Electricians at Home Depot
4.9 ★
All figures based on 2023 Canada-wide averages.
About Electrical Panel Upgrade Services
Repairing aged wiring and electrical panels can make your home more energy efficient and may also reduce the risk of a fire hazard. In addition to efficiency, upgrading allows you to support more powerful appliances and gadgets, especially if your current panel is older. So why wait? Find qualified electricians you can count on through our national Local Pro referral service.
Local Pro Electricians are certified and insured to deliver quality workmanship and professional results. Big or small, they can handle all your electrical panel upgrades, ensuring adherence to industry standards in accordance with building code regulations.
Is an Electrical Panel Upgrade Worth It?
✔ Home Safety
Degraded wiring, exposed wiring, or an electrical panel that routinely overloads pose a fire risk to you, your loved ones, and your home. An electrical panel upgrade will significantly reduce the risk of a fire hazard caused by a sudden power surge or overload.
✔ Energy Efficiency
Tired of outlets that don’t work or flipping the switch on your circuit breaker every morning? An electrical panel upgrade can significantly increase your amperage, replacing old wiring with more energy efficient wiring that distributes energy throughout your home safely and with less effort.
✔ Added Home Value
No one wants to move into a home that needs electrical repair. If you’ve invested in beautiful new décor, interior lighting, and central HVAC, an electrical panel upgrade can potentially increase the value and attractiveness of your home to prospective homeowners.
✔ Increased Capacity
Watch TV and blow dry your hair while your daughter surfs the internet on her iPad. Growing households often need functioning outlets that can power multiple devices and appliances simultaneously. Once your new electrical panel is installed, you’ll experience fewer disruptions and outages with the added capacity your new electrical panel or fuse box provides.
✔ Extended Life
With professional installation by a licensed electrician, your new electrical panel installation won’t need replacing for twenty years or more. Local Pros are trusted experts who can advise you on the most energy-efficient electrical panel upgrade for your home so you get the most value for your investment.
What types of services are covered
Electrical Wiring and Rewiring
Frequent electrical problems in your home could indicate a need for new or upgraded electrical wiring. The best way to ensure your home’s wiring is up to date and meets building code standards is to hire a licensed electrical contractor for a professional assessment. Local Pro electricians can evaluate your entire home to determine the extent of rewiring required and recommend options for reducing your utility bill.
Electrical Panel Upgrade
Fuse-based or circuit, Local Pros are licensed to safely remove and install new electrical panels, including wiring and subpanels as required. A Local Pro can assess the extent of your upgrade or wiring and provide cost-effective solutions that are energy efficient and long-lasting.
Knob and Tube Wiring Removal
Homes built in the 1900’s and late 1940’s feature a type of wiring called ‘knob and tube’ which has since been deemed unsafe. Aged ceramic knob and tube wiring that has been tampered with should be removed by a licensed electrician who can safely install a new panel according to current building code standards.
How It Works
1 Complete Your Request Form
- Enter your contact information and tell us more details about the job you’d like done.
2 View Local Pros in Your Area
- After submitting a request, you will be contacted by up to three Local Pros based on your job request. Compare their credentials, ask questions, discuss availability, and obtain a quote.
3 Select a Local Pro and Schedule Installation
- Once you’ve connected with your matched pros - hire the Local Pro that fulfills your criteria.
4 Get Your Job Completed
- After the job is complete, leave a review to share your experience of how it went.
Why Choose Local Pros
Hire From A Network of Pros
Hiring from our network ensures you get your job done by a trusted professional
Background Checked
All of our Local Pros are background-checked to ensure they meet our high standards for professionalism, service, and results!
Rated and Reviewed
Read reviews and ratings of our Local Pros from real homeowners just like you before hiring the professional that’s right for you!
Should I Replace Breakers or Get an Electrical Panel Upgrade?
Circuit Breaker
Circuit breakers are highly reliable, with an average lifespan of 30 – 40 years. Routine power surges, however, can wear out a circuit breaker over time. Burnt wiring in the subpanel should be replaced to avoid a fire hazard. Installing a new circuit breaker is more cost-effective than replacing or repairing a worn-out breaker.
If you are planning to install a new electric vehicle charger, appliance such as a hot tub, washer and dryer, or dishwasher, upgrading your electrical panel is recommended, even if the circuit breakers are in good condition. This ensures your system can safely handle the increased power demand.
