Your electrical panel is the one component in the house that every other circuit depends on. When it was installed, it was sized for the loads of that decade. Since then somebody added a second AC system, a pool pump, a hot tub, a shop full of tools, a kitchen remodel, and now an electric car in the driveway.
A service change replaces the panel, and often the meter can, service entrance conductors, and grounding system, with equipment rated for what the property draws today and what it will draw in ten years. It is the upgrade that makes every other upgrade possible.
We handle the permit, the coordination with Duke Energy or your local utility for the disconnect and reconnect, the installation, and the inspection. You get one point of contact and a documented, code-compliant service.
Serving Polk County: Lake Wales, Winter Haven, Bartow, Haines City, Lakeland, Dundee, Frostproof, Auburndale, Polk City, Davenport, Fort Meade, Lake Alfred, and the surrounding Central Florida communities. Call (863) 676-0198 to book.
Signs It's Time For A Panel Upgrade
- You need a larger service to support new loads, an addition, or an EV charger
- The panel is original to the home and the home is more than thirty years old
- Breakers trip constantly, or you have run out of open spaces and are doubling up
- Your insurance carrier is asking about the panel, or has declined to write coverage
- The panel is a known problem brand: Federal Pacific Stab-Lok, Zinsco, or Challenger
- You still have a fuse box rather than circuit breakers
- There is rust, moisture staining, scorching, or a burnt smell in or around the enclosure
- The main breaker is warm, or the panel buzzes and crackles under load
“Absolutely stellar service! Kincaid Electric came out the same day to fix a major panel issue. The technician was polite, explained everything clearly, and the price was exactly what they quoted.”
What We Usually Find
Undersized Service
- 100 amp service carrying loads that call for 200
- Voltage sag whenever the compressor or well pump starts
- No capacity left for an EV charger, generator interlock, or addition
Obsolete Or Recalled Equipment
- Federal Pacific Stab-Lok breakers with a documented failure-to-trip history
- Zinsco and Challenger panels with bus bars that degrade at the breaker clip
- Fuse boxes with no ground path and no room for modern circuits
Corrosion And Water Intrusion
- Florida humidity and driving rain entering an outdoor meter can
- Rusted bus bars and breaker clips that no longer make solid contact
- Failed weatherheads and cracked service entrance insulation
What A Proper Service Change Includes
A panel swap and a service change are not the same job. Here is what a complete, permitted upgrade covers.
- A load calculation that sizes the service to the property, not to a guess
- New panel, breakers, and where required a new meter can and service entrance conductors
- A modern grounding electrode system, ground rods and bonding brought to current code
- AFCI and GFCI protection where the code now requires it
- Every circuit identified and legibly labelled, which almost never survives from the old panel
- Utility coordination, permit, and a passed inspection you can hand to an insurer or a buyer
How A Service Change Goes
- 1
Site evaluation and load calculation
We look at the existing service, the meter, the grounding, and what you plan to add, then calculate the service size the property actually needs.
- 2
Permit and utility coordination
We pull the permit and schedule the utility disconnect and reconnect so your power-off window is as short as possible.
- 3
Installation day
Power comes down, the old equipment comes out, and the new panel, meter can, conductors, and grounding go in. Most residential changeovers are a single day.
- 4
Circuit mapping and labelling
Every branch circuit is landed, identified, and labelled properly. You will finally know which breaker is which.
- 5
Inspection and sign-off
The county inspector signs off, the utility reconnects, and you get documentation for your records and your insurer.
Ready to book panel upgrade?
Licensed, family owned, and working out of Lake Wales since 1973. Upfront pricing, and a real person on the phone.
Other Electrical Repairs Services
Panel Upgrade Across Polk County
The same crew covers the whole service area. Pick your city for local detail, or just call us.
Panel Upgrade FAQs
How long will my power be off?
For a typical residential service change, expect the power to be down for most of a working day. We coordinate the utility disconnect and reconnect ahead of time to keep that window as tight as possible, and we will tell you the plan before we start.
Do I need a permit for a panel upgrade?
Yes. A service change is permitted work everywhere in Polk County. We pull the permit and schedule the inspection as part of the job. Unpermitted panel work is a problem at resale and can give an insurer grounds to deny a claim.
My insurance company says my panel is a problem. What now?
That usually means a Federal Pacific, Zinsco, or Challenger panel, or a fuse box. Carriers have been tightening on these for years. Replacing the panel resolves it, and we provide the permit and inspection documentation your carrier will ask for.
Do I need to upgrade my panel before installing an EV charger?
Sometimes. A Level 2 charger is a substantial continuous load. If your service has capacity and an open double-pole space, we can often add the circuit as-is. If it does not, the panel upgrade comes first. We do the load calculation before quoting either way.
How much does a panel upgrade cost?
It varies with the service size, whether the meter can and service entrance conductors are being replaced, and what the grounding system needs. We give you a firm number after the site evaluation, before any work begins.
Is it worth it to upgrade my electrical panel?
If the panel is full, obsolete, corroded, or a brand your insurer objects to, then yes, because everything else you might want to add depends on it. If it is sound and has capacity, an upgrade for its own sake is not money well spent and we will tell you so. The honest test is whether the service can carry what the house draws today plus what you plan to add in the next few years.
Does upgrading your electrical panel increase your home's value?
It rarely shows up as a line item in an appraisal, but it removes an obstacle. Buyers, inspectors, and insurers all react badly to a fuse box or a Federal Pacific panel, and a deal that stalls over one costs far more than the upgrade. We hand you the permit and inspection paperwork so you can put it in front of a buyer or a carrier.
How do I know if I need a panel upgrade?
Look for breakers tripping regularly, no open spaces left, tandem breakers doubled into slots, rust or scorching in the enclosure, a warm main breaker, or a panel that is original to a home more than thirty years old. An insurer asking questions is another clear signal. A load calculation settles it properly: we compare the service size to what the property actually draws and what you want to add.
How long does a panel upgrade take?
Two timelines matter and people often confuse them. The installation itself is usually a single working day for a residential service change, with the power down for most of it. The full project from permit application to final inspection and utility reconnect commonly runs one to three weeks, because it depends on the county inspection schedule and the utility disconnect and reconnect appointments.
Is it better to replace or upgrade an electrical panel?
They are different jobs. A replacement swaps a failed or obsolete panel for a new one at the same capacity. An upgrade, properly called a service change, raises the amperage and usually means new service entrance conductors, a new meter can, and a new grounding electrode system. Since the labour, the permit, and the utility coordination cost much the same either way, it is poor economy to replace at the same size when the house is already short on capacity.