When a panel needs doing
Breakers that will not stay on. A dryer and an oven that cannot run together. No room for an EV charger or a generator. Warm covers. Those are the houses we see on the North Shore — not a mystery, just a service that has not kept up.
- Older 60- or 100-amp services that were never meant for today’s load
- Full panels with no space for a dedicated circuit
- Federal Pacific, Zinsco, and other equipment we will not leave in place
- A kitchen, bath, or addition that the existing service cannot feed
What to expect
A licensed electrician looks at the service first. We tell you whether a new breaker, a subpanel, or a full service upgrade is the right work — and we do not pad extras onto the number.
- We look at the panel, the meter, and how the house is used.
- You get a clear estimate. If the charger, generator, or kitchen is driving the work, we say so.
- We pull the permit. The village inspects the work.
- The new panel is labeled. You know what feeds what.
Code notes for older houses
North Shore villages want the work inspected. We pull the permit. We do not ask a homeowner to open a panel. Grounding, bonding, and the run from the meter are part of doing it once.
Same crew in Northbrook, Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park, and Lake Forest. If the panel is the first step toward a kitchen or a charger, we stay on the job.
What an upgrade involves
A service upgrade is the meter, the mast or lateral, the grounding, and the new panel. The house loses power for a planned window. We tell you how the day looks. Federal Pacific and Zinsco equipment comes out — we will not leave it. The new panel is labeled so the next person in the house can find the kitchen, the charger, and the dryer.
Subpanels versus a new service
Sometimes a subpanel in the garage is enough for a charger. Sometimes the utility has to set a larger service. We do not sell the larger job if the smaller one is safe and legal. That is the look in person.