Electrical panel upgrades and repairs in Austin, TX
Your panel is the heart of the electrical system. When it is undersized, damaged or obsolete, we replace or repair it with a flat-rate price you approve before any work begins.
An electrical panel upgrade replaces your main service panel, and often the meter base and service entrance, with a modern panel sized to your home's real load. A panel repair fixes specific failures inside an otherwise sound panel, such as a burned bus bar, a failed main breaker, double-tapped circuits or corroded neutrals. We run a load calculation first, then tell you which path fits your home and what it costs.
This is the right call if:
- Your panel is a Federal Pacific, Zinsco or Pushmatic brand, which are known to fail to trip under fault.
- You still have a 60 or 100 amp service and keep tripping breakers or want to add an EV charger, range or heat pump.
- You see rust, scorch marks, a burning smell or warm breakers at the panel.
- Your panel is full and an electrician told you there is no room for another circuit.
- You are buying, selling or insuring a home and an inspector flagged the panel.
- Fuses instead of breakers, or a fuse box that has been patched over the years.
Panel upgrades & repairs options
Full service upgrade to 200 amps
The most common upgrade swaps an older 60, 100 or 125 amp service for a 200 amp panel, usually with a new meter base, service entrance conductors and grounding. This gives modern homes the headroom for EV charging, electric ranges, pool equipment and HVAC without nuisance tripping.
Panel replacement, same amperage
When the service size is fine but the panel itself is unsafe or obsolete, we replace just the panel and breakers. This is the fix for Federal Pacific and Zinsco panels, cracked bus bars and panels that can no longer be matched with new breakers.
Targeted panel repair
Not every problem needs a new panel. We repair failed main breakers, re-land double-tapped circuits on their own breakers, replace corroded lugs and correct neutral and ground bonding so the panel is safe and code-compliant.
Subpanels and circuit additions
When a panel is full but sound, a subpanel adds capacity for a shop, addition, casita or garage. We size the feeder and the subpanel to the new load so you are not back at square one in a year.
What waiting can cost you
Obsolete panels do not always trip
Federal Pacific and Zinsco breakers have a documented history of failing to trip during a fault, which lets a short or overload keep heating the wire. That is a fire risk that does not announce itself.
Heat damage spreads
A loose lug or double-tapped breaker runs hot. Over time that heat damages the bus bar and surrounding breakers, turning a small repair into a full replacement if it is left alone.
An undersized service blocks upgrades
If you plan to add a Level 2 EV charger, an electric range or a heat pump, a 100 amp service often cannot carry it. Doing the panel first keeps the rest of the project on schedule.
Our process
- 01
Load calculation and inspection
We measure your actual and planned load, inspect the panel, meter base and grounding, and confirm what the utility and your city or county permit office require.
- 02
Flat-rate options
You get a clear written price for the repair or the upgrade, with any utility coordination and permit fees spelled out before we start.
- 03
Permit and utility coordination
For a service change we pull the permit and schedule the utility disconnect and reconnect, whether you are served by Austin Energy, Pedernales Electric Co-op or Oncor.
- 04
Installation
We set the new panel or complete the repair, label every circuit clearly, and bring grounding and bonding up to current code.
- 05
Inspection and verification
We test the work, walk you through the new panel, and meet the city or county inspector so the job is closed out properly.
What is included
Every panel upgrades & repairs job from Magnify Electric includes the same standards, start to finish.
- A load calculation so the panel matches how your home actually uses power.
- A clearly labeled panel directory you can actually read.
- Proper grounding and neutral-to-ground bonding corrected to code.
- Permit handling and inspection scheduling with your jurisdiction.
- Utility disconnect and reconnect coordination for service changes.
- A complimentary 54-point safety inspection of the rest of the system.
- Cleanup and a walkthrough of what changed and why.
Cost factors
We give you a flat-rate price after we see the job. These are the things that move that number up or down.
Repair vs. full service change
Replacing a failed breaker is a different job than a 200 amp service upgrade with a new meter base and mast. The load calculation tells us which you actually need.
Meter base and service entrance
If the meter base, mast or underground lateral also need replacing, that adds to the scope. We inspect all of it before quoting.
Permits and utility work
City of Austin and county permit fees and any required utility disconnect affect timing and cost, and we handle the coordination.
