Electric Panel Upgrades, Repairs and Replacements
A panel that trips constantly, runs hot or can't carry the load you're adding is at the end of its life. Red Beacon handles electrical panel replacement in commercial buildings and homes across Orange County: we pull the permit, do the work and see it through inspection. We hold California C-10 (electrical) and C-16 (fire protection) contractor licenses under #1041064, so one licensed contractor can handle the panel and anything the fire system is tied into.
Call 855-202-2966 or request a panel assessment below.
Get a Panel Assessment for Your Building or Home
Signs Your Electrical Panel Needs Replacing
These are the conditions that usually mean a panel needs to be evaluated for replacement, whether it is the breaker box in a house or a panelboard in a commercial building.
Breakers that keep tripping and won't stay reset
A breaker that trips once after an overloaded circuit is doing its job. One that trips repeatedly, won't reset or feels hot points to an overloaded circuit, a failing breaker or damage inside the panel. A licensed electrician needs to find out which. Swapping in a larger breaker to stop the tripping is a fire risk, because the wire behind the breaker is sized for the original rating.
Obsolete panels and fuse boxes
Fuse boxes and older breaker panels were designed for far lower electrical loads than most buildings carry today. Some breaker lines have been discontinued, which makes replacement breakers hard or impossible to find, and a breaker that isn't listed for a particular panel should not be installed in it. Federal Pacific (Stab-Lok) and Zinsco are two brands that home inspectors and insurers commonly flag.
Heat, scorch marks and a burning smell at the panel
Discoloration, scorch marks, buzzing, a burning smell or a panel that is hot to the touch mean a connection is overheating. Don't open the panel. Treat it as an emergency; see the emergency section below.
A panel that can't carry the load you're adding
An EV charger, heat pump, ADU, kitchen remodel, restaurant build-out or new tenant equipment all add electrical load. Whether the existing service can carry it is answered by a load calculation under NEC Article 220, not by a guess. If the calculation comes up short, the panel or service has to be upgraded before the new equipment goes in.
Failed inspection or an open correction notice
Inspectors, insurers and lenders raise panel problems: a missing or illegible circuit directory, double-tapped breakers, missing bonding or too little working space around the panel. Corrections generally have to be made by a licensed contractor and re-inspected.
Blocked panels and working clearance
Storage, shelving or a build-out that closes in the working space around a panel can fail inspection under NEC 110.26. Where the panel can't be cleared, relocating it may be part of the fix.
See one of these signs? Call 855-202-2966 or request a panel assessment above.
Panelboards, distribution panels and three-phase service
Tenant loads and capacity increases
Commercial buildings run panelboards and distribution equipment, often on three-phase service, rather than a single residential load center. We replace main and sub-distribution panels, tenant panels and meter-main equipment.
A tenant build-out that adds a kitchen, medical equipment or more HVAC can exceed what the existing service carries. The load calculation for the new use decides whether it needs a subpanel, a panel replacement or a service upgrade, and it is worth running before construction documents are final so plan check doesn't surprise the schedule. We coordinate this with your tenant improvements and commercial electrical remodels.
Working around occupancy
Circuit labeling and directory updates
Replacing a main service panel means the building loses power while the work is done. The shutdown has to be scheduled in advance with the property manager and tenants, and coordinated with the utility where the meter must be disconnected.
A stable and efficient electrical system reduces voltage fluctuations that can damage appliances. Upgrading your panel can extend the lifespan of your valuable electronics and appliances.
NFPA 70B and your maintenance obligation
NFPA 70B, the Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance, became a full standard in its 2023 edition, replacing what used to be recommended practice. Whether and how it is enforced for your building depends on your insurer, your lender or lease terms and the local authority having jurisdiction, so confirm that with them. A panel that hasn't been inspected or maintained is where that conversation usually starts. Our guide on how to prevent electrical fires in commercial buildings covers maintenance in more detail.
