Why LA Homes Need Bigger Panels.
Most homes in Los Angeles built before 1990 have 100 amp panels. That was enough for the 1985 kitchen with a gas range, a window AC, and a single laundry circuit. It is not enough for a 2026 kitchen with an induction range, a heat pump, an EV charger, and a tankless water heater. The result is tripping breakers, dimming lights, and a panel running hot enough that it shows up on your insurance underwriter’s checklist.
If you’re renovating, adding an EV charger, replacing a Federal Pacific or Zinsco panel, or just trying to bring an older home up to the standard the rest of LA is building to, an electrical service upgrade is the work. We do this every week, in every size, across every neighborhood from Calabasas to Pacific Palisades.
What’s Included in an
Alpha One Panel Upgrade.
Every panel upgrade we install is full-scope. You don’t get a partial install with a list of "extras" billed later. Here’s what’s in the quote:
- Siemens SN or PN-series panel sized to your actual load (100A, 150A, 200A, 320A, or 400A)
- Full AFCI and GFCI breaker build-out per NEC 2023 — every bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, garage, and outdoor circuit protected
- Rigid steel conduit mast riser per LADWP spec where required, with proper drip loops and weatherhead
- New meter base if existing is undersized or aluminum-clad
- Bonded grounding electrode system — ground rod or UFER as code requires
- LADBS permit pulled, paid, and posted before work starts
- LADWP service drop coordination for service shutoff and reconnect at the higher capacity
- Full breaker labeling with printed labels (no Sharpie) — every circuit named, every device tracked
- LADBS final inspection attended on-site by us — we don’t hand you a sticker and disappear
- Written workmanship warranty covering all installation work
Our Panel Upgrade Process.
- Free Site VisitYarden walks the property. Looks at the existing panel, the service drop, the meter, and the surrounding access. Photographs the rating plate. Talks through what you’re trying to add (EV charger, kitchen remodel, ADU, pool). Usually same day if you call before noon.
- Written EstimateWe send a clear written quote within 24 hours. Scope, panel model, breakers, mast, permit fee, LADWP coordination fee if applicable, total. No verbal handshakes. No "we’ll figure out the rest as we go."
- Permit & ScheduleOnce you approve, we pull the LADBS permit and schedule the LADWP shutoff. Permit usually issues within 3-5 business days for residential. LADWP coordination typically lines up within 2 weeks.
- Power-Off DayLADWP cuts the service. We pull the old panel, set the new Siemens, run the rigid steel mast riser if needed, install the new meter base, land the bus, set the breakers, run the grounding. Power back on by end of day for most homes.
- Trim & LabelDay two if needed: every breaker labeled with printed type, every circuit traced and named, panel cover set true, conduit run square. The work looks the way it works.
- LADBS InspectionInspector arrives, we walk them through. First-pass inspection is the standard. If anything fails (it shouldn’t), the rework is on us.
- DocumentationYou get the signed inspection card, the permit close-out, the as-built breaker schedule, and a written workmanship warranty. All of it filed in case you sell, refinance, or call us back in five years.
Panel Upgrade Cost & Timeline.
Typical schedule from your first call to a passed inspection: 10 to 21 days — including the permit cycle and the LADWP coordination window. The actual on-site work is one to two days for most residential installs.
Why Siemens.
We install Siemens panels exclusively because they hold up better than the alternatives. The bus is silver-plated copper. The breaker contact pattern doesn’t loosen under heat cycling the way some other brands do. The wiring layout inside the panel is cleaner, which makes inspection passes the first time and makes future service work fast. And the breakers stay available for decades — you can still buy a Siemens QP breaker today that fits a panel from 1995.
You can install a cheaper panel. We don’t. The savings show up in your bid and disappear five years later when something starts arcing.
Quick response and very professional. Explained the scope of work clearly and price is very reasonable. Even the screw lines have been set up perfectly. Looks very nice.