Panel and service upgrades, 100 amps to 600 amps and above
Most homes and small buildings in Southern California were wired for a fraction of what they carry today. Air conditioning, a remodeled kitchen, an ADU, a heat pump water heater and an EV charger all land on the same service. When the numbers no longer work, the fix is a properly sized panel and service, permitted, inspected and coordinated with your utility from start to finish.
When a panel or service upgrade makes sense
An upgrade is not about the age of the panel alone. It is about whether the service can safely carry the load the property actually has, and the load it is about to get. These are the situations that usually bring us out:
- Adding an ADU, a garage conversion or a room addition
- Installing an EV charger, a heat pump, central air or a pool pump
- A kitchen or bathroom remodel that adds dedicated circuits
- Breakers that trip repeatedly, a panel that feels warm, or flickering lights under load
- A fused service, a 60 or 100 amp main, or a panel with no open spaces left
- A buyer, lender, home inspector or insurer asking for an upgrade
We start with a load calculation, not a guess
Before we recommend a size, we run a load calculation the way the electrical code lays it out: square footage, appliances, heating and cooling, and anything you are planning to add. Sometimes the answer is a 200 amp service. Sometimes it is 400. Sometimes the existing service is fine and a subpanel or a load management device solves the problem for less. You get the number and the reasoning, so you can make the call.
How a service upgrade runs
A service upgrade touches three parties: us, the building department and the utility. Getting the order right is what keeps the outage short.
- Site walk and load calculation, then a written estimate.
- We pull the electrical permit with the city or county, and submit plans where plan check is required.
- We coordinate with the utility (LADWP, Southern California Edison or a city utility such as Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena or Anaheim) on the meter location, clearances and the disconnect.
- Install day: the utility releases the service, we set the new meter panel, main and branch connections.
- The building inspector signs off, the utility reconnects, and you get a finaled permit for your records.
Sizes we install
100, 200, 400 and 600 amp services, and larger services for apartment buildings and commercial property. That includes overhead and underground services, exterior meter main combinations, interior load centers and new subpanels for ADUs, garages and additions.
Common questions
For a straightforward replacement of a residential service, the outage is usually part of a single working day. Larger upgrades, relocated meters or a new feed from the utility take longer because the utility schedules its own part of the work. We give you the expected sequence in writing before anything is scheduled.
It depends on the load calculation. A typical single family home with gas appliances often fits within 200 amps even with an EV charger. All electric homes, large houses with pools and ADUs, or properties adding several heavy loads at once can need more. We size it from the numbers, not from a rule of thumb.
Sometimes. If the service itself has capacity but the panel has no room, a subpanel adds spaces without touching the utility side. If the service is already at its limit, a subpanel just moves the problem. The load calculation tells us which case you are in.
Panel and service upgrades near you
Tell us what is going on. We will tell you what it takes.
No call center, no upsell script. We read every request that comes in and get back to you the same business day.
- (323) 945-3608Call or text. Emergencies answered any time
- morff.electric@gmail.comSend plans, photos or a scope
- 10316 Sepulveda Blvd #441, Mission Hills, CA 91345Get directions on Google Maps