Managed by a Veteran-Owned General Contractor, Performed by Licensed Electricians
Panel Upgrade Coordination in San Antonio, TX
214 Veteran Solutions is a veteran-owned general contractor in San Antonio. On a panel upgrade we define the scope, contract a TDLR-licensed electrical contractor, who performs the work, applies for the electrical permit and carries it. We coordinate that application and the inspection schedule. A typical scope is a 100A to 200A service change: new load center and breakers, new service entrance conductors and meter can coordination, and grounding and bonding corrected to current code. If you are planning a kitchen remodel, a home addition, an EV charger circuit, or a standby generator, the panel is usually the first decision rather than the last. All regulated electrical work is performed by the licensed electrical contractor engaged for the project.
How do I know my panel needs upgrading?
Some triggers are symptoms and some are simply new load. Either way the answer comes from an NEC load calculation and a look at the existing equipment, not from the age of the house alone. A licensed electrician makes that assessment; we arrange it and put the findings in writing before you commit.
- Breakers trip when normal loads run together, or lights dim when the AC compressor starts
- The house still has a fuse box, or a Federal Pacific Stab-Lok, Zinsco or Pushmatic load center
- There are no open spaces left and tandem breakers have been stacked to make room
- You are adding a Level 2 EV charger, a standby generator, an electric range, a heat pump or a large addition
- Scorch marks, a warm panel cover, or a burning smell at the panel - stop and call a licensed electrician before anything else
What is included in a panel upgrade?
A service and panel upgrade replaces the equipment that distributes power to the house and brings the service entrance and grounding system up to current code. We scope it, contract it, and coordinate the utility and city steps around it. When the City of San Antonio Development Services Department or another jurisdiction requires drawings, they are coordinated through permit drawing coordination with a licensed design professional.
- New 200A or larger load center with new breakers and a labeled panel schedule
- Service entrance conductors, weatherhead or service mast, and meter can coordinated with CPS Energy
- Grounding electrode system and bonding corrected to current code, including water and gas bonding where applicable
- AFCI and GFCI protection added on circuits where the adopted code requires it
- Sub-panel for an addition, detached garage, workshop or ADU when the scope calls for it
- Whole-home surge protection at the panel, available as an add-on
How the permit and inspection sequence works
The order of operations is fixed, and knowing it sets realistic expectations about the day of work. We coordinate the scheduling so you are not chasing three organizations.
- The licensed electrical contractor files the permit application with the City of San Antonio Development Services Department, or the jurisdiction for your address, before work starts
- CPS Energy is scheduled to disconnect the service so the electrician can change the equipment safely
- The licensed electrician sets the new load center, service entrance conductors and grounding, then the work is inspected before it is closed up
- The city releases the service and CPS Energy reconnects and re-meters
- Final inspection and handover of the permit record and panel schedule
What is not included in the estimate?
A panel upgrade covers the service entrance and load center. Adjacent work that often surfaces on older homes is priced separately so the estimate stays honest.
- Rewiring existing branch circuits - a panel upgrade replaces the load center and breakers, it does not re-run cable to every room
- Knob-and-tube removal or aluminum branch circuit replacement on older homes, which is a separate whole-home rewire scope
- EV charger circuit, generator transfer switch, or a sub-panel for a detached garage or ADU, each priced as a named add-on
- Whole-home surge protection device, available as an add-on and worth considering
- Drywall repair where the panel is recessed - patch and prime at request, with paint finish owner-supplied unless specified
What is specific about panel upgrades in San Antonio?
Local conditions drive both the scope and the price. These are the factors that show up in an estimate here.
- Some older San Antonio homes still have a small service or a Federal Pacific, Zinsco or Pushmatic load center; the licensed electrician evaluates whether that equipment should be replaced
- Any service entrance change requires a CPS Energy disconnect and reconnect, which is scheduled around the electrician so the power-off window is short
- The City of San Antonio requires inspection before the work is covered, plus a final inspection after the service is re-energized
- Exterior panels on mid-century ranch homes cost more than interior panels because of the weather-rated enclosure and service mast work
- If a standby generator or an EV charger is in the plan, plan the service upgrade first - a smaller service often cannot carry a large generator, a Level 2 charger and central air together, and the load calculation decides
Why Choose 214 Veteran Solutions?
- Veteran-owned general contractor holding the contract and the schedule
- Regulated electrical work performed by TDLR-licensed Texas electrical contractors
- Permit obtained by the licensed electrician, with inspections coordinated into the schedule
- CPS Energy disconnect and reconnect coordinated to keep the power-off window short
- Scope, add-ons and exclusions stated in writing before work begins
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