Electrical panel installation, replacement, and upgrades
Pure Home Electric installs, replaces, and upgrades electrical panels for homeowners throughout the St. Louis metro area. Licensed and insured.*24/7 emergency service available.
electrical panel services in st louis
Installation, Replacement
and Upgrades
Licensed, permitted, and done right the first time.
Your electrical panel is the nerve center of your home. Every circuit, every outlet, every appliance in your house depends on it working correctly. When it fails – or when it simply can’t keep up with what you’re asking it to do – the consequences range from minor frustration to a serious fire hazard.
Pure Home Electric installs, replaces, and upgrades residential electrical panels throughout the St. Louis metro, including St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County, and the surrounding communities.
Whether your home needs a straightforward panel swap, a full service upgrade from 100 to 200 amps, or a replacement of a known-hazardous Federal Pacific or Zinsco panel, we handle the entire job – permit, Ameren coordination, inspection, and all.
Call Pure Home Electric today at (314)649-8687 to schedule service or get a free consultation. We are ready when you are.
Electrical Panel Services
Most Common
Panel Services
Panel work isn’t one-size-fits-all. The job we do in your home depends on what you have now and what your home needs going forward. Here is what Pure Home Electric handles:
Panel replacement. The existing panel is removed and replaced with a new unit of equivalent or greater capacity. This is typically the right move when the current panel is faulty, aging, or a known-hazardous brand.
Panel upgrade. The incoming service amperage increases — most commonly from 100 amps to 200 amps. This often requires coordination with Ameren Missouri for a service disconnect and reconnect, as well as work at the meter base and service entrance.
New panel installation. Required for additions, detached garages, accessory dwelling units, and new construction. Includes subpanel installation when a secondary distribution point is needed.
Federal Pacific and Zinsco replacement. These two panel brands appear regularly in St. Louis-area homes built between the 1950s and 1980s. Both have documented failure modes. Federal Pacific Stab-Lok breakers fail to trip during overloads at a rate that presents a fire risk. Zinsco breakers are known to fuse to the bus bar, making them mechanically non-functional. Neither brand provides the overcurrent protection your home relies on. Many insurance carriers will not issue or renew policies on homes with these panels. Replacement is the correct course of action — not inspection or repair.
Meter base replacement. When the meter base is corroded, damaged, or undersized for the upgraded service, it is replaced as part of the job. This is standard for many older St. Louis homes with original service equipment.
2023 NEC compliance. St. Louis City and St. Louis County adopted the 2023 National Electrical Code in January 2025. Panel replacements performed in these jurisdictions must now meet the updated requirements, which include whole-home surge protection on any panel replacement and expanded AFCI coverage for living areas. Pure Home Electric builds these requirements into every job rather than treating them as add-ons.
warning signs
Signs Your Panel
Needs Attention
Not every panel problem announces itself dramatically. Some of the most common signals in St. Louis homes include:
- Breakers that trip repeatedly when running the air conditioner, microwave, and another large appliance at the same time.
- Lights that flicker or dim noticeably when a large motor starts – a furnace blower, a dryer, a well pump.
- A cover plate that feels warm to the touch.
- A burning smell or buzzing sound coming from the electrical room.
- Visible rust, corrosion, or water staining inside or around the box.
- A fuse panel rather than a breaker panel.
- A panel that is 25 to 30 years old or older without any documented service history.
St. Louis homes from Tower Grove South to Ballwin and Kirkwood often have panels in damp basements where moisture and temperature swings accelerate corrosion and wear. If your panel is in an unfinished basement with any history of moisture, it deserves a closer look even without obvious symptoms.
Do not open the panel cover yourself. The interior of any electrical panel contains live components that remain energized even when the main breaker is off. Call a licensed electrician for any evaluation.
choosing a panel size
How Many AMPS Does Your Home Need
100-Amp vs. 200-Amp Panel: Which Does Your Home Need?
This is the most common question homeowners ask before a panel job. Here is a direct answer.
100-Amp Service
A 100-amp panel was the standard for residential construction from roughly the 1950s through the early 1980s. For the homes of that era — built around gas heat, no central air, and modest appliance loads — it was adequate.
Where 100-amp service still works: Small homes with gas heat, gas water heater, gas cooking, and no plans to add large electrical loads. If your home is under 1,500 square feet, all-gas appliances, no EV charging, and no significant renovation planned, a 100-amp panel replacement may be the right call rather than a full upgrade.
Where 100-amp service falls short: Any home with central air conditioning, an electric water heater, an electric range or dryer, or any plans for EV charging is likely at or near the capacity limits of 100-amp service. Running two or three of those loads simultaneously leaves very little headroom. Adding a Level 2 EV charger — which requires a dedicated 240-volt, 50-amp circuit — to a fully loaded 100-amp panel is not a practical option.
