Panel Upgrade Planner

Do you actually need an upgrade?

Not every old panel needs to be replaced — but some absolutely do. Here's how to tell which camp you're in before you spend a dime.

Signs you likely need an upgrade:

• Your breakers trip regularly under normal use. A trip now and then is the system working; weekly trips mean you're out of capacity.
• You still have a fuse box. Fuses aren't unsafe by themselves, but the box can't handle modern loads and most insurers hate them.
• You're adding big loads — an EV charger, a hot tub, a home addition, electric heat, a workshop. Each of these can eat 30–60 amps on its own.
• Your panel is 25–40+ years old and full — no open breaker spaces left for anything new.
• You have a Federal Pacific (Stab-Lok) or Zinsco panel. These have documented breaker-failure issues. If you see either name on your panel, get it evaluated — this one isn't optional.

How to check your service size right now: open the panel door (just the door, not the cover) and read the number on the main breaker at the top — it'll say 60, 100, 150, or 200. That's your service size in amps. If there's no single main breaker, you may have a split-bus panel — another sign it's time.

If two or more of the warning signs above apply to you, keep reading — the rest of this planner will save you from overbuying, underbuying, or hiring the wrong person.