A panel upgrade is a capacity project, and it starts with a load calculation, not a sales pitch. We add up the demand the NEC assigns to your square footage, HVAC, water heater, range, dryer and any planned additions like an EV charger or pool equipment, and compare it to what your service delivers today. If a 100 amp service is genuinely at its limit, the numbers show it. If it is not, we say so, because plenty of tripping problems are circuit level and do not require a new service.
Montgomery is full of homes still running 100 amp and even 60 amp services that were adequate before central air conditioning became a five month continuous load. When a 3 or 4 ton condenser starts on a 95 degree afternoon against a service already feeding a range, dryer and water heater, the margin disappears, and the main breaker or the weakest branch breaker lets go. Add the EV chargers showing up in Wynlakes, Hampstead and along Vaughn Road and the case for 200 amps writes itself.
A service upgrade is permitted work through the City of Montgomery Inspections Department and involves Alabama Power directly, since the utility must disconnect at the drop and reconnect after inspection. The homeowner side of that boundary is ours: new meter base, service entrance conductors, mast and weatherhead where needed, grounding electrode conductor to driven ground rods, and proper bonding. The city inspects before Alabama Power restores power, so sequencing the disconnect, work and inspection into one day is most of the craft.
The complications live in old houses. Undersized or corroded grounding that must be brought current, service masts embedded in rotten fascia, branch circuits too short to reach the new panel's neutral bar, and cloth insulation that crumbles when disturbed. We plan for splice boxes and conductor extensions before demo day, not during it, which is the difference between a one day outage and a weekend without power.
Technician insight
The step that saves Montgomery upgrades is checking branch conductor length before demo day. Old panels sat lower or off to one side, and circuits an inch too short to land in the new panel turn a one day changeout into a splice box scramble unless the extensions are planned in advance.
100 to 200 Amps Ahead of an EV Charger
A Vaughn Road area homeowner wanted a 48 amp Level 2 charger, and the load calculation showed the existing 100 amp service could not carry it with electric range and dryer in the mix. The upgrade ran as one sequenced day: morning Alabama Power disconnect, new 200 amp panel, meter base and grounding, city inspection at midday, reconnection that afternoon, and the charger circuit landed the same week.
Electrical Panel Upgrade Services We Offer
✓100 to 200 Amp Service Upgrade
The full package: new panel, meter base, service entrance conductors and grounding, coordinated with Alabama Power.
✓Meter Base Replacement
Corroded or storm damaged meter bases replaced on the homeowner side of the Alabama Power boundary.
✓Service Mast and Weatherhead Repair
Masts and weatherheads rebuilt after storm damage or rot, ready for utility reconnection.
✓Subpanel Installation
Subpanels added for garages, additions and outbuildings when the main panel is full but service capacity is adequate.
✓Heavy Up for EV Charging
Capacity upgrades sized specifically around a Level 2 charger plus existing loads.
✓Grounding System Upgrade
Ground rods, grounding electrode conductors and bonding brought to current code during the upgrade.
✓Load Calculation Service
A documented NEC load calculation when you need the answer before committing to the project.
How it works
- 1
Load Calculation and Quote
Load calculation and site review covering the existing service, panel space, grounding and mast condition, with a written quote.
- 2
Permit and Utility Scheduling
Permit filed with the City of Montgomery Inspections Department and the disconnect scheduled with Alabama Power.
- 3
One Day Changeout
Utility disconnect, new equipment set, circuits landed and labeled, grounding completed.
- 4
Inspection and Reconnection
City inspection passed and Alabama Power reconnection, usually the same day, with every circuit tested afterward.
Pricing
The price moves with amperage, meter base condition, mast work and grounding deficiencies. A straightforward 100 to 200 amp upgrade with a sound mast sits at the lower end, while rotten fascia, a relocated panel or a full grounding rebuild adds real labor and materials. The written quote itemizes each of these so you can see what drives the number.