Electrical Panel Upgrades and Replacement
Fuse boxes and flagged panels replaced to current code in Memphis, Bartlett, and Shelby County. Typically $1,800 to $2,600.
The panel is where every circuit in the house meets the utility. When it's a fuse box, a Federal Pacific, or a Sylvania Zinsco, it's also the thing your home inspector, your insurance company, and your EV charger installer will all bring up. We replace them, pull the permit, and leave you with a panel that has room for the next twenty years of loads.
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Signs it's time
- Breakers trip often, or a breaker won't stay reset
- Fuses instead of breakers
- Scorch marks, a warm panel cover, or a burning smell near the panel
- Lights dim when the A/C or dryer starts
- No open slots, and you want to add a charger, a hot tub, or a mini-split
- A home inspector or insurer flagged the brand
- Aluminum branch wiring in the house (we'll look at that at the same time)
Federal Pacific, Sylvania Zinsco, and fuse boxes
Two brands come up over and over in Memphis-area homes built from the 1950s through the early 1980s. Federal Pacific Stab-Lok panels have a documented history of breakers that fail to trip under fault. Sylvania Zinsco panels have a bus bar design that can let breakers weld to it. Neither is made anymore, and most inspectors in Shelby County call them out on sight. Fuse boxes aren't dangerous by design, but they usually mean 60-amp service and no room for how a house is used today.
If you have one of these, we don't recommend repairing it. We recommend replacing it, and we'll say the same thing whether or not you hire us.
What a panel replacement costs
Typical panel replacements run $1,800 to $2,600. The range is mostly about what current electrical code requires when a panel is opened up, not about the panel itself. Depending on the house, that can mean:
- Bonding and grounding brought up to current standards
- Arc-fault and ground-fault protection on circuits that now require it
- A whole-house surge protector where the adopted code calls for one
- Correcting double-tapped breakers and other shortcuts left behind by earlier work
- Any MLGW fee if the service itself has to change
We'll walk you through which items apply before you sign anything.
Panel upgrades for EV chargers
A lot of our panel work starts with a charger. The load calculation shows there isn't room, and the homeowner has to decide between a load-management device, a subpanel, or a full replacement. When the existing panel is in decent shape and just full, a subpanel is often the cheaper answer. When it's a flagged brand or a fuse box, replacement is the better long-term move, and we'll size it with the charger in mind. See the EV charger page for the charger side of that job.
How it goes
- Free estimate. We open the panel, look at the service, and count what's connected. You get a written quote with the code items spelled out.
- Permit. We submit for the electrical permit and coordinate with MLGW on any service work.
- Replacement day. Power is off for most of the day. We'll tell you how long so you can plan around it.
- Inspection and warranty. The work is inspected under the permit. Parts and workmanship are covered for one year.
Panel questions
How much does it cost to replace an electrical panel in Memphis?
Typical replacements run $1,800 to $2,600. Code-required items, not the panel itself, drive most of the difference. MLGW service changes are extra when they apply.
Do I have to replace a Federal Pacific panel?
Nobody will force you to, but we recommend it, and so will most inspectors and many insurers. Federal Pacific breakers have a documented history of failing to trip.
How long is the power off?
Usually most of a day. We'll give you a window before we start.
Do you need a permit to replace a panel?
Yes, in every jurisdiction we work in. We pull it.
Will a new panel fix my tripping breaker?
Sometimes the breaker is the symptom and the circuit is the problem. We'll troubleshoot before we recommend a panel. If it turns out you only need a repair, that's what we'll quote.
What customers say
“Matt and his team did an outstanding job replacing entire fuse panels and old wiring to meet the latest standards. He mapped out unknown connections left by previous contractors that had left us a fire hazard. It's so nice having a safe home again.”
Every panel replacement carries a one-year parts and workmanship warranty.
Ready when you are
Call (901) 467‑7607 weekdays between 8:00 and 4:30, or send a request and we'll get back to you with a time. Estimates are free.
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