Panel upgrades
Electrical panel upgrades in Boca Raton — capacity before the shopping list
A panel upgrade is a capacity decision, not a brochure upsell. Older Boca Raton homes often outgrow a 100-amp service once a heat pump, kitchen remodel, and EV charger share the bus. Newer West Boca panels start stronger — until luxury loads and storm-season stress ask for amps the builder never left spare. Boca Raton AC & Electric measures first, then says whether a new circuit, a subpanel, or a full service change is the honest fix.
What we’d tell you first
Plain notes, the way a tech would say them on the phone. Then call or book if you want someone at the house.
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List what you plan to add
Heat pump, EV charger, remodel loads — capacity is a plan, not a default 200-amp speech.
When an electrical panel upgrade is the honest call
We open the cover and look at load, wire size, double taps, and whether breakers are already at the edge. A warm cover, buzzing bus, or breakers that will not hold after a storm are reasons to stop guessing and measure.
Sometimes the answer is a new circuit or a subpanel for a garage charger, not a full service change. You hear that option when it is real. Planning a larger heat pump, adding Level 2 charging, or finishing a remodel that stacks kitchen and laundry loads are the usual triggers.
Outdated panel hardware a home inspector flagged still needs a real assessment — not a scare quote. We say what is unsafe to leave and what can wait until the next planned project.
- Planning a heat pump or larger AC that needs a heavier circuit
- Adding an EV charger and the panel is already crowded
- Remodel that adds kitchen, laundry, or shop loads
- Outdated panel hardware a home inspector flagged
- Repeated trips that are not a single bad appliance
City of Boca vs Palm Beach County permits and the visit
We confirm what the utility service can support, pull the permit the City of Boca Raton or Palm Beach County requires for your address, and schedule the changeover so the house is without power only as long as the work needs. Fee schedules and inspection checklists change — we confirm the current path instead of quoting a stale number.
AC and electrical land on the same truck when the new condenser and the new panel have to land together. That dual-trade handoff is why homeowners call one number instead of coordinating two vendors for one changeout.
No license number is printed on this site until it is confirmed. We stay residential and say when a job is outside what we take on. Licensed & Insured is the trust line we stand on; we do not invent rankings or awards.
Broken Sound, Boca Pointe, West Boca, and coastal lots
Broken Sound, Boca Pointe, Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club, and similar communities often need guest-list timing and quieter changeover plans. Share gate instructions when you book so the outage window is not spent waiting at the entrance.
West Boca HOA streets and Mission Bay garages are common paths for EV and remodel work. Older eastern Boca and some Highland Beach homes more often need the capacity conversation first — decades of added circuits on an original bus leave less spare room than a recent West Boca build.
Delray Beach and Deerfield Beach addresses near the Boca map get the same load math. Tell us the city line if you are unsure which permitting office owns the job.
Process overview — from load check to inspection
Load assessment, scope (full service versus subpanel), permit, utility coordination when required, install, labeling, and inspection. You get a clear outage window before tools come out.
If the honest answer is “add one circuit and leave the panel,” that is what we put on the estimate. If the bus is full and the service is undersized for what you plan to add, we say a panel upgrade belongs before you buy the heat pump or the charger.
Call (561) 956-4779 or book a visit when breakers will not hold, a remodel or EV charger is planned, or a new AC needs a heavier circuit. Boca Raton AC & Electric covers Boca Raton, West Boca, Highland Beach, Delray Beach, and Deerfield Beach with repair-first honesty on the panel you already have.
Questions we’d answer on the phone
The short version before anyone is standing in the yard.
Do I always need a 200-amp panel for an upgrade in Boca Raton?
No. We size from measured load and what you plan to add. Some homes need 200 amps. Others need a cleaner 100-amp panel or a subpanel for a garage.
Will the house lose power all day?
A service change needs a planned outage. We tell you the window before work starts and coordinate with the utility when their disconnect is required.
Do City of Boca Raton and Palm Beach County both require permits?
Panel and service work typically need a permit and inspection. Which office applies depends on your address — we confirm before we schedule the changeover.
Can panel upgrades and a new heat pump happen together?
Yes when both belong on the same scope. Dual-trade planning keeps the disconnect, circuit, and condenser from fighting each other on install day.