Managing a building with an aging panel? Call 855-202-2966 or request a panel assessment above.
Residential Electrical Panel Replacement
For homeowners: the panel in your home is the breaker box or fuse box where power enters the house and is divided into circuits. It may need replacing if it is a fuse box, an obsolete brand, too small for what you're adding or damaged.
Breaker box and fuse box replacement
A fuse box uses screw-in fuses instead of breakers. Homes that still have one were wired for far less electrical load than a home uses today. Replacing it with a modern breaker panel gives you a panel sized for your actual load and protected to current code.
Obsolete panels flagged during a home sale
A home inspector or insurer may flag your panel during a sale, most often a Federal Pacific or Zinsco. If yours has been flagged, have a licensed electrician look at it in person. We will tell you whether it needs to be replaced and why, and we won't recommend replacement when it doesn't.
100-amp to 200-amp service upgrades
Amperage is how much power your home's electrical service can deliver at once. Many older homes have 100-amp service or less. Whether you need 200 amps is decided by a load calculation of what your home draws now plus what you plan to add, not by a rule of thumb.
Upgrading for an EV charger, solar, a heat pump or an ADU
An EV charger, solar system, heat pump or ADU adds load or connects to your panel. If your installer or utility has told you the panel has to be upgraded first, the order of work is a load calculation, then the panel or service upgrade if the calculation calls for it, then the new equipment. Not every project needs a new panel.
How long your power will be off
Replacing a panel requires the power to be off in the house while the work is done.
Rebates and tax credits
Some utility and state programs have offered incentives for panel upgrades tied to EV charging or electrification, and eligibility and funding change often. The federal 25C tax credit, which covered some panel upgrades, applied only to property placed in service before December 31, 2025, so it doesn't apply to work done in 2026. See our guide to California electrical panel upgrade rebates before you buy.
Got a fuse box or a flagged panel? Call 855-202-2966 or request a panel assessment above.
FAQs
Panel Repair, Circuit Breaker Service and New Installation
Circuit Breaker Repair and Replacement in Orange County
A circuit breaker protects the wiring behind it from overload. Breakers can wear out over time or trip because the circuit is overloaded. A Red Beacon electrician diagnoses which it is and repairs or replaces the breaker where that is the right fix.
New Panel Installation, Including New Construction
We install panels for new construction as well as replacing existing ones. Every installation is permitted and inspected against the electrical code your local building department enforces, which is described under Code Compliance and Permitting below.
When to Repair a Panel and When to Replace It
Repair is usually the right answer when the fault is one worn breaker or a loose connection on an otherwise sound panel. Replacement is the right answer when the panel is obsolete, has heat damage, can't get replacement breakers, or can't carry the load you need. We assess the panel first and recommend the smaller fix when the smaller fix is enough.
What a Panel Replacement Actually Involves
The steps are the same for a home and a commercial building. What changes is the scheduling, which is covered in each track above.
Emergency Panel Replacement: When It Can't Wait
If your panel is sparking, smoking, scorched or buzzing, don't touch it and don't open it. If there is smoke or fire, get everyone out and call 911 first. Then call Red Beacon at 855-202-2966.
Code Compliance and Permitting
Panel work needs a permit and an inspection, and it has to meet the electrical code your local building department enforces. Read our guide to permits for electrical panel upgrades for the details.
Electrical Panel Service Across Orange County and Beyond
Orange County
We replace electrical panels in Anaheim, Santa Ana, Irvine and throughout Orange County.
Los Angeles and Southern California
We also work in Los Angeles County and pull permits in Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties.
Arizona
Red Beacon also works in Arizona under ROC license #335591. Because Arizona jurisdictions adopt their own codes, we work to the edition and amendments of the city where the job is.
Why Owners and Managers Call Red Beacon for Your Remodel?
Red Beacon prioritizes your safety and complete satisfaction. Here's what sets us apart:Two things set Red Beacon apart from a general electrician: