Panel Upgrades
Electrical panel upgrades for Spokane homes.
Panel replacements, 100 to 200 amp service upgrades, sub-panels, and replacing outdated or recalled panels across Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake and the surrounding area.
What we do
- Full service changes
- 100 to 200 amp upgrades
- Meter base and service mast replacement
- Sub-panel installation
- Grounding and bonding corrections
- Replacing fuse boxes
- Federal Pacific and Zinsco replacement
- Permit and inspection coordination
Common jobs we handle
- Replace a full 100-amp panel
- Swap a fuse box for a modern panel
- Add a sub-panel for a shop or garage
- Upgrade service for an EV charger
- Correct grounding and bonding
- Replace a corroded meter base
When to call an electrician
- Breakers trip repeatedly
- Your panel has no open spaces
- You still have fuses
- Scorch marks or a burning smell
- Insurance flagged your panel
- You're adding an EV charger, hot tub, or heat pump
Signs your panel needs attention
- Breakers that trip repeatedly
- Panel is full with no room for a new circuit
- Fuses rather than breakers
- Scorch marks or a burning smell at the panel
- Panel cover feels warm
- Lights flicker across multiple rooms
- Your insurance company flagged the panel at renewal
- You're adding an EV charger, hot tub, heat pump, induction range, or remodeling a kitchen
Panels we see in Spokane
Fuse boxes and 60-amp services
Common in Spokane's pre-war housing stock. A 60-amp service was sized for a very different household: no central air, no EV, no induction range, no home office. These are usually the clearest candidates for a service change.
Federal Pacific Stab-Lok and Zinsco
These panels are widely regarded as a concern and are commonly flagged by inspectors and insurance carriers. We assess the actual panel (condition, breakers, and wiring) rather than replacing on reputation alone, and we explain what we find.
Full 100-amp panels
Very common in postwar homes. The service may be perfectly serviceable; the panel is simply out of spaces. Depending on the load calculation, the answer might be a sub-panel rather than a full service change.
Damaged or corroded equipment
Rust in the meter base, a bent or pulling service mast, double-tapped breakers, missing grounding and bonding. These show up once the cover comes off and often matter more than the panel's brand name.
What a panel upgrade actually involves
A service change is a coordinated job involving you, us, the permitting authority, and Avista. Here's the real sequence.
- Step 1
Assess the service and load
We look at the existing service, meter base, mast, grounding, and panel, and run a load calculation based on how you actually use the home.
- Step 2
Pull the electrical permit
Labor & Industries for most of the region; the City of Spokane runs its own program inside city limits.
- Step 3
Give Avista 48-hour notice
Avista requires 48-hour notice for a service disconnect. Only Avista personnel may cut the meter seal.
- Step 4
Avista pulls the meter and disconnects
The meter and the service conductors belong to Avista. The meter socket, mast, service entrance conductors, and panel belong to you.
- Step 5
Replace the equipment
New meter base, panel, service entrance conductors, and corrected grounding and bonding, labeled and tidy.
- Step 6
Inspection
The inspector reviews the work and posts the approval sticker on the meter socket.
- Step 7
Avista reconnects and energizes
Avista reconnects only after the job passes and the sticker is posted. Then the home is back on the new service.
Panel change or service change?
A panel change is the panel. A service change is everything from the meter outside all the way through to the panel. They are different jobs at different prices, and nobody explains the difference, which costs people money.
Full side-by-side detail is on panel change vs service change, and Valley-specific work is on panel upgrades in Spokane Valley.
Here's the trap: if the meter outside is 200 amp but the panel inside is 150, you cannot do a panel-only change. It has to be a service upgrade.
There's a second one that catches people: moving the panel more than six feet means the existing circuits have to be extended, and in Washington extended circuits need arc-fault breakers. The full explanation is on what electrical work actually costs in Spokane.
Can the existing mast stay?
Sometimes, and it's worth asking. With an existing 2-inch rigid mast, if getting at the conduit would mean removing framing, siding or sheetrock, it can be kept, provided it's at least an inch and a half.
How long you'll be without power
These are our numbers for the work itself, not Avista's scheduling. A straightforward panel change means 4 to 5 hours without power. A full service change is 6 to 7 hours.
We schedule the disconnect with Avista. You don't have to call them. Avista prefers the contractor to handle it, and it keeps the sequencing in one set of hands.
What Avista owns, and what they won't touch
Avista owns the service drop to the weatherhead, or the service lateral to the meter. From there in (meter base, mast, service entrance conductors, and the panel) is yours.
They will not open your panel or test anything inside it. People call the utility about something odd in the house and get nowhere, because it's simply on the wrong side of the wall. That's an electrician's call, not a utility call.