200-Amp Service
200-amp service became the standard for new residential construction starting in the late 1970s and is now the baseline expectation for modern homes.
What 200-amp service gives you: Double the capacity of 100-amp service, with significantly more circuit slots for future additions. A 200-amp panel can comfortably support central air, an electric dryer, an electric range, a Level 2 EV charger, and a home office without approaching the limits of the service.
Who should upgrade to 200 amps: Homeowners with 100-amp panels who are adding any significant electrical load — EV charging, a basement finish, a kitchen remodel with an electric range or induction cooktop, a home addition, a whole-home generator. Also any homeowner whose current 100-amp panel shows any signs of stress under normal load.
The practical consideration: Homeowners in St. Louis can expect to pay $1,300 to $2,000 to install a 200-amp service. This requires coordination with Ameren Missouri for the service disconnect and reconnect, which adds scheduling time to the job but is a routine part of the process that Pure Home Electric handles for you.
The bottom line: If you are already replacing the panel, upgrading to 200-amp service at the same time is almost always the smarter investment. The additional cost over a same-capacity replacement is modest relative to the long-term capacity and flexibility it provides. The only exception is a very small, all-gas home with no plans for electrical expansion.
FAQs
Frequently Asked
Questions
What is the difference between a panel replacement and a panel upgrade?
A replacement swaps the existing panel for a new one of the same amperage — typically because the original is failing, hazardous, or at the end of its service life. An upgrade increases the incoming service amperage, most commonly from 100 to 200 amps, to give the home greater electrical capacity. Some jobs involve both: replacing a Federal Pacific panel and upgrading from 100 to 200 amps at the same time is one of the most common panel jobs in older St. Louis neighborhoods.
What does the 2023 NEC requirement mean for my panel replacement?
St. Louis City and St. Louis County moved to the 2023 NEC in January 2025. For panel replacements, the most significant addition is a mandatory whole-home surge protective device — a surge suppressor installed at the panel itself, not a power strip. Expanded AFCI coverage for living areas is also required. Pure Home Electric builds both into the job and includes them in your estimate upfront.
Do I need a permit for a panel replacement in St. Louis?
Yes. Electrical panel replacements and upgrades require a permit in the City of St. Louis, and the work must be performed by a licensed electrical contractor. Homeowners may not apply for service change permits. Typical permit approval time in St. Louis is approximately one week. Pure Home Electric handles the permit application and inspection coordination as part of every panel job.
How long does a panel replacement take?
Most residential panel replacements are completed in a single day, with power restored before the crew leaves the job. The timeline extends when Ameren Missouri needs to disconnect and reconnect the service, which adds a coordination step but is typically scheduled within a few days of the job. The final inspection occurs after installation and is required before the job is considered complete.
Will my homeowner's insurance be affected by my panel?
Yes, in some cases significantly. Federal Pacific and Zinsco panels are frequently flagged during home insurance underwriting. Some carriers will not issue new policies on homes with these panels, and others will cancel or non-renew existing policies when a panel is identified during a claim or renewal inspection. Replacing a known-hazardous panel often resolves these coverage issues. It is worth checking with your insurance carrier before or after any panel evaluation.
My home was built in the 1960s. How do I know if I have a Federal Pacific or Zinsco panel?
Open the door to your electrical panel — not the cover, just the outer door — and look for the manufacturer name. Federal Pacific panels say “Federal Pacific Electric,” “FPE,” or “Stab-Lok.” Zinsco panels say “Zinsco” or “Sylvania.” If you see either name, or if you are not sure what you are looking at, call us. We will identify the panel for you at no charge.
Can I replace my electrical panel myself in St. Louis?
No. In the City of St. Louis, homeowners cannot apply for service change permits. Panel replacements must be performed by a licensed electrical contractor. The same restriction applies throughout St. Louis County and most surrounding municipalities. Beyond the permit requirement, panel work involves live service conductors that remain energized even when the main breaker is turned off — this is not a gray area where DIY creates minor risk. It creates serious electrocution risk and leaves the work unprotected by inspection.
How much does a panel replacement or upgrade cost in St. Louis?
The average cost to upgrade an electrical panel in St. Louis is $1,522, with most jobs falling between $1,141 and $1,902. The variables that move the number are the amperage of the new service, whether the meter base and service entrance need work, the condition of the existing wiring at the panel, and permit and inspection fees specific to your municipality. Pure Home Electric provides written estimates before any work begins. There are no surprise charges at the end of the job.
