Electrical Panel Upgrades & Replacement in Reno, Nevada
From Midtown bungalows still running on 100-amp service to south Reno homes adding EV chargers and hot tubs — we bring panels up to what your home actually demands. Permitted, inspected, and backed by a 3-year manufacturer warranty.
The Panel Is the Bottleneck — Especially in Reno’s Older Homes
Reno’s housing stock spans a full century: brick homes in the Old Southwest, mid-century ranches off Plumb Lane, 1970s split-levels in Northwest Reno, and new construction in Damonte Ranch wired for everything. The older half of that stock was built for a house with one television and an electric range — 60- to 100-amp service that modern life has simply outgrown. Every new load you add — an EV charger, a hot tub, an induction range, a mini-split, a garage workshop — asks a question your panel has to be able to answer.
Federal Pacific and Zinsco: Known Problems, Common in Reno
Plenty of Reno homes built or remodeled from the 1950s through the early 1980s still carry Federal Pacific Stab-Lok or Zinsco panels. Both have well-documented failure records — breakers that can fail to trip under fault — and insurers increasingly flag them at renewal or during a sale. We replace them routinely, and we can tell you in one look whether the label on your panel is one of the ones that should worry you.
Permitted and Inspected, the Way Reno Requires
A panel change in Reno is permitted work: a City of Reno or Washoe County permit, a passing inspection, and NV Energy coordinating the disconnect and reconnect. We handle that entire chain — load calculation, permit, utility scheduling, the installation itself, labeled circuits, and the final inspection — so the upgrade is done once and documented forever.
Not sure what your panel can handle? A load calculation answers it — before you buy the EV or the hot tub.
Panel Services We Provide Across Reno
Whether the panel is failing, full, or simply too small for the life your home has grown into, the fix starts with an honest assessment and clear, upfront pricing.
200-Amp Service Upgrades in Reno
Two hundred amps is the modern standard for a Reno home that’s electrifying — an EV charger in the garage, a heat pump replacing the old furnace, induction in the kitchen, a hot tub on the deck. Most homes in Reno’s older central neighborhoods were built decades before any of that existed, and their 60- to 100-amp services have no room left to give. We upgrade the service and the panel together, coordinated with NV Energy, so capacity stops being the reason you can’t.
Sized for What Your Home Is Becoming
The load calculation looks forward, not just at today: the EV you’re planning, the shop tools, the ADU someday. We size the new service with real headroom, replace the service entrance where it’s earned retirement, and leave you a panel with open spaces instead of a full one — so the next project starts at the breaker, not at another upgrade.
Panel Replacement in Reno’s Older Homes
Reno’s mid-century housing stock — the ranches off Plumb Lane, the bungalows of the Old Southwest, the split-levels up in Northwest Reno — is exactly the era when Federal Pacific and Zinsco panels went in by the thousands. Both brands carry documented failure records, insurers increasingly refuse them, and every year they get older. We replace them routinely: same location, corrected wiring, power back the same evening.
What a Clean Replacement Looks Like
The new panel is the visible part. Behind it, double-tapped breakers get their own circuits, scorched conductors get cut back to clean copper, and every lug gets torqued to spec. You end the day with labeled circuits, an inspection scheduled, and a panel your insurance company has no opinions about.
Subpanels for Garages, Workshops & ADUs
Reno backyards are working harder — detached garages becoming shops, casitas becoming rentals, accessory dwellings going in across the city. All of it needs real power: a properly-fed subpanel sized for the welder or the tenant, not an extension cord across the yard. We run the feeder, set the subpanel, and permit it as carefully as a main service.
Powering the Backyard Build
Detached structures usually mean trenched conduit, a feeder sized for the actual load, and a subpanel with room to grow. We handle the burial depths the inspector will measure and the labeling that makes the garage panel as legible as the main — so the shop runs on its own circuits and the house never notices.
