Nationwide · Licensed electricians in 47 states + DC
Call now to check electrician availability in your area
Electrical Panel Upgrade · Ohio
A panel upgrade replaces your breaker panel, and often the service entrance, so the home can safely carry more load: an EV charger, heat pump, induction range or addition. It always needs a permit, and usually needs the utility to disconnect and reconnect power.
Older city neighborhoods in Cleveland, Columbus and Dayton carry aging wiring, and storms bring outages.
Across the Midwest, homes deal with cold winters, severe thunderstorms and tornado season. Permit offices, utilities and housing stock differ by city, which affects how electrical panel upgrade is planned and scheduled. These local guides cover the Ohio cities where we have written specific notes.
Many Cleveland homes still have fuse boxes or 60 amp services, and adding central air, a modern kitchen or an EV charger usually requires an upgrade. In doubles, each unit typically has its own service and meter, so both may need attention.
Utility: Cleveland Public Power (city-owned) or The Illuminating Company (CEI), depending on address
Many Akron homes from the rubber boom still have 60 amp services or fuse boxes, which cannot support central air, a modern kitchen or an EV charger. Ohio Edison handles the meter and service drop, so a service upgrade includes a scheduled disconnect and reconnect.
Utility: Ohio Edison (FirstEnergy)
1. Load calculation
The electrician sizes the service from your existing and planned loads.
2. Permit and utility coordination
The permit is pulled and the utility schedules disconnect and reconnect.
3. Install the panel and service parts
New panel, breakers, grounding and bonding, and service conductors or meter base if needed.
4. Inspection
The local inspector checks the work before or after power is restored, depending on the jurisdiction.
Electricians set their own prices; local permit fees and utility requirements add to these factors.
Permits come from the city or county where the home is. For example: Cleveland: Electrical permits in Cleveland come from the city's Department of Building and Housing; suburbs such as Lakewood and Cleveland Heights run their own building departments. Akron: Akron projects are filed with both the City of Akron and the Summit County Department of Building Standards, which performs the electrical inspections.
Cleveland: Cleveland Public Power (city-owned) or The Illuminating Company (CEI), depending on address. Akron: Ohio Edison (FirstEnergy).
If you have 100 amps or less and are adding an EV charger, heat pump or electric range, or your panel is a Federal Pacific, Zinsco or fuse box, ask an electrician for a load calculation.
Usually most of one working day, depending on the scope and how quickly the utility reconnects.
Yes, in essentially every US jurisdiction. The electrician pulls it and schedules the inspection.
Call now, or send a request and a licensed electrician who serves your ZIP code will contact you.
