If your panel is a 100-amp service and you're running a modern household — central AC, multiple large appliances, a home office, maybe an EV charger — you've likely outgrown it regardless of whether anything is visibly wrong. If breakers are tripping regularly, the panel feels warm, or you're out of open slots for new circuits, those are signs the panel itself needs to be replaced rather than patched. When we come out, we'll tell you honestly which situation you're in. If a repair is the right answer, we'll say so — we're not going to sell you a full upgrade if you don't need one.

Yes. A panel replacement requires a temporary service disconnect, which means your power will be off for a portion of the day while the work is done. We coordinate that disconnect with Eversource ahead of time so it's scheduled and not a surprise. Most panel upgrades in a single-family home are completed in one day, so you're typically without power for a matter of hours rather than overnight.

Yes, an electrical permit and inspection are required for panel upgrades in Connecticut — no exceptions. We pull the permit before we start, do the work, and then schedule the final inspection with your town's building department. The inspector verifies the installation meets current code before the job is officially signed off. Our license number is E1-0184929 and we've been pulling permits in Tolland County towns for over 40 years, so this part of the process is routine for us.

That's a smart question, and yes, it's worth looking at the broader picture while we're already on-site. Older homes in this area sometimes have wiring that's deteriorated, outdated grounding, or circuits that were added over the years without permits. We can do a general assessment while we're there and flag anything that needs attention. It doesn't add cost to the estimate just to take a look — and if something does need to be addressed, we'll price it separately and get your approval before touching anything additional.