These are key indicators that your circuit breaker needs replacing:
- Circuit breaker trips repeatedly
- Circuit breaker was installed in an older home (circa 1900 – 1940’s) and never replaced
- Circuit breaker emits a burning odour
- Electrical outlets spark when you attempt to power a device or appliance
- Circuit breaker box is hot to the touch
Fuse Boxes
Fuse boxes are not particularly complex to operate or maintain and burnt fuses can be replaced with ease. With proper maintenance a fuse box panel should last an average 25 – 40 years before it needs replacing. Generally, experts agree that a fuse box is not as well-equipped to meet the energy demands of a typical modern household as a circuit breaker.
Most licensed electricians recommend replacing a fuse box with a circuit breaker for improved energy efficiency. In many cases, however, a fuse box can be replaced without rewiring, reducing the cost. Faulty wiring, however, poses a significant fire hazard.
Here are the most common signs that your fuse box needs replacing:
- Flickering Lights
- Burnt outlets
- Repeated burnt fuses
- Fuse box emits a burnt odor
- Buzzing sound from your fuse box
A Local Pro can assess the extent of repairs needed and recommend the best solution, either repair or replacement.
Things to Ask the Pro
When hiring a Local Pro landscaper or gardener, it’s important to communicate your expectations, as well as to be clear on what is or isn’t included with their service.
Make sure that everyone is on the same page by asking about the following:
✔ How should I prepare for the Local Pro’s arrival?
- Ask your Pro whether they’ll move your furniture, remove wall-mounted frames and fixtures, and cover plates for light switches or electrical sockets, or if you should do that yourself
✔ What prep work goes into the electrical panel upgrade job?
- Many Local Pros will begin your project with important electrical, or repair work to ensure as thorough a job as possible
- Ask your Local Pro electrician what preparations may be required prior to their arrival
✔ Do you provide a contract and guarantee your work?
- Ask whether you’ll need to provide upfront payment or deposit and whether they guarantee their work
- Ask for an itemized record of the work that the Local Pro has been hired to complete and sign this before work begins
✔ Will you purchase electrical panel and wiring materials or help me choose the right materials?
- You can ask your Local Pro if they will purchase the electrical panel and wiring materials for you at an extra cost, or if that is included in the cost of the job
Frequently Asked Questions
Service Questions
-
Generally, an electrical panel upgrade includes the following:
- New fuse box or circuit breaker installation
- An update of amp service from your utility company.
- New fuse box or circuit breaker installation
-
- Typically, repairing an existing panel can be completed within 1 hr
- Depending on the location, a new subpanel installation may take a few hours
- Installing a new fuse box or electrical panel requires more time, particularly if wires need replacing (1 – 2 days)
-
- Professionally installed with new wiring, you can expect a new electrical panel upgrade to last between 25 – 40 years
-
- An electrical panel upgrade involves the following costs:
- Panels and wiring
- Size of the panel
- Location of the panel and ease of access
Coordinating your panel upgrade with your local utility provider to upgrade your service can potentially delay the project and increase the cost if demand in your area is high.
-
- Replacing or upgrading an electrical panel improperly can pose a significant risk of fire hazard
- A licensed electrician is trained in building codes, technical specifications, amperage, and electrical wiring, as well as best practises to ensure a safe installation and use
Local Pro Questions
-
- You are connected to a Local Pro in your area based on their job skills, geographic radius, and availability to meet your request.
-
- The Home Depot uses the latest technology to match customers with a qualified and vetted Local Pro.
- Local Pros are also pre-screened so you can put your full trust into their services. There’s no need to worry about quality of work – with reviews, references and our comprehensive background check, we’ve ensured that for you.
-
- Yes. It is mandatory that Local Pros have current and updated certification from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board governed by each province. In addition, each contractor must be insured a minimum of $1,000,000 liability to protect our valued customers.
-
- There is no cost to request a Local Pro, nor to get matched to them.
- After connecting with up to three Local Pros, you can vet and select the Local Pro that fits your budget and schedule.
- Visitation fees may apply
-
- In the rare event that none of the three Local Pro contractors have contacted you within that time, you will be automatically re-matched to up to three new Local Pros via email.
-
- We are constantly adding new Pros, so we hope to have Pros available in your area soon.
- Please ensure the postal code you have entered is for the location where the service will be taking place.