired, and we will tell you plainly if that is what you have.
PERMITS AND INSPECTION
Every township charges differently. We file the permit and handle the process as part of the job, not as a line item added later.
WHAT THE INSPECTOR FINDS
Opening a panel sometimes reveals aluminum branch wiring, missing grounds or unpermitted circuits. We price those separately and in writing rather than absorbing them quietly.
Panels and Breakers We Install
We install standard-brand equipment that any electrician in New Jersey can service and add to later. That matters more than it sounds — an obscure panel means expensive breakers and a hard time finding parts in ten years.
- Square D — QO and Homeline electrical panels — the QO line is what we put in most often.
- Eaton — BR and CH series panels and breakers, widely stocked and easy to add to later.
- Siemens — Electrical panels and breakers, common in newer New Jersey construction.
- Leviton — Smart electrical panels where a homeowner wants circuit-level monitoring.
We are not a single-brand shop. If you have a preference we will work with it; if you do not, we will tell you what we would put in our own house and why.
How a Panel Upgrade Runs, Start to Finish
LOAD CALCULATION AND INSPECTION
We open the existing panel, count the actual load, check the main power feed and confirm what amps the house genuinely needs.
PERMIT AND UTILITY COORDINATION
We file with your township and coordinate the disconnect and reconnect with the utility so the outage is planned rather than improvised.
THE CHANGEOVER
The panel goes in, every circuit is re-landed and labelled, grounding and grounding are brought to current code, and power comes back the same day in almost every case.
What Our Customers Say
Verified Google reviews from homeowners and businesses across Central New Jersey.
Where We Do Panel Upgrades
We do this work across Monmouth, Middlesex, Somerset, Union, Morris and Essex counties. Every town is listed on our service areas page.
Panel Upgrade Questions, Answered
How much does a panel upgrade cost in New Jersey?
Most panel upgrades land between $2,000 and $7,000. The spread depends on amperage, whether the meter can and service entrance also need replacing, township permit fees, and any rewiring the inspector requires. We give you a written figure after we open the panel, not over the phone.
How long does a panel upgrade take?
Most residential panel changes are a one-day job, with power off for part of that day while the changeover happens. Service upgrades that include a new mast and meter can may need a utility appointment, which can add a day.
Do I need a permit for a panel upgrade?
Yes, everywhere in New Jersey. A panel or service upgrade requires a permit through your township construction office and an inspection on completion. We file the application and keep the process seamless as part of the job.
How do I know if I have a Federal Pacific or Zinsco panel?
Open the panel door and read the label. Federal Pacific panels say Federal Pacific Electric and the breakers are usually marked Stab-Lok. Zinsco panels are labelled Zinsco or Sylvania-Zinsco. Send us a photo of the door and we will tell you what you have.
Do I need 200 amps, or is 100 enough?
It depends on actual load, not on what sounds better. A modest home with gas heat and no EV may be fine at 100 amps. Add central air, an EV charger, an electric range or a heat pump and 200 amps stops being optional. We run the calculation before recommending anything.
Will my power be out all day?
Usually only for part of it. We plan the outage, do the changeover, and restore power the same day on nearly every residential job.
Get a Panel Upgrade Quote
Send us a photo of your panel door and we will tell you what you are looking at before anyone comes out. For anything active — burning smell, scorch marks, a breaker that will not reset — call rather than emailing.
See Our Recent Work Near You
Every pin is a real job our crews have photographed on site. Zoom in on your town to see what we have been working on nearby.
See our Google reviews: Hazlet · Bridgewater →
Meet the Crew
Locally owned and run. This is the team that shows up at your door.
