The electrical panel
Room for everything else
Every other room on the plan leans on the panel. We look at it first.
A panel is rated in amps, and many older Albuquerque houses have 60 or 100. A range, a water heater, a heat pump and a car charger each want their own circuit. Before you buy any of them, we add up what the house can carry, open the panel to see how it was wired and say whether it needs a rearrangement, a smaller fix or a larger service.
A load calculation written in plain numbers
The panel checked for loose or crowded connections
Circuits labeled by hand when the work is done
Not included: a utility's own charges or the cost of trenching a long service run
What changes the cost
What moves the price of a panel job
From a rearranged panel to a new service, the range is wide. The first visit tells us which one yours is.
Amps now and amps needed
A 100-amp panel can sometimes carry a lot with smart load sharing. Sometimes it needs 200.
Meter and service mast
A new service may mean a new meter socket and mast, which the utility has to approve.
Condition of what is there
Corroded, doubled-up or undersized wire adds work, and we say so before a start date.
Where the panel is
A panel in a closet, a garage or an exterior wall each changes how it is reached and finished.
No prices on this page: they depend on your house. How we write them is on the pricing page.
How it goes
A panel visit, start to finish
- 01
Step 1: Walk-through
We open the panel with you there, photograph what we see and count the free slots.
- 02
Step 2: Written plan
What the house can carry now, what the plan adds and what an upgrade would involve.
- 03
Step 3: Work day
If power is off, we tell you for how long. We label every circuit when we're done.
- 04
Step 4: Inspection and utility
An inspector signs off, and where a service change is involved we schedule the utility's disconnect and reconnect.
Permits and rules
Panel and service work is permitted, and the inspector has to see it before it is covered. We pull the permit.
The utility, PNM in most of Albuquerque, has its own steps for meters and service changes. We make the request and schedule around it, and we tell you the timing it gives us, not our guess.
Questions about this room
How do I know my amps?
Open the panel door and look at the big breaker at the top, or text us a photo and we'll read it for you.
Do I always need 200 amps?
No. Some houses do well on 100 with load sharing on the biggest circuits. Others need more. The calculation decides, not a rule of thumb.
Will the power be off all day?
Not usually. We plan the work to cut as few circuits as possible and tell you the window in advance.
My house has aluminum wiring. Is that a problem?
It needs the right connectors and care. If we see it, we say so in the plan and say what we'd do about it.
Not sure what your panel can carry?
Text us a photo of it. It's where every plan starts.