Short answer
Upgrade the panel or service when you still have fuses, when the panel is full or shows signs of heat, or when you're adding a big load like an EV charger, electric range, heat pump or addition. A common job is going from 100 amps to 200 amps, often with a new meter base and service entrance. We coordinate the disconnect and reconnect with your utility or REMC.
Panel upgrades are one of the topics Google highlights in reviews of our work. One recent example: an old 100 amp fuse box replaced with a 200 amp breaker panel. Another: a service upgrade finished before Thanksgiving so a family's new oven could run in time for the holiday.
Panel, service and subpanel: what's the difference
Panel replacement
The panel is the box with your breakers or fuses. Replacing it swaps out worn, damaged or outdated equipment, and usually adds spaces for more circuits. The amperage coming into the house may stay the same.
Service upgrade
The service is everything that brings power from the utility into your panel: the service drop or underground lateral, the mast or conduit on the outside of the house, the meter base, and the service entrance conductors. Going from 100 amps to 200 amps usually means replacing most of that, not just the panel.
Subpanels
A subpanel is fed from the main panel and puts breakers closer to where the circuits are, such as a garage, addition, basement or outbuilding. Subpanel installation comes up often in our Google reviews. It adds room for circuits, but not capacity to the service itself.
Signs you need an upgrade
- You still have screw-in fuses, or a mix of fuses and breakers.
- The panel is full, with tandem breakers crammed in or no spaces left.
- Breakers trip often under normal use, or feel warm, or show scorch marks.
- Lights dim noticeably when large appliances start.
- You're adding an EV charger, an electric range or oven, a heat pump, a hot tub, or an addition.
- Your insurer or a home inspector has flagged the panel.
- The meter base, mast or service cable outside is damaged, rusted or pulling away from the house.
If you have a fuse box, see fuse box or old panel for more on what to watch for.
How the job goes
- Look and load calculation. We look at your current panel and service and what you plan to add, and figure out what size service you actually need.
- Written plan. What gets replaced (panel, meter base, mast, service entrance), where the new panel goes, and what circuits need attention.
- Permit and utility. We pull the permit where your city or county requires it, and schedule the disconnect and reconnect with your utility or REMC.
- Install day. Power is off while the old equipment comes out and the new goes in. Circuits are moved over, labeled and checked.
- Inspection and reconnect. The work is inspected where required, the utility restores power, and we walk you through the new panel.
What it costs
This work is priced per job, because the house, the distances and what's already in the panel are different every time. Ask for a quote that lists the materials and everything included. For what drives electrical prices in general, see what electrical work costs.
The price depends mostly on whether it's a panel swap or a full service upgrade, how far the panel is from the meter, the condition of the mast and meter base, and how many circuits need to be moved or corrected. Ask for a written quote that lists everything included.
Local detail: older homes, REMC service and winter storms
Many homes around here were built for far less electricity than they use today. According to the U.S. Census (American Community Survey, 2020–2024 five-year estimates), 39% of homes in the city of Huntington and 32% across Huntington County were built before 1940. Homes that old were wired for a few lights and a radio, and many have been updated in pieces since. It is common to find a small service or an old fuse box still doing the work.
Depending on where you live, your power may come from an investor-owned utility or from a rural electric cooperative (REMC). Each has its own process for disconnects, reconnects and meter work, and we work with both. Winter ice and wind can also pull a service mast loose or damage a meter base. If a line is down, stay away from it and call 911 or your utility first. Once the utility side is safe, we can repair what's on your side. See storm damage to the service line.
To talk through an upgrade, call (260) 519-1188.
Common questions
Do I need a 200 amp service?
Not every house does. A load calculation tells you what your home actually needs, based on its size and the large appliances on it. Many homes adding an EV charger, an electric range, a heat pump or an addition end up needing more than 100 amps. Some homes with gas heat and a gas range are fine on what they have.
Is a fuse box unsafe?
A fuse box in good condition that is not overloaded can still work. The trouble is that many are overloaded, some have had oversized fuses put in, and they rarely have room for new circuits. Some insurers also ask about fuse boxes. It is worth having one looked at.
What is a subpanel and do I need one?
A subpanel is a smaller panel fed from the main panel. It adds circuit spaces near where you need them, such as a garage, addition, basement shop or outbuilding. It does not add capacity to the service itself, so if the service is already at its limit, a service upgrade may be the answer instead.
How long will my power be off?
Usually for part of one day, while the old panel is removed and the new one is connected. The utility or REMC has to disconnect and reconnect the service, so we coordinate that timing with them and with you ahead of time.
Does a panel upgrade need a permit?
Service and panel work generally requires a permit and inspection where your city or county requires it, and the utility may need an inspection release before reconnecting. We take care of that as part of the job.