Service
Electrical panel upgrades
Replacing an undersized or obsolete service so the rest of the house can be wired safely.
Most of the time an electrical panel upgrade is not really about the panel. It is about everything the panel is stopping you from doing.
A 60 amp service was adequate when a house had lights, a stove and a fridge. It is not adequate for a heat pump, an EV charger, a hot tub, a basement suite or a modern kitchen. When you are told a circuit cannot be added, the panel is usually the reason.
When an electrical panel upgrade comes up
The three most common ways this lands on our desk:
Insurance. Insurers ask about fuse panels, 60 amp services and certain older equipment. Some decline, some surcharge, some ask for a letter. If your broker has asked for something in writing, tell us and we will make sure the paperwork matches what they want.
A renovation that has stalled. A kitchen, an addition or a finished basement adds circuits, and at some point the existing service simply runs out of capacity.
Something new that draws real current. Heat pumps and EV chargers are the two that most often trigger a service upgrade in this region, because both need a genuine load calculation rather than a guess.
What the work involves
A service change means a new panel, usually a new meter base and mast, new grounding and bonding to current code, and existing circuits transferred over and labelled properly. It is permitted and inspected work, and the utility has to disconnect and reconnect the service, so it is scheduled rather than done on the spot.
We do a load calculation first. That is not a formality: it decides whether 100 amps is genuinely enough or whether you are going to be back here in two years when the next thing gets added.
The panel directory
Every panel we install leaves with a legible, accurate circuit directory. It costs us fifteen minutes and it saves whoever works on the house next, which might be us and might not be.
Often the panel is the first step rather than the whole job. A service upgrade is frequently what makes EV charger installation or heat pump circuits possible, and it usually runs alongside knob-and-tube replacement in an older house.
Common questions
How do I know if my panel needs upgrading?
The common signs are a fuse panel rather than breakers, a 60 amp service, breakers that trip when two large appliances run together, no space left for a new circuit, or an insurer or home inspector asking about it in writing. Any one of those is worth a look.
Do I need a permit for a panel upgrade?
Yes. Service and panel work is permitted and inspected electrical work in Nova Scotia, and the utility has to be involved to disconnect and reconnect the service. We handle the permit and coordinate the inspection as part of the job.
How long will my power be off?
Most residential service changes are a one day job with the power off for part of it. We will tell you the expected window before we start rather than after.
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