Licensed Electricians · Chicago Southwest Suburbs
Electrical Panel Upgrades
A panel upgrade is the job that unlocks everything else. Additions, EV chargers, hot tubs, finished basements, induction ranges — all of them assume capacity the older panels around here simply weren't built to deliver.
We replace fuse boxes, undersized 60- and 100-amp services, and panels from manufacturers with known failure histories — Federal Pacific Stab-Lok and Zinsco in particular, both of which still turn up regularly in homes across the southwest suburbs. Those two are a safety problem, not a capacity problem, and they're worth replacing even if nothing has tripped yet.
Every job starts with a load calculation rather than a guess. If your existing service genuinely covers what you need, we'll say so — selling a 200-amp upgrade to a house that doesn't need one is an easy way to take someone's money and not much else.
Every job is permitted and inspected where the village requires it, and we leave the work clean. If you'd rather talk it through first, call (708) 407-3559 — quotes are free.
What a panel upgrade includes
- A load calculation sized to your actual household, not a rule of thumb
- New breaker panel with correctly rated, clearly labelled circuits
- Upgrade to 200-amp service where the demand supports it
- AFCI and GFCI protection everywhere current code requires it
- Grounding and bonding brought up to present-day code
- Permit filing, ComEd coordination, and the village inspection
- Meter socket and service entrance conductors replaced when needed
Signs your panel is the bottleneck
- Breakers that trip repeatedly, or a fuse box still in service
- Lights that dim when the AC compressor or a large appliance starts
- Power strips everywhere because the room is short on circuits
- A planned addition, EV charger, hot tub, or basement finish
- Rust, scorch marks, a warm panel cover, or a burning smell
- Double-tapped breakers, or a panel with no spare slots left
Common questions
How much does a panel upgrade cost?
It depends on the service size, how far the panel sits from the meter, and whether the service entrance and meter socket also need replacing. We price per job after seeing it, and the number you get is the number you pay. Estimates are free.
How long does it take?
Most residential panel replacements are a one-day job. Permitting on the front end and the village inspection on the back end add scheduling time, both of which we handle.
Do I need 200-amp service?
Not always. It comes down to square footage, heating type, and what you're planning to add. The load calculation answers it — if 100-amp service covers you, we'll tell you.
Will my power be off all day?
Only for the portion of the day we're changing the service over. We give you the window ahead of time so you can plan around refrigeration and anyone working from home.
Get a free quote
Serving Tinley Park, Orland Park, Mokena, Frankfort and the surrounding southwest suburbs. Call (708) 407-3559 or email sparkntechllc@gmail.com.