Giving Your Home the Electrical Capacity It Now Needs
An EV charger, a heat pump, a pool, or a casita can ask more of your service than it was built for. 4 Daughters Electric upgrades panels — usually to 200 amps — for Gilbert and East Valley homes.
4 Daughters Electric upgrades residential electrical panels across Gilbert and the East Valley — most often from an older 100- or 125-amp service to 200 amps, so a home can safely add an EV charger, heat pump, pool equipment or casita. We run a load calculation, pull the Town of Gilbert permit, and coordinate the utility disconnect. Call (480) 896-0325.
What's usually driving the upgrade
Almost nobody upgrades a panel for its own sake. The call comes because something new won't fit: an installer says the service can't carry a Level 2 EV charger, a heat-pump conversion needs more capacity than the old panel has, a pool build needs its own circuits, or a planned casita or shop adds a load the original 1990s service never contemplated. What was generous capacity for a gas-range home with one AC is simply tight for an all-electric, two-EV household.
Why an older service runs out of room
Two limits collide. The first is the main breaker's amperage — the total your service can draw. A 100-amp panel sized decades ago has little headroom once you add 40 or 48 amps of EV charging on top of AC, water heating and everyday loads. The second is physical spaces: a panel only holds so many breakers, and when it's full, installers resort to double-tapping or tandem breakers that a full panel may not be listed for. An upgrade addresses both — a larger main and a panel with room to grow. It's not about the appliances you have breaking; it's about the margin to add safely without the main tripping on a hot afternoon when everything runs at once.
The load calculation comes first
We don't guess your service size from the driveway. We add up your real and planned loads to a standard calculation, which tells us whether you need 200 amps, whether a sub-panel solves it more cheaply, or whether your existing service already has the room. That number, not a sales target, drives the recommendation.
When you don't need a full upgrade
Sometimes the cheaper path is the right one. If your panel is a modern 150- or 200-amp service that's simply full of breakers, a sub-panel or listed tandem breakers can add circuits for a fraction of a service upgrade. If you're adding one EV charger and the load calc shows headroom, you may just need the dedicated circuit, not a new panel. And if a single component failed on an otherwise adequate service, that's panel repair. We'll tell you when a smaller fix carries the load — upgrading a panel that didn't need it helps nobody.
How a panel upgrade goes
Load calc and site check
We total your current and planned loads and inspect the service, meter and grounding.
Permit and utility scheduling
We pull the Town of Gilbert permit and coordinate the SRP or APS disconnect and reconnect for a set day.
Install the new service
New panel, main, grounding and neatly labeled circuits — with room left for what's next.
Inspect and energize
The work is inspected, the meter reset, and every circuit verified before we hand it back.
What to have ready before you call
- Your current main breaker rating (100A, 125A, 150A, 200A) from the panel label.
- A list of what you're adding: EV charger and its amps, heat pump, pool, hot tub, casita, shop.
- Whether your panel is indoors or out, and roughly its age.
- Any timeline tied to a solar, EV or pool install so we can sequence the work.
Local detail: Gilbert homes hitting their limit
Gilbert's late-1990s and 2000s subdivisions — Val Vista Lakes, Neely Farms, Power Ranch, Morrison Ranch, Cooley Station — were largely built with 125- or 150-amp services that suited the era. Those same homes are now the ones adding EV chargers and swapping gas furnaces for heat pumps, which is why panel upgrades are among our most common jobs on those streets. Service upgrades in town are permitted through the Town of Gilbert Development Services building division, and SRP or APS handles the meter; we manage both so the changeover lands on a scheduled day rather than a scramble.
Panel upgrade FAQs
Do I need 200 amps for an EV charger?
Not always. A load calculation might show your current service has room for a Level 2 charger on a dedicated circuit. If it doesn't — common on older 100–125A panels also running AC and electric water heating — an upgrade to 200 amps gives you safe headroom.
How long is the power off during the upgrade?
Typically several hours on the scheduled day while the old panel comes out and the new service goes in and is inspected. We give you a window in advance so you can plan around the fridge, AC and any medical equipment.
Will I need to be home, and do I need a permit?
Yes to a permit — service upgrades require one through the Town of Gilbert, and the utility must disconnect the meter. Someone should be home for access and the power-down. We handle the permit and utility scheduling.
Is a sub-panel cheaper than a full upgrade?
Often, if your main service has enough amperage but no free breaker spaces. A sub-panel adds circuits without replacing the main. The load calc tells us whether that's enough or whether the main itself is the limit.
Does an upgrade raise my home's value or insurability?
Modern 200-amp service is what buyers, inspectors and some insurers expect, and it removes the "can't add anything" ceiling. We won't quote a dollar figure on resale, but capacity and a current panel are rarely a liability at sale.
Panel upgrades across Gilbert and the East Valley
Reviews and directions: 4 Daughters Electric Google Business Profile.
Planning an EV charger, heat pump or pool?
We'll run the load numbers first and tell you whether your service carries it or needs an upgrade — before you commit to the bigger project.
Call (480) 896-0325Request a Quote