What drives the cost
Panel upgrades vary widely because the scope varies widely. These are the factors that actually move the number on your quote:
- Panel size and service amperage
- Whether the meter base and service mast also need replacing
- Overhead versus underground service
- Panel location and whether it has to move
- Condition of the grounding electrode system
- How much existing wiring needs correcting once the cover is off
- Permit and inspection fees
- Avista coordination and scheduling
A panel change at the same amperage runs $3,000 to $4,000. A full service change from 100 to 200 amps runs $7,000 to $10,000, and most land between $8,000 and $8,500. The biggest thing that moves either number is relocation. Panels cannot be in closets or bathrooms, so those have to move, and once a panel moves more than six feet the extended circuits need arc-fault breakers, which are significantly more expensive.
Do I need 200 amps?
The NEC minimum service for a single-family dwelling is 100 amps. 200-amp service is a market convention, not a code requirement, and plenty of homes are well served at 100 amps. What matters is your actual load: a heat pump, EV charging, an induction range, a hot tub, a heated shop, or a serious home office all push the calculation up.
We run the load calculation and tell you what the math says, rather than defaulting every customer to 200 amps. If 100 amps is genuinely enough for how you live, we'll say so. And if you're planning an EV or a heat pump in the next couple of years, we'll factor that in now so you're not paying for the same work twice.
Wondering about cost? See what electrical work actually costs in Spokane.
Ready to look at your panel?
We'll assess the service, run the load calculation, handle the permit, and coordinate with Avista. See all our residential electrical services, or reach out below.
Panel upgrades across Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, the South Hill, and downtown Spokane.
Service Areas
Local electrician across Spokane County & North Idaho
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a panel upgrade?+
Yes. A service change or panel replacement always requires an electrical permit and inspection. Almost everywhere in the Spokane region (Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Cheney, Airway Heights, Millwood, and unincorporated Spokane County) that permit comes from Washington State Labor & Industries. Inside the City of Spokane, the city runs its own electrical permit and inspection program. We pull the permit and schedule the inspection.
How long does a panel upgrade take?+
Most residential service changes are a one-day job for the electrical work itself. The overall timeline also depends on Avista scheduling and when an inspector can get out, so we set expectations up front rather than guessing.
Will my power be off during the work?+
Yes. Figure four to five hours without power for a straightforward panel change, and six to seven for a full service change. Avista disconnects the service so the meter base, panel, and service entrance conductors can be replaced safely, and reconnects after the inspection passes. We schedule that disconnect with Avista ourselves.
Do I need to be home?+
Someone should be home to give us access to the panel and the interior, and to be present when the inspector comes through. We'll confirm the schedule with you ahead of time so the day is predictable.
Is a Federal Pacific or Zinsco panel dangerous?+
Federal Pacific Stab-Lok and Zinsco panels are widely regarded as a concern and are commonly flagged by home inspectors and insurance carriers. We assess the actual panel in front of us (its condition, its breakers, and how it's wired) rather than replacing it on reputation alone. If it should be replaced, we'll tell you why.
Do I need 200-amp service?+
Not necessarily. The NEC minimum service for a single-family dwelling is 100 amps. 200 amps is a common market convention, not a code requirement. Whether it's right for your home depends on your actual load: heat pump, EV charging, induction range, hot tub, shop, home office. We run the load calculation instead of defaulting everyone to 200.
Can you add a sub-panel instead of replacing the main?+
Sometimes, yes. If your service has capacity but the panel is simply out of spaces, a sub-panel can be the cleaner and less expensive answer. If the service itself is undersized or the equipment is failing, a sub-panel just moves the problem. The load calculation tells us which one you're dealing with.
Will my insurance company require this?+
Some carriers flag older equipment (fuse boxes, 60-amp services, and Federal Pacific or Zinsco panels) at renewal or during a policy inspection. If your insurer has raised it, bring us the letter and we'll look at what's actually installed and what would satisfy them.
What's the difference between a panel change and a service change?+
A panel change is the panel. A service change is everything from the meter outside through to the panel. Different jobs, different prices. One trap: if the meter outside is 200 amp but the panel inside is 150, you can't do a panel-only change. That has to be a service upgrade.
How many hours will my power be off?+
A straightforward panel change means about four to five hours without power. A full service change is about six to seven. Those are our numbers for the work itself, not Avista's scheduling.
Do I have to call Avista to schedule the disconnect?+
No. We schedule the disconnect with Avista: Avista prefers the contractor to handle it, and it's one less thing for you to chase.
What does Avista own, and what do I own?+
Avista owns the service drop to the weatherhead, or the service lateral to the meter. Everything from there in (meter base, mast, service entrance conductors, and the panel) is yours. Avista will not open your panel or test anything inside it, which is why calls to the utility about something odd in the house often go nowhere: it's on the wrong side of the wall.
Do I need a new service mast?+
Not always. With an existing 2-inch rigid mast, if getting at the conduit would mean removing framing, siding or sheetrock, it can be kept provided it's at least an inch and a half.
Ready to get electrical work handled the right way?
Book online in under a minute or call our team now.