Electrical Panel Upgrades · Los Altos, California

Electrical Panel Upgrades in Los Altos, CA

Upgrading an electrical panel — typically 100A to 200A — to add capacity for EV chargers, heat pumps, induction ranges, and modern loads, including Federal Pacific and Zinsco replacements.

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Electrical Panel Upgrades for Los Altos Homes

Most Los Altos panel upgrades start with the same story: a 1950s or 1960s ranch on a quarter-acre lot in North Los Altos, Woodland Acres, or Rancho that was built around a 100-amp service and never updated. That service was generous when the house had a wall oven and not much else. Today the same home is charging two EVs, running a heat pump, and feeding a pool or a detached studio out back, and the panel simply runs out of room. Los Altos compounds this with scale: homes here often run 2,000 to 4,000-plus square feet after decades of additions, and the original panel was never resized when the square footage grew. Up in Los Altos Hills, multi-acre estates layer on landscape lighting, well pumps, gates, and backup generators that push demand far past what a legacy panel can carry. Many of these older homes also hide dated branch wiring behind that panel, which we flag during the walkthrough. Fox Electric upgrades these services to a properly sized 200-amp or 320-amp panel, backed by a real load calculation so there is headroom for whatever the next project adds. We size for the home as it actually is now, not as it was in 1958.

Permits & utility in Los Altos

Electrical service for Los Altos is provided by PG&E, and the electrical permit and inspection go through the local building department. We pull the permit and coordinate the PG&E service work as part of the job.

A Los Altos panel upgrade runs through PG&E for the service disconnect and reconnect, with the permit pulled through the City of Los Altos building department for most addresses and Santa Clara County for unincorporated Los Altos Hills parcels. The large-lot housing matters: meters and panels are often on a far exterior wall with long service runs, and bigger homes frequently justify a 320-amp or 400-amp service rather than a standard 200-amp swap. Hills properties on long driveways also have to weigh generator and PSPS readiness while the panel is open. We plan around all of it before quoting.

Pricing depends on your home and scope — we give a free on-site estimate with a written, fixed price before any work starts. For typical Bay Area ranges, see our guide on what a panel upgrade costs in the bay area.

What's Included

Electrical Panel Upgrades in Los Altos

Load calculation to size the new service correctly

New 200A main panel (Eaton, Square D, or Siemens) and meter coordination

Federal Pacific / Zinsco fire-risk panel replacement

Sub-panel additions for garages, ADUs, and EV circuits

City permit pulled and electrical inspection closed out

Every circuit labeled and the panel directory typed

How We Handle Electrical Panel Upgrades in Los Altos

Straightforward, permitted, and clean — from your first call to final sign-off in Los Altos.

Load Assessment

A licensed Fox electrician runs a load calculation and gives you a written fixed-price quote — no surprises.

Permit & Utility Scheduling

We pull the city electrical permit and schedule the service disconnect/reconnect with your utility.

Install Day

Power off, old panel out, new 200A service in, every circuit relabeled — usually one working day.

Inspection & Reconnect

City inspection passed, utility reconnects, and you keep the permit closeout for resale.

Recent Project

200A Panel Upgrade — Los Altos200A Upgrade

A Los Altos homeowner needed more capacity for an EV charger and a future heat pump, but the home was still on its original 100A service. We ran a load calculation, pulled the city permit, coordinated the PG&E service window, and installed a 200A panel — every circuit relabeled and the directory typed, powered back up the same day.

Before: Original 100A service, no room to grow
After: 200A panel sized for EV + heat pump headroom
Coordination: PG&E disconnect/reconnect + city inspection handled
Outcome: Passed inspection, permit closed out for resale

The Fox Difference

Why Los Altos Chooses Fox Electric

Local to Los Altos

Based in San Carlos — 13 min away. We know Los Altos homes, PG&E coordination, and the local permitting.

Licensed & Insured

CSLB #1145945 — fully licensed C-10 contractor and bonded. Every job permitted and inspected to current code.

Permits & Utility Handled

We pull the Los Altos permit, coordinate PG&E service work, and close out the inspection — you schedule one day, we do the rest.

5.0★ on Google

We earn the rating on every visit, not just the first.

Upfront, Fixed Pricing

Free on-site estimate with a written fixed-price quote before any work starts. No obligation, no surprises.

Same-Day Availability

We hold same-day slots open for Los Altos homeowners when something can't wait.

Questions

Electrical Panel Upgrades in Los Altos — FAQ

Does a Los Altos panel upgrade go through PG&E or the city?

Both play a part. PG&E handles the service disconnect and reconnect at the meter, while the electrical permit and inspection go through the City of Los Altos building department for in-town addresses, or Santa Clara County for unincorporated Los Altos Hills. We coordinate the PG&E window and pull the permit so you do not have to chase either one.

My older Los Altos ranch still has a 100-amp panel. Is 200 amps enough?

For a typical updated ranch in North Los Altos or Woodland Acres, a properly sized 200-amp service usually covers an EV, a heat pump, and modern kitchen loads with headroom to spare. We confirm it with a load calculation first. Larger expanded homes or those adding a pool, ADU, or second EV sometimes call for 320-amp service, and we size for what you are actually running.

Do large Los Altos Hills estates need more than a 200-amp panel?

Often yes. Multi-acre Los Altos Hills properties commonly combine well pumps, gates, extensive landscape lighting, a guest house, and EV charging, which can push demand past a standard 200-amp service. We run the load calculation and frequently land on a 320-amp or 400-amp service for these homes so nothing is starved when everything runs at once.

Can you handle a generator and PSPS readiness while the panel is open?

Yes, and the Hills are exactly where this pays off, since long rural feeders make Los Altos Hills more prone to PSPS shutoffs than the flats. Upgrading the panel is the natural time to add a transfer switch and the wiring for a standby generator, so the home is ready for backup power without tearing the panel apart twice.

How long is my power off during a Los Altos panel upgrade?

Usually one working day. Power is off while we swap the panel and PG&E handles the disconnect and reconnect, then the City of Los Altos or the county inspects before final re-energization. We schedule the PG&E window ahead of time so you can plan around a single day without power.