We handle panels in 1970s and 1980s homes around Lakeway, Westlake and Bee Cave that still run original Federal Pacific or Zinsco equipment, new builds in Leander and Liberty Hill that need capacity for EVs and electric appliances, and lake properties on Lake Travis where outdoor and dock loads were added over the years.
Rated by Central Texas homeowners
Real reviews from our Google Business Profile, in our customers' own words.
Chris and Caden did an amazing job installing my EV charger and helped assist me with other electrical questions I had around my house!! Very professional and kind. I highly recommend them!
Chris and Caden did a great job of installing a dedicated circuit and outlet for us. They were very thorough in checking out the existing circuit outlets and also patient with explaining everything before starting. I appreciated especially the quality of their work, their professionalism, and their willingness to throw in extra work where they saw fit at no charge. In short, I couldn’t be happier about the job they did.
Chris and Caden were awesome - they installed an entire new main panel and a new subpanel very effectively. We knew exactly what to expect at every step in the process, and now everything is up to code! If we need any additional electrical work, we will absolutely call Magnify Electric.
Trayvon is such a professional. He answers any and all questions. Does an amazing job in whatever is needed, and you’d never even know he had been here as he tidies up impeccably. He is our family’s electrician. I’d give 10 stars if able!
Felt lucky to have found Magnify Electric. Christian fixed the issue we were having with our hardwired smoke alarms, installed a whole-house surge protector, and fixed a longstanding light switch issue. He did everything with excellence and efficiency. He did a great job of communicating throughout the process. Thanks so much!
Showed as scheduled. Had to coordinate with PEC and everything went very smoothly. Christian was very professional and completed the job quickly. Very satisfied with the results. I would recommend them to do any electrical work in my home.
Panel upgrades & repairs questions, answered
How do I know if I need a panel upgrade or just a repair?
It comes down to the load calculation and the condition of the panel. If the service size still fits your home and only a part has failed, a repair is usually enough. If the panel is obsolete, undersized for what you want to add, or showing heat damage, a replacement is the safer call. We tell you which one your home needs before any work starts.
Do I really need to replace a Federal Pacific or Zinsco panel?
These panels have a documented history of breakers that fail to trip during a fault, which is a genuine fire risk, and you usually cannot buy reliable replacement breakers for them. Most electricians and many insurers recommend replacing them. We will show you what we find and let you decide.
Will my power be off during the work?
Yes, the power is off for part of the job. A straightforward panel swap is often done in a day with the power off for several hours. For a full service change we coordinate the utility disconnect and reconnect so the outage is as short as possible, and we tell you the window in advance.
Do you pull the permit for a panel upgrade?
Yes. A service change requires a permit and an inspection, and we handle both. Depending on your address that may be the City of Austin or a county office, and the utility may be Austin Energy, Pedernales Electric Co-op or Oncor. We coordinate all of it.
Can you add capacity for an EV charger or electric range?
Yes, and that is one of the most common reasons we upgrade a panel. We run a load calculation that includes the new charger, range or heat pump, then size the panel so you are not tripping breakers after the install.
How much does a panel upgrade cost?
It depends on whether it is a repair or a full service change, the amperage, and whether the meter base, mast or service entrance also need work. We give you a flat-rate price after the load calculation and inspection, and you approve it before any work starts.
My breaker keeps tripping. Does that mean I need a new panel?
Not always. A breaker that trips is often doing its job on an overloaded or faulted circuit, and the fix may be a dedicated circuit or a repair rather than a new panel. We diagnose the cause first instead of assuming the whole panel has to go.
Licensed, local and upfront
Upfront
Flat-rate repair pricing you approve
Licensed
TECL 29321, Master 269417
Local
Family-owned in Spicewood since 2012
Backed
Work guaranteed and done to code
Serving Austin and the Hill Country
We are based in Spicewood and cover the lake communities, the Hill Country and greater Austin. Find your town below for local details.
Headquarters: 22503 State Highway 71 W, Spicewood, TX 78669
Related services
Wiring and rewiring
New circuits and rewires often go hand in hand with a panel upgrade.
Learn more →EV charger installation
Most EV charger installs start with confirming the panel has capacity.
Learn more →Whole-home surge protection
A panel upgrade is the right time to add a Type 2 surge protective device.
Learn more →Troubleshooting and repair
If breakers trip or lights flicker, we trace the real cause first.
Learn more →Ready for panel upgrades & repairs?
Tell us what you need and we will get back to you within one business day. For anything urgent, call us now and talk to a real person.