Signs Your Reno Home Has Outgrown Its Panel
- Breakers trip when two big appliances run at once
- Lights dim when the HVAC or dryer kicks on
- The panel is warm to the touch, buzzes, or smells burnt
- Your home still has a fuse box or under-100-amp service
- The label says Federal Pacific, Stab-Lok, or Zinsco
- No spaces left — or tandem breakers doubled into every slot
- You’re planning an EV charger, hot tub, ADU, or all-electric remodel
- A home inspector or insurance company flagged the panel
How a Panel Upgrade Works with MT Electric
Assessment & Quote
We inspect the panel and service, run a load calculation for how you actually live, and give you a clear, upfront quote — with an honest answer if you don’t need the bigger upgrade.
Permits & Utility Scheduling
We pull the City of Reno or Washoe County permit and coordinate the NV Energy disconnect and reconnect, so the outage window lands on a day you chose.
Installation Day
Most panel swaps are done in a single day — old equipment out, new panel set, every circuit landed, tested, and labeled. Power is typically back on the same evening.
Inspection & Warranty
The inspector signs off, you get the documentation, and your equipment’s 3-year manufacturer warranty is registered and on record.
Why Reno Homeowners Choose MT Electric
Backed by 3-Year Manufacturer Warranties
The equipment we install carries a 3-year manufacturer warranty — and because improper installation is the classic reason warranty claims get denied, our licensed, permitted, code-exact work is what keeps that coverage valid. We register it and document it for you.
Licensed, Local, and Code-Exact
Licensed electricians who work to the NEC and the local amendments Reno and Washoe County actually enforce. Permits pulled, circuits labeled, inspections passed — the paper trail that protects your insurance, your resale, and your family.
Upfront Pricing, On-Time Crews
Clear, transparent pricing with no hidden fees or surprise line items — you always know what to expect before work begins. And a crew that shows up when we said it would, because your day matters too.
An electrical panel is the one upgrade every future project depends on. Get it right once.
Planning the Loads That Come After the Panel?
Most panel upgrades in Reno happen because something new is coming. If that’s you, these are worth a look:
EV Charger Installation in Reno
A Level 2 charger wants a 40- to 60-amp circuit of its own. If a new EV is the reason you’re reading about panels, we can plan both in one visit.
Backup Generator Installation in Reno
A standby generator ties into your electrical system through a transfer switch — panel work and generator install are natural partners.
All Electrical Panel Services
Inspections, breaker service, new-construction panels, and everything else we do with panels across Northern Nevada.
Serving Reno and All of Northern Nevada
Based in Northern Nevada, we handle panel upgrades throughout Reno — Midtown, the Old Southwest, Northwest Reno, South Meadows, Damonte Ranch — and across the region:
Electrical Panel Questions We Hear in Reno
How Much Does an Electrical Panel Upgrade Cost in Reno?
It depends on the service size, where the panel sits, and whether the service entrance wiring needs work — which is why we price it from an on-site assessment, not a guess over the phone. Pricing is transparent and upfront, with no hidden fees.
Do I Need a Permit to Replace an Electrical Panel in Reno?
Yes. Panel replacements and service upgrades in Reno and Washoe County are permitted, inspected work. We pull the permit, schedule the inspection, and handle the NV Energy coordination as part of every job — it protects your insurance coverage and your resale.
How Long Will My Power Be Off?
For most panel swaps, power is off during the working day and back on the same evening. We schedule the NV Energy disconnect in advance so the outage window is planned, not open-ended.
Is a Federal Pacific or Zinsco Panel Really a Problem?
Both brands have documented histories of breakers failing to trip under fault, which is the one job a breaker exists to do. Many insurers now surcharge or decline homes that have them. If your label says Federal Pacific, Stab-Lok, or Zinsco, it’s worth a professional look — replacement is the fix.
Do I Need 200-Amp Service, or Is 100 Enough?
The load calculation decides, not the sales pitch. Plenty of smaller Reno homes live comfortably on 100-amp service — but if an EV charger, hot tub, heat pump, or ADU is in your plans, 200 amps is usually the answer that keeps every future option open.
Will NV Energy Need to Be Involved?
For service upgrades, yes — the utility disconnects and reconnects at the meter, and some upgrades involve their service equipment. We schedule and coordinate all of it, so your only job is picking the day.
One call. One licensed local crew. Upfront pricing, no surprises.