Electrical panel upgrades
Panel upgrades and changeouts from 100 to 400 amp, meter cans and three-phase, permitted and inspected.
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FPE, Zinsco & Bryant panels · Palm Beach, Martin & St. LucieFederal Pacific and Zinsco panel replacement
Federal Pacific panel replacement often starts with an insurance inspection or a hard look at the panel in the garage. We replace Federal Pacific Stab-Lok, Zinsco and older Bryant panels with new equipment, permitted under our electrical license and inspected, across Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties.
- Federal Pacific, Zinsco and Bryant panels replaced
- Permitted under electrical license EC13002031
- Division of Static Electric Company, since 1986
- A+ BBB rating
Office Mon–Fri 8am–4:30pm · you reach our West Palm Beach team
Electrical EC13002031Gas contractor #24513
Family-owned since 1986Palm Beach · Martin · St. Lucie
Identify it
How to recognize a Federal Pacific, Zinsco or Bryant panel
Open only the outer door and read the label inside it; leave the inner cover in place.
Federal Pacific (FPE) Stab-Lok
Look for Federal Pacific Electric or FPE on the door or the label inside it, and the name Stab-Lok. The breakers often have a red or orange strip across the front of the handles.
Zinsco and Sylvania-Zinsco
The giveaway is often the breakers: handles in bright colors such as blue, red and green. The label may read Zinsco or Sylvania, as Sylvania-Zinsco panels carry the same design.
Older Bryant panels
Look for the Bryant name on the door label. Not every Bryant panel is a problem; its age, its condition and what your insurer or 4-point inspector says decide whether it should be replaced.
The concern
Why Federal Pacific and Zinsco panels are a concern
A breaker has one safety job: to trip and cut the power when a circuit is overloaded or shorted. With Federal Pacific Stab-Lok breakers, it has been widely reported that some may fail to trip when they should, leaving the wiring to carry the fault.
Zinsco panels have a different problem, also widely reported. The breakers can overheat where they connect to the bus bars and, over time, may fuse to them, so a breaker may stay on after it has been switched off.
Neither problem is reliably visible from the outside, and a panel that has worked for decades is no proof it will trip the next time it has to. Age, heat and humidity add to the wear.
Insurance
Florida insurance, the 4-point inspection and your panel
Many insurers ask for a 4-point inspection before covering an older Florida home. It looks at the roof, electrical, plumbing and air conditioning, and the electrical section records the panel's type and condition.
Many insurers decline to write a policy, or add a surcharge, when that report names a Federal Pacific Stab-Lok or Zinsco panel. Rules differ between companies, so check with your own insurer or agent. If you have the report or a letter that names the panel, send it with your inquiry; it tells us what has been asked for.
What replacement involves
What Federal Pacific panel replacement involves
The old panel and its breakers come out, and a new panel with new breakers goes in, with each circuit reconnected. We replace the whole panel, not individual breakers.
It is also the moment to decide on size. If the house has outgrown its service, the changeout can become an upgrade to 150, 200 or 400 amp, which often means a new meter can as well, and the electric utility has to be involved in anything done at the meter. See electrical panel upgrades for how the sizes compare.
Replacing a panel is permitted work. The permit is pulled under our State Certified Electrical Contractor license, EC13002031, and the building department inspects the job. Your written estimate sets out the scope; all you need to arrange is access. We replace these panels across Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast; see where we work. Ask about an estimate.
Until it is replaced
Living with an old panel until it is replaced
- Leave the inner cover on. Reading the label on the door is fine; removing the cover exposes live parts.
- Don't keep resetting a breaker that trips. Unplug what is on that circuit and have it looked at.
- Heat, noise or a smell is a stop sign. If a breaker or the panel feels hot, buzzes, crackles, smells of burning or shows scorch marks, stop using those circuits and call a licensed electrician right away.
- Smoke or fire means 911. Get everyone out first.
- Hold off on big new loads. A second AC, a pool heater or a new kitchen should wait for the new panel.
We plan and schedule panel replacements. For a panel that is hot or burning right now, call the first licensed electrician who can reach you.
Plan the new panel
Make the new panel ready for what comes next
Surge protection
A changeout that replaces a home's service equipment generally has to include a Type 1 or Type 2 surge protective device (NEC 230.67, 2020 edition, adopted in Florida). Ask us or your building department how it applies. See whole-house surge protection.
Room for a standby generator
If a generator is on your list, say so now. The panel's capacity and the transfer switch go together, and planning both can save doing panel work twice. Read panel upgrades and standby generators or generator installation.
Enough capacity
A 1970s panel was sized for a 1970s house. If central AC, a pool or a bigger kitchen has been added since, compare service sizes on our electrical panel upgrades page.
Fair questions
What people ask before they call.
How do I know if I have a Federal Pacific panel?
The panel is usually in the garage, a utility room or on an outside wall. Open the outer door and look for Federal Pacific Electric, FPE or Stab-Lok on the label. If you can't tell, a clear photo of the label and the breakers usually lets an electrician identify it.
Are Zinsco panels dangerous?
Zinsco and Sylvania-Zinsco panels have widely reported problems: breakers that can overheat and may fuse to the bus bars, so they may not switch off or trip as designed. Not every panel will fail, but you cannot tell from the outside which one will.
Will my insurance company make me replace a Federal Pacific panel?
It may. Many insurers decline or surcharge homes with Federal Pacific Stab-Lok or Zinsco panels, and the 4-point inspection many ask for on older Florida homes records the panel type. Policies differ, so ask your own insurer or agent what they require, and share their answer with us when you ask about an estimate.
Can I replace just the Stab-Lok breakers?
Replacement breakers are sold for these panels, but our work is panel-level, and a new breaker does not change the panel it sits in. The 4-point report records the panel, so new breakers alone may not satisfy an insurer. Check with your insurer, and ask us about an estimate for replacing the panel.
Do you replace older Bryant panels too?
Yes. Along with Federal Pacific and Zinsco, older Bryant panels are among those an insurer can flag. Not every Bryant panel is a concern; age, condition and your insurer's requirements decide it. A photo of the door label and the breakers is a useful start when you get in touch.
Where we work
Three counties, 78 towns, one West Palm Beach office.
Federal Pacific & Zinsco panel replacement across Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties, from 2771 Vista Parkway — the same footprint as our generator work. We do not cover Broward County.
Check the full service area →West Palm BeachPalm Beach GardensJupiterWellingtonRoyal Palm BeachLake Worth BeachBoynton BeachDelray BeachBoca RatonStuartPalm CityHobe SoundPort St. LucieFort Pierce+ 64 more
Keep going
Related work from the same licensed team.
Replace the old panel, properly permitted
Send a photo of the panel label and what your insurer asked for, and ask about an estimate.