Electrical panel upgrade, room to grow.
Panel full? Breakers tripping for no clear reason? An old Federal Pacific or Zinsco box that keeps nagging at you? This is the part of your house everything else leans on. We replace it, size it for the EV charger and finished basement you have in mind, and handle the permit and the power company. You barely lift a finger.
Room for what you add next
EV chargers, basement subpanels, smart-home circuits, generator transfer switches - they all draw from the panel. We size it for the house you have now and the things you are likely to add, so you are not back here in two years.
The ones that should not wait
Federal Pacific, Zinsco, aluminum branch wiring, and knob-and-tube. If your home is a 1960s-80s NoVA build, there is a good chance at least one of these is in your basement right now - and it is the first thing we would want to fix.
The paperwork is on us
Every panel job needs a permit. We pull it, we schedule the Dominion or NOVEC disconnect, and we pass inspection the first time. You stay out of it and end up with the card in hand.
Which one sounds like your house?
Most NoVA homes land on one of these sooner or later. Find the one that sounds like yours and click in. You'll see what the job involves and what the finished work looks like.
Electrical Panel Replacement
Full-panel swaps for aging, undersized, or unsafe panels. New panel box, new breakers, labeling.
200-Amp Panel Upgrade
Upgrading from 100A or 150A to 200A service. The most common NoVA upgrade - needed for EV charging, basement finishes, additions.
Subpanel Installation
Dedicated subpanels for basements, workshops, detached garages, or pool equipment. Keeps service localized and isolated.
Federal Pacific Panel Replacement
FPE Stab-Lok breakers are known to fail to trip during overload, causing fires. Common in NoVA homes built 1960s-80s.
Zinsco Panel Replacement
Zinsco breakers can melt to the bus bar and bypass overcurrent protection. Same risk class as FPE. Replace promptly.
Whole-House Rewiring
Full-home rewire when old wiring is past usable life. Common with knob-and-tube remediation or major remodels.
Knob-and-Tube Replacement
K&T wiring (pre-1950s) has no ground and degrades with age. Insurance companies often refuse to cover homes with active K&T.
Aluminum Wiring Replacement
1965-1973 aluminum branch wiring is a known fire risk. We do full replacement, AlumiConn remediation, or COPALUM crimps depending on scope.
Panel projects across Northern Virginia
What replacing your panel actually looks like
A panel job has one step a normal electrical job doesn't: the power company has to cut power to your house first. You get one project manager who runs the whole thing. We book the shutoff with Dominion or NOVEC and time it so your house is dark for the shortest stretch possible.
Free consultation
We look at the existing panel, the service entrance, the meter, and the grounding system. Most consultations take 30-45 minutes.
Written proposal
NEC sections cited. Itemized. Good for 30 days. Includes the permit fee and the utility-disconnect coordination.
Utility coordination + work
We schedule the disconnect with Dominion or NOVEC. Most panel swaps are completed in one day, power off to power on.
Inspection + walkthrough
We schedule the county inspection. Walk you through every breaker, leave you the inspection card and the labeled panel directory.
Questions homeowners ask about panel work
How do I know if my panel needs to be replaced?
A few clear signs. It's a Federal Pacific or Zinsco box (both should go regardless of age). It's full and you want to add circuits. Breakers keep tripping. You see scorching or rust inside. Or your insurance company flagged it during an inspection.
Other signals to watch for: the panel is the original from a 1960s or 1970s home (lifespan is typically 30-40 years), the panel has tandem breakers in slots that aren't rated for them, breakers that feel loose in their slots, or you're planning an electrical upgrade (EV charger, basement finish, addition, whole-house generator) that will push the panel near capacity. We do free assessments - if your panel doesn't actually need replacement, we'll tell you. We've talked plenty of homeowners out of unnecessary panel swaps.
Why are Federal Pacific and Zinsco panels considered unsafe?
Federal Pacific Stab-Lok breakers have been shown in studies (including a CPSC investigation) to fail to trip during overload at significantly higher rates than other brands - meaning the breaker doesn't shut off power when it should, which can start fires. Zinsco breakers have a different failure mode: the bus bar inside the panel corrodes and the breaker can melt to the bus, bypassing the overcurrent protection entirely.
Both panel brands are no longer manufactured and are not eligible for UL listing for new installations. Most home insurance companies will either refuse to insure homes with FPE or Zinsco panels or charge significantly higher rates. Many home sales fall through during inspection over these panels. Replacement is the only reliable fix - you cannot "rehab" an FPE or Zinsco panel by replacing breakers.
How long does a panel replacement take?
A straightforward residential panel swap takes one full day, with power off for typically 6-8 hours of that day. More complex jobs - service-entrance upgrades, panel relocations, or panels that need code-correction work beyond the basic swap - can take 2-3 days.
The "power off" window depends on the scope. For a same-location panel swap with no service-entrance work, we typically have power back on by late afternoon. For a service upgrade (changing from 100A to 200A, for example), we need to coordinate with Dominion Energy or NOVEC to disconnect at the meter, run new service-entrance conductors, set the new meter base, then have the utility reconnect. We schedule that disconnect on a day where the utility can reliably do the reconnect same-day. We give you a written schedule before the work starts.
Do I need a 200-amp panel or is 100-amp enough?
For most modern NoVA homes, 200-amp is the right call. 100-amp panels are typically undersized for homes with central HVAC, electric appliances, and the additions most homeowners add over time (EV chargers, hot tubs, basement finishes, generator transfer switches). If you're upgrading anyway, going to 200A almost always makes sense.
When 100A might still be fine: small homes (under 1,500 sq ft), gas heat and gas hot water, no major electrical additions planned, and no panel headroom issues. We do a load calculation during the consultation per NEC 220 to confirm. Going to 200A typically adds a few hundred dollars to a panel swap budget but eliminates capacity worries for the next 20-30 years.
What about aluminum branch wiring - is rewiring the only option?
No. For aluminum branch wiring from the 1965-1973 era, there are three remediation paths: full rewire with copper (most expensive, most thorough), AlumiConn devices at every termination (mid-cost, code-compliant, easier than rewire), or COPALUM crimps at every termination (UL-listed, requires a special-trained installer). We do all three and recommend based on home size, accessibility, and budget.
AlumiConn is the most common practical choice for NoVA homes. It's UL-listed for aluminum-to-copper transitions, installs at every outlet, switch, and fixture termination, and brings the aluminum branch circuits to a safe permanent state. COPALUM is technically superior but requires a tool-certified installer (we have certification but the tool itself is expensive and not every electrician has it). Full rewire is the right call if you're already doing major remodel work that opens walls - otherwise it's typically the most expensive option.
Will my insurance company require panel work?
Often yes for Federal Pacific, Zinsco, knob-and-tube, and aluminum branch wiring. Many insurance carriers either refuse to insure homes with these conditions or apply significant surcharges. If your insurer has flagged any of these in a recent inspection, the panel work is typically required to maintain coverage at standard rates.
We've written several letters to insurance underwriters confirming completed remediation work - most insurers will accept written documentation from a licensed Master Electrician with photos and the inspection card. If your insurer requires specific documentation, tell us during the consultation and we'll include it in the deliverable.
What people usually take care of while the power is off
Your panel touches most of the wiring in the house, so these come up a lot once we're already in there. They sit alongside Panels & Power in the Indoor Electrical hub.
I started Anson Electrical & Remodeling because I was tired of seeing panel work done halfway - the box swapped out clean, but the service entrance and grounding left to fail inspection. After 20+ years wiring homes across Northern Virginia, I hold every panel job to the same standard, whether it's a single subpanel or a full whole-house rewire.
You get a named project manager and the same walkthrough cadence on every job. That is the promise: the standards of a master craftsman on every job, no matter how big or small.
- Brad Anson, Master Electrician #2705178102
Worried about your panel? Let's take a look.
Free look in person. Written, itemized quote within 48 hours. We pull the permit, handle the power company, and pass inspection the first time.
"Brad's crew pulled our 1971 Federal Pacific panel and put in a clean 200-amp service in a single day. Same project manager from the quote through the final inspection, and they walked us through every labeled breaker before they left."- Karen M., Lake Ridge | Google review
Last updated: June 2026