Panel Upgrades & Home Electrification
6 Signs You Need an Electrical Panel Upgrade
Most Central Indiana homes were built on 100-amp service — long before EV chargers, heat pumps, and induction ranges became normal. Here's how to tell when your panel has run out of room.
Quick Answer
Upgrading your panel is usually the answer when your breakers trip often, your lights dim when big appliances kick on, your panel cover feels warm, you still have fuses, or you're adding an EV charger, hot tub, or workshop and there's no room left. Modern electrified homes typically need 200 amps — homes with EVs, hot tubs, or workshops often need 400. A panel upgrade isn't just a safety move; it's the upgrade that unlocks every other upgrade.
1. Breakers Trip All the Time
If the dryer and the microwave can't run at the same time without flipping a breaker, your panel is telling you it's out of capacity. Occasional trips are one thing; regular trips on multiple circuits mean the service itself is maxed out.
2. Lights Dim When the HVAC Kicks On
When the heat pump or air conditioner starts and the lights visibly dip for a second, the circuits are straining to share the load. It's a classic sign of an undersized service that can't keep up with modern demand.
3. The Panel Cover Feels Warm
A warm or hot panel cover is a genuine warning sign of a loose connection or overloaded bus. If yours is warm to the touch, it's worth having inspected sooner rather than later — before it turns into a bigger problem.
4. Fuses Instead of Breakers
If you still have a fuse box, you're running on technology from another era. Fuses are inconvenient and create a real risk when homeowners patch them with foil or the wrong size — a panel replacement removes that hazard completely.
5. You're Adding a Big New Load
This is the one most Westfield homeowners hit this year: they buy an EV and go to plug in a Level 2 charger, and there's no room — or no capacity — in the panel. Adding an EV charger, heat pump, hot tub, welding outlet, or workshop usually means a service upgrade first. This includes upgrading an outdated Federal Pacific or Zinsco panel, which should be replaced for safety.
6. Your Home Was Built Before 2000
Homes built before 2000 were engineered for a different era — long before EV chargers, induction ranges, heat pumps, smart appliances, and home offices became standard. Even if nothing is wrong yet, a 100-amp panel in a modern home is running on borrowed time.
What's Next
We assess your actual load, pull the permits, coordinate with Duke Energy or AES Indiana, and install the new service without leaving a mess behind — moving from 100-amp to 200-amp, 400-amp, or swapping a failing brand entirely. See our panel upgrade service.
Quick Questions, Straight Answers
How much does an electrical panel upgrade cost?
Most residential panel upgrades in Central Indiana land between $1,800 and $4,000 depending on the service size, brand, and any rewiring involved. Dylco gives free, itemized quotes before any work starts.
Do I need 200 amps or 400 amps?
Most modern homes run fine on 200 amps. Add an EV charger, a hot tub, or a workshop and you may need 400. We size it to your actual load, not an upsell.
How long does a panel upgrade take?
A typical service upgrade is done in one day, though you'll be without power for part of it. We'll walk you through the schedule before we start.
Is Your Panel Out of Room?
Get a free, itemized quote on a panel upgrade from Westfield's licensed team. We pull permits, coordinate with the utility, and leave the place cleaner than we found it.
Westfield, IN · Licensed & Insured · Est. 2004 · 4.9★ Google Rating