Electrical Panel Upgrade in Boynton Beach: What Homeowners Need to Know

Signs your Boynton Beach home needs a panel upgrade

• Breakers trip under normal appliance load. Running a microwave and hair dryer at once shouldn’t flip a breaker.
• Lights dim when AC kicks on. Especially noticeable on window units and older central systems.
• You still have a fuse box. Any Boynton Beach home with fuses instead of breakers is due for an upgrade. Insurance companies are increasingly refusing to cover fuse-box homes.
• Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) Stab-Lok or Zinsco panel. Both have known failure modes where breakers don’t trip when they should — meaning they can pass dangerous current until wiring catches fire.
• Warm or discolored breaker covers. Heat is a serious red flag.
• 100-amp service on a modern home. Most post-1985 homes need 200-amp, especially if you have central AC, electric water heater, and an electric range.
• Planning a major addition. Solar, EV charger, pool heater, home addition — all reasons to upgrade before the new load goes live.

What a 200-amp panel upgrade actually costs in Boynton Beach

For a standard single-family home in Palm Beach County, a full 200-amp panel upgrade runs $2,800–$4,500 all-in. That includes:

• New main panel (Square D QO or Siemens are our usual picks)
• New main breaker and any required new breakers
• Coordination with FPL for meter pull and re-energize
• Grounding and bonding to current code
• Permit and Boynton Beach inspection

Jobs that run higher typically involve moving the panel location, replacing the service entrance cable from the pole, or remediating aluminum branch circuits at the same time.

The 6-step process, from quote to final inspection

1. On-site assessment. We look at the existing panel, service entrance, grounding electrode, and load calculation. Free.
2. Written quote. Itemized. You see exactly what goes in.
3. Permit pulled. Required in Boynton Beach for any panel work.
4. FPL coordination. The power company schedules a meter pull for install day.
5. Install day. 4–8 hours typical. Power is off for roughly 3–5 of those hours.
6. Inspection. A city inspector verifies the work; we’re on-site or reachable for any questions they have.

Will I get my power back the same day?

Almost always yes. We pull the meter in the morning, complete the install, and FPL re-energizes before end of day. Occasionally a job runs into the evening and we’ll arrange a next-morning re-energize — in which case you get advance notice so you can plan (medications refrigerated, etc.).

What makes Federal Pacific & Zinsco panels so dangerous

Both brands were installed widely in Florida from the 1950s through 1980s. Independent testing later showed their breakers fail to trip reliably under overload — the exact scenario breakers exist to prevent. The failure rate on FPE Stab-Lok panels is high enough that many insurance companies in Florida now refuse renewal unless the panel is replaced. If you have one of these panels, upgrading isn’t optional — it’s risk management.

Getting ready for the upgrade

Day-of prep is minimal: clear a 36-inch path in front of the panel, defrost anything in the freezer that needs to stay frozen, and be home for the city inspector. That’s it. Our crew handles everything else.