Residential · Panels & service
Panels, service upgrades & surge protection
Old Federal Pacific and Zinsco panels replaced, service upgraded for today’s loads, and whole-home surge protection installed at the panel. Permits pulled, JEA coordinated, work inspected.
Old & unsafe panels replaced
Federal Pacific Stab-Lok, Zinsco, Pushmatic, and other obsolete panels replaced with modern, code-compliant load centers.
Service upgrades
Out of room or tripping breakers? We upgrade 100A and 150A service to 200A (400A for larger homes) for EV chargers, heat pumps, pools, and additions.
Whole-home surge protection
A surge protective device at the panel helps shield your A/C, appliances, and electronics from lightning and utility surges — in one of the most lightning-prone states in the country.
What a panel replacement or upgrade includes
- Permit application with the City of Jacksonville / county
- JEA disconnect and reconnect coordination
- New load center (typically Square D, Eaton, or Siemens)
- All new breakers — AFCI and GFCI where required by code
- Whole-home surge protective device at the panel
- Proper grounding electrode system, including ground rods if missing
- Tidy wire dressing and labeled circuits
- Inspection and final sign-off
What to expect
Honest work, start to finish
The panels we replace most often: Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) Stab-Lok, known to fail under overload; Zinsco / Sylvania-Zinsco, with aluminum bus corrosion and breaker fusing; Pushmatic / Bulldog, obsolete and hard to source; and Wadsworth or ITE-Imperial, discontinued and often paired with aluminum wiring — plus any panel with double-tapped breakers, corroded buses, or melted insulation.
If your panel is overloaded — frequent trips, no room for new circuits, plans for an EV charger, heat pump, or pool — we'll size and install a service upgrade. Most upgrades go to 200