Electrical Panel Upgrades · Los Gatos, California

Electrical Panel Upgrades in Los Gatos, 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 Gatos Homes

What drives most of the panel upgrades we do in Los Gatos is the gap between when these homes were wired and how they're lived in now. The Almond Grove and Downtown Victorians and Craftsmans, built between the 1890s and 1920s, were never meant to carry more than lights and a few outlets, and plenty still run on an original fuse box or a 100-amp service. The Belwood and Blossom Manor ranch homes from the mid-century were sized for the appliances of their day, not for an EV in the garage, a heat pump, and an induction range all pulling at once. And the custom estates up in Shannon Hills, Kennedy Meadows, and the Los Gatos Mountains have their own twist: the panel often sits at the end of a long conduit run from the meter, and homeowners want headroom for backup generators, well pumps, and outbuildings. Fox Electric upgrades these services to a modern 200-amp panel sized with a real load calculation, so whatever you add next has room. On the older downtown homes we also look behind the panel, because a 1910 Victorian hiding knob-and-tube is a different conversation than a clean 1965 ranch. We size the service for the house you actually have and the loads you're actually planning.

Permits & utility in Los Gatos

Electrical service for Los Gatos 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.

In Los Gatos, a panel upgrade runs through PG&E for the service disconnect and reconnect, and the permit comes from the Town of Los Gatos building department, or from Santa Clara County if the home sits in an unincorporated hillside area like parts of the Los Gatos Mountains. Hillside estates frequently have long conduit runs between the meter and the panel, which affects how the upgrade is staged. Downtown's Almond Grove homes are old enough that the panel swap often surfaces knob-and-tube behind it, and exterior changes near the historic core can draw extra scrutiny.

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 Gatos

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 Gatos

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

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 Gatos200A Upgrade

A Los Gatos 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 Gatos Chooses Fox Electric

Local to Los Gatos

Based in San Carlos — 25 min away. We know Los Gatos 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 Gatos 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 Gatos homeowners when something can't wait.

Questions

Electrical Panel Upgrades in Los Gatos — FAQ

Does a Los Gatos panel upgrade go through PG&E or the town?

Both, in different roles. PG&E handles the actual service disconnect and reconnect at the meter, while the permit and electrical inspection come from the Town of Los Gatos building department. If your home is in an unincorporated hillside area, Santa Clara County issues the permit instead. We coordinate all of it and schedule the PG&E window in advance.

My downtown Los Gatos home still has a fuse box. Can it just be upgraded to 200 amps?

Usually yes, but on the 1890s-1920s Almond Grove and downtown homes we check what's behind that fuse box first. Many still have knob-and-tube or cloth-insulated branch wiring, and swapping the panel without addressing unsafe wiring just puts a modern box on an old system. We assess it during the load walkthrough and tell you honestly whether the panel stands alone or whether some wiring deserves attention at the same time.

Will a hillside home in Shannon Hills or Kennedy Meadows cost more to upgrade?

It can, mainly because of the runs involved. Hillside estates often have a long conduit run between the meter and the panel, and PG&E coordination on a remote property takes more planning. We factor the actual conduit length and access into the quote rather than guessing, so you get a fixed price before we start.

I'm adding an EV charger and a backup generator. Do I need a bigger panel?

Often, but we confirm it with a load calculation before recommending an upgrade. A backup generator and an EV charger together push the math toward 200 amps on many Los Gatos homes, but sometimes a load-management device gets you there without a full upgrade. We size the service for the loads you're actually planning, including generator transfer if that's part of the project.

How long will my power be off for a panel upgrade?

Typically one working day. Power is off while we remove the old panel and install the new 200-amp service, and PG&E handles the disconnect and reconnect around that window. The Town of Los Gatos inspects before final re-energization. We schedule the PG&E appointment ahead of time so you can plan around a single day without power.