Main panel upgrades, sub-panels, breaker replacement, fuse box conversions, and whole-home surge protection.
Licensed Texas electrician · TECL #33987
Panel scope
Panel work usually shows up as one symptom: a fuse box that limits the home, a breaker that will not stay set, a remodel that needs more circuits, or an EV charger that the existing service cannot carry. The scope starts with a load calculation under NEC Article 220 and ends with the outdoor disconnect, surge protection, and inspection that the 2023 NEC now expects.
The electrical panel is the central point where utility power enters the house and where every branch circuit is protected by a breaker or a fuse. When the panel is undersized for current loads, when it uses outdated equipment that is no longer trusted in the field, or when it is starting to show heat, corrosion, or repeated trips, the rest of the electrical system pays for it. Lights flicker, appliances misbehave, breakers nuisance-trip, and surge events damage electronics that would otherwise be protected.
Bechtold Electric handles main panel replacement, sub-panel additions, breaker repair and replacement, fuse box conversions, whole-home surge protection at the service, and the load planning behind it. The work follows the 2023 National Electrical Code adopted by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation as the minimum standard for all electrical work in Texas, and it accounts for the CPS Energy meter loop and City of San Antonio permitting steps that apply when service equipment is touched.
main panel upgrades
Replace an aging or undersized main panel with appropriately sized service equipment, coordinate the CPS Energy meter loop, and pull the City of San Antonio electrical permit before the work begins.
A main panel upgrade typically means replacing the service equipment, often moving from a 100 amp service to a 200 amp service, and bringing the outdoor disconnect, grounding, bonding, and surge protection in line with the 2023 NEC. CPS Energy releases service once the city or municipality inspection is complete, so the permit, the inspection, and the utility hand-off all sit on the same critical path.
Get a quote ->sub panel installations
Add a sub-panel for a garage, workshop, casita, pool equipment pad, or remodeled area when the main panel is out of space or when feeding loads from a closer location makes more sense.
A sub-panel adds breaker space and shortens the run to high-demand equipment, but it has to be fed and grounded correctly: the neutral and ground are kept separated in the sub-panel, the feeder is sized for the calculated load, and the equipment grounding conductor is run with the feeder per NEC Article 250. The decision to add a sub-panel rather than upsize the main is driven by the load study, not by what is cheapest in the moment.
Get a quote ->circuit breaker replacements
Replace failed, recalled, or obsolete breakers with listed breakers that match the panel manufacturer and the branch circuit load.
Breakers are not interchangeable across manufacturers, and using a non-listed breaker in a panel voids the listing and creates a real safety issue. Repeat trips are usually a circuit problem rather than a breaker problem, so a breaker swap should follow an actual diagnosis, not precede it. Recalls and field-known problem breakers, including older Federal Pacific Stab-Lok and Zinsco equipment, are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and often resolved at the panel level.
Get a quote ->fuse box conversions
Retire a fuse panel by replacing the service equipment with a modern breaker panel, restore correct grounding and bonding, and bring the outdoor disconnect and surge protection up to current code.
Fuse panels can still function, but they limit how the home can be wired. Each fuse is single-use, fuses are easily mismatched to the circuit they protect, and most fuse panels predate AFCI, GFCI, and modern surge protection. The conversion replaces the panel, re-terminates the branch circuits, sets the grounding electrode system correctly, and rolls the outdoor disconnect and SPD requirements into the same scope.
Get a quote ->whole home surge protection
Install a Type 1 or Type 2 surge protective device at the service to protect electronics, AFCI and GFCI breakers, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and other equipment from utility-side and internal surges.
Surges come from outside the home, including lightning and utility switching, and from inside the home, including motor starts and capacitor switching. A service-level SPD shunts the surge before it spreads through the panel. Point-of-use SPDs at sensitive loads add a second layer where it matters. Bechtold Electric installs and labels the SPD as part of any panel replacement so the surge requirement is closed out at the same time.
Get a quote ->load calculations
Calculate the actual service size needed for the home using the standard or optional method under NEC Article 220 so the new service is matched to real load.
The load calculation accounts for general lighting and receptacles, fixed appliances, HVAC equipment, EV charging, range and oven, dryer, pool equipment, and any large planned addition. The result drives the conductor size, the service equipment rating, and whether the existing service entrance can stay or needs to be replaced. It also tells the homeowner whether the panel is the right scope or whether the upstream service from CPS Energy needs to be looked at first.
Get a quote ->code compliance updates
Bring the panel area into compliance with the 2023 NEC adopted by TDLR, including the outdoor disconnect, surge protection, AFCI and GFCI requirements, working clearance, and panel labeling.
A panel replacement is the cleanest time to resolve code items that have accumulated since the original install: working clearance under NEC 110.26, correct panel labeling, AFCI and GFCI protection where required, and grounding electrode system updates. Items raised in a home inspection report or insurance request are handled within the same scope where they touch the panel.
Get a quote ->Send photos, panel information, preferred timing, and the address if you already have them.
Process
Step 1: Onsite assessment and load calculation
Step 2: Written scope, panel selection, and code-compliance plan
Step 3: City of San Antonio electrical permit and CPS Energy coordination
Step 4: Panel install, surge protection, and outdoor disconnect
Step 5: Inspection, utility reconnect, and walk-through
Planning notes
Every job starts with the visible request, then gets checked against access, load, code requirements, utility coordination, and long-term use.
NEC Article 220 provides the calculation method that sizes residential service. Adding an EV charger, an induction range, a pool heater, or a heat pump can change the result and push the home from a 100 amp service to a 200 amp service. The calculation is done before the panel is ordered so the new service matches actual load, not a rule of thumb.
Since the 2020 NEC and continuing under the 2023 NEC, one and two family dwellings need a readily accessible outdoor service disconnect on the dwelling or within sight of it, marked EMERGENCY DISCONNECT. A panel replacement is when that requirement gets resolved, not deferred. First responders need a clear way to de-energize the house from outside.
NEC 230.67 requires a Type 1 or Type 2 surge protective device on services supplying dwelling units, and the requirement also triggers when an existing service is replaced. Installing the SPD at the service equipment, with point-of-use SPDs at sensitive loads where appropriate, protects modern appliances, AFCI and GFCI devices, and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
Service area
Bechtold Electric serves San Antonio, Olmos Park, Terrell Hills, Alamo Heights, Shavano Park, Hollywood Park, Helotes, Fair Oaks Ranch, Garden Ridge, Timberwood Park, Scenic Oaks, Castle Hills, and nearby central Texas communities.
FAQ
The electrical panel is the service equipment where utility power enters the house and where every branch circuit is protected by a breaker or fuse. Modern residential panels are dead-front circuit breaker panels mounted in a cabinet or cutout box, with a main service disconnect and individual breakers for each circuit. The panel sets the limit for how much power the home can use safely and is the point where grounding, bonding, and surge protection come together.
A panel should be evaluated for replacement when breakers trip repeatedly, the panel or breakers feel warm, the panel uses fuses or known field-problem equipment such as older Federal Pacific Stab-Lok or Zinsco, the service is undersized for current load, or a remodel or new appliance pushes the home past what the existing service can carry. A panel replacement is also a natural moment to add the outdoor service disconnect and whole-home surge protection that the 2023 NEC now expects.
Frequent breaker trips, an outdated fuse box, lights that flicker when large appliances start, insufficient breaker space for a remodel or addition, signs of heat or scorching at the panel, repeated need for extension cords because outlets are short on a circuit, and plans to add an EV charger, induction range, heat pump, or pool equipment are all reasons to have the panel evaluated. The panel does not have to fail before it gets looked at.
A whole-home SPD shunts voltage spikes at the service before they spread through the panel and into branch circuits. Surges come from outside the home, including lightning and utility switching, and from inside the home, including motor and capacitor switching. The 2023 NEC requires a Type 1 or Type 2 SPD on services supplying dwelling units, including when an existing service is replaced, and the protection covers electronics, AFCI and GFCI breakers, and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
Yes. Bechtold Electric installs whole-home surge protective devices at the service equipment as part of panel replacement work and as a standalone install on existing panels that have the space and configuration for it. The SPD is selected for the panel and the expected load, mounted and bonded correctly, and labeled so future service visits can verify it is still in service.
Popular cities
Utility providers, permit offices, access, and housing stock change from city to city. These pages explain what matters for panel replacement & repair in each area.
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Home electrical
Electrical repairs, upgrades, lighting, panels, and remodel support for San Antonio homes.
EV charging
Level 2 charger circuits, wall connector installs, and panel-readiness checks for home charging.
Build and remodel
Rough-in, trim-out, service planning, and remodel wiring for homeowners, builders, and GCs.
Call Bechtold Electric or send the details through the contact form.