Electrical Panel Upgrades in Sunnyvale, CA

Both, in different roles. PG&E handles the actual service disconnect and reconnect at the meter, while the City of Sunnyvale Community Development Department issues the electrical permit and runs the inspection. Fox Electric schedules the PG&E window and books the city inspection for you, so you're not chasing two agencies yourself.

Yes, and that's exactly why an Eichler panel upgrade needs someone who knows these homes. With post-and-beam construction there's no attic and the radiant heat sits in the ceiling, so we route the service and any new circuits along the slab and exterior walls instead of fishing overhead. We work this way regularly in Cherry Chase and Ponderosa Park.

Often yes, but we confirm it with a load calculation before quoting an upgrade. Sometimes a load-management device lets you add the charger without a full panel swap. If you're also eyeing a heat pump or induction range, going to 200 amps usually makes the next install plug-and-play, so we size it for what you're actually adding.

Sometimes. Many of the Cherry Chase and Ponderosa Park Eichlers still carry original aluminum branch wiring, which can be a fire and connection risk. We assess it during the load walkthrough and tell you honestly whether the panel upgrade stands on its own or whether some of that wiring should be addressed too, without pushing a full rewire you don't need.

The outage window depends on the approved work, PG&E scheduling and the required Sunnyvale inspections. Confirm the disconnect and reconnect arrangements before the installation date, including what happens if work or inspection takes longer than planned.

Yes. The city's panel replacement handout requires a utility release inspection when the new panel is installed and ready to connect, with the dead-front removed for the inspector, and a final after all work is complete. The inspector gives you a utility release form that goes to PG&E before the supply is reconnected, and a wire lath inspection is added if stucco is repaired.

Only if the load calculation passes. The city's handout sets 100 A as the minimum service for a single-family home, and the earliest Eichler tracts from 1949 sit at or near that floor. Adding a Level 2 charger usually needs either a load management device that keeps the charger out of the service calculation or a larger service, and the PG&E timeline is the deciding schedule item.