Upgrading an Older Home's Electrical Service, or Adding a Shop Panel or Generator

Most of what we do is commercial, industrial and public work, but our shop sign lists residential first, and homeowners and farm owners call us too. The questions they ask tend to be the same ones: is my service big enough, can I put a panel in the shop, and what does a backup generator really need? Here's how we think about each.

Starting with the service entrance

The service entrance is where utility power reaches your property. It includes the service conductors, the meter base and the main panel or disconnect. In an older home, this is often the oldest part of the electrical system, and it was sized for a house that ran fewer appliances, fewer devices and no electric vehicle.

When a homeowner tells us the lights dim when the dryer starts, a breaker trips every time two things run together, or the panel is warm to the touch, the cause is usually load rather than a single bad part. A newer, larger panel gives you room for more circuits and a modern layout, and a service change gives that panel a conductor path that can carry the load.

A service change often involves the utility, since they may need to disconnect and reconnect power. How that works varies by utility, so ask before you schedule anything.

Working in a vintage home

Older houses hold surprises. Ron Beard, a homeowner with an older home, had us change the service entrance, replace the breaker panel and add circuits. In a Google review he wrote that the crew "dealt with issues we were not aware of." That fits our experience. Behind an old panel you can find wire that's been spliced, circuits that aren't labeled, or a ground that was never done properly. A good electrician explains what they've found and what it means before they close the wall.

We try to give homeowners the same advice we'd give ourselves: what has to be fixed now, what can wait, and what to avoid. A new panel won't fix a bad branch circuit, and a new circuit isn't safe on an overloaded service.

Adding a shop, barn or outbuilding

On farms and rural properties, the main service often feeds the house first, and then shops and barns get added over the years. At some point the load outgrows what's feeding them. One customer wrote in a Google review that we installed a brand-new electric service panel and meter base, and then went on to hire us for the next phases of his project: the house, a shop and an equipment barn. The same customer later reported that we installed the panel and outlets for the equipment shed.

Planning that kind of project in phases works well. Start with the service, so the capacity is there, then build outward. A separate panel in a shop or barn lets you protect equipment on its own breakers, add welding or air compressor circuits later, and keep the shop's load from competing with the house. The feeder from the main service to the outbuilding needs to be sized for what you'll plug in, not only what's there today.

EV charger outlets and standby generators

Two of the most common requests lately are an outlet for an electric vehicle charger and a standby generator. A customer wrote that we installed an EV charger outlet with a fast turnaround, and that we had the necessary parts in stock. Charging draws a steady, heavy load for hours, and that's exactly what an older panel can struggle with. We look at the available capacity first and then decide where the outlet goes.

A standby generator is a different job. Another customer wrote that they'd recommend us to anyone getting a Generac backup generator. The part people don't see is the way the generator connects. A standby unit needs a transfer switch or an equivalent arrangement so the house runs from one source at a time. Without it, a generator could feed power back onto the utility line, which is dangerous for line crews. It also matters what you want to keep running. Some people want the whole house, some only want the well, the furnace and the freezer, and that decision shapes the equipment.

Getting started

Before you call, it helps to know what you want to run, what's tripping, and where the panel and meter are. Photos of the panel and the meter base are useful. We'll walk the property, tell you what we see and give you a price before we start.

We're based in Yakima and work across Central Washington. Whether it's an older home, a new shop or a generator, call (509) 571-1082 and tell us what you're trying to do.