“Carlos and Aiden were prompt, polite, and an awesome duo. They knocked out a tough day replacing an ancient panel.”
John R.
Subpanel replacement
Electrical Panel Work in Santa Cruz County
Panel upgrades. FPE, Zinsco + Sylvania replacements. Subpanels. Service entrance work. If the rest of the house is going electric, this is usually where it starts.
CSLB # C10-10972374.9 ★ · 152 reviews20-year workmanship guaranteeSince 2022
02The overview
Almost everything we do happens in older, lived-in homes — not new construction. We're not a job-site crew; we're in someone's finished home most days, with the tools and habits that kind of work takes. Most of those homes are still on the panel they were built with, sized decades before anyone plugged in an EV, a heat pump, or an induction range — so if you're adding any of those, or you've got a Federal Pacific, Zinsco, or Sylvania panel, the panel usually has to come first.
We do this work all week, every week. Same-spot replacements, relocations, 100A→200A upgrades, sub-panel installs for ADUs and garages, FPE/Zinsco/Sylvania replacements with the insurance-driven timing those usually require. We pull the permit, coordinate the PG&E shutdown, install the panel + service entrance, and handle the building-department inspection. Single day for most jobs.
The 20-year workmanship warranty applies to every panel install. We've been replacing FPE, Zinsco and Sylvania panels across Santa Cruz County steadily since 2022. We know what the local building departments want to see and what the insurance carriers ask for after a replacement.
Most contractors won't do small panel work — replacing a single breaker, tightening a loose neutral, sorting out a circuit that keeps tripping. We do that too, with our standard service-call pattern. We're a service business, not a construction business. What we won't do is patch a corroded bus bar: nobody repairs one, us included, and a panel that far gone needs replacing rather than a repair that buys you nothing.
03Quick decision tool
What's in your panel right now?
Some panel brands are fine for decades. A few are replace-on-sight. Read the name on the door — a Sylvania label is a Zinsco panel inside, which is the one most people miss. If you're not sure which you have, the free inspection settles it in person — no photos required.
Book the free inspectionRead the field guide first
The Federal Pacific writeup covers how to identify one, why they fail, and what replacement involves.
FPE panel replacement guide Brands we see most
- Federal Pacific Stab-LokReplace
- ZinscoReplace
- Sylvania (Zinsco inside)Replace
- PushmaticReplace
- ChallengerInsurance issues
- Square D HomelineSafe
- Eaton BR / CHSafe
- SiemensSafe
04All services · 4
Everything we do in this category. One contractor, one warranty.
200-Amp Panel Upgrade
Upgrade from 100A or 125A to 200A service. A single-day install in most homes — PG&E coordination, the building permit, and a 20-year warranty all included.
Subpanel Installation
Adding a subpanel for an ADU, garage, workshop, or detached structure. We size it, run the feeder, install the panel, and handle the permit.
Electrical Panel Repair
When repair makes more sense than replacement. We diagnose the issue, fix what's fixable, and tell you honestly when replacement is the smarter call.
Electrical Grounding and Bonding Service
Many older homes have inadequate grounding by modern standards. We bring grounding up to current code — as part of every panel job we do, and as standalone work when something else triggers it.
05Pricing transparency
Every quote is free. The range depends too much on your home to fake it.
Every quote is free and in writing, after a free on-site inspection. When we publish ranges, they'll come from our own Santa Cruz County job records — never internet averages.
Financing · GoGreen Home
GoGreen Home financing can apply when panel work is tied to a qualifying energy-efficiency upgrade — an EV charger, heat pump circuit, heat pump water heater, induction range, or solar + battery. We'll tell you straight whether your project fits.
Pre-qualify in 60 seconds — no credit impact What it costs
Quotes are free. The variance on this work is too wide for an honest range — book a free inspection and we’ll give you a real number for your specific home, in writing.
06What customers say · panels
152 reviews on Google
Read all reviews “We owned our own business for 25 years, and our experience with Sunrise Electrical was the best experience we have ever had! From the initial contact through the job completion, Branden and his team were fantastic. They are competent, efficient, effective communicators, care about their customers, and take pride in what they do. If you are looking for an Electrical Contractor you would be remis if you didn't give these folks a call.”
Wayne B.
Panel upgrade
“Thank you to the Sunrise Electrical Contracting team for updating the new main electrical system on my mom's home after the storm damaged the power lines and home equipment this winter… They replaced Main Service Upgrade Overhead, and added a Sub-Panel Install/Replacement Outdoors… the team of Branden, Jimmy, Ian, and Tylor worked long hours during the storm for a few days to get us up and running again before the next storm arrived.”
Carrie
Santa Cruz County
Storm-damage main service upgrade
08Frequently asked questions
5 questions. Real answers.
Pulled from what we actually hear on quotes and on-site. If yours isn't here, ask us — we'll answer in plain English.
How do I know if my panel needs upgrading?
Three signals matter: (1) age + brand — FPE, Zinsco, Sylvania (which is a Zinsco under a different label), anything pre-1980 deserves a look; (2) capacity — adding EV/heat pump/induction often exceeds older panel headroom; (3) visible issues — burning smell, melted breakers, rust, repeated tripping. For a tech to verify in person, the free home inspection is the path.
Does a panel upgrade require a permit?
Yes — every building department in Santa Cruz County requires a permit for panel + service entrance work. We pull the permit and coordinate the inspection as part of every quote. Permit cost is built into the quote, no surprise add-on.
How long is a typical panel upgrade?
Single day for most jobs. PG&E shutdown in the morning (we coordinate), install + inspection during the day, power back on by end of day. Larger or more complex jobs (service entrance relocation, sub-panel additions, ADU coordination) can take longer — we tell you before we start.
Will my insurance carrier care about the work?
If you're replacing FPE, Zinsco, Sylvania, or Challenger, often yes — many carriers now decline or surcharge those brands, and revisit it once the panel is replaced. We provide the licensed-electrician certificate and the building-department inspection sign-off that carriers ask for.
Do you do panel work for ADUs?
Yes — common project pattern. Some ADUs share the main home's panel via a sub-panel; some get their own service entrance with a separate meter. We coordinate with PG&E on metering and with your city or county building department on permits.
09Field guides
Where to go next. All connected.
Go deeper
- Field guideFederal Pacific panel replacement Why FPE Stab-Lok panels are a documented safety issue, how to identify one, and what replacement actually involves. From a licensed C-10 electrician (#C10-1097237).
- Field guideZinsco panel replacement Zinsco panels — including 1970s panels labeled Sylvania — can weld breakers to the bus so they can’t trip. How to identify one and what replacement involves.
- Field guideWill my panel support an EV charger? Whether your panel can support an EV charger comes down to the dwelling load calculation plus panel condition. The real math, from a licensed C-10 electrician.
Related work
10Service areas
We do this work everywhere in Santa Cruz County.
From Davenport to Pajaro Dunes, San Lorenzo Valley to Pleasure Point. Same crew, same warranty, same pricing.
11One more thing
Ready to sort out your panel?
Free inspection anywhere in Santa Cruz County. Written quote after we see it. After hours, emergency calls are answered around the clock and routed to our on-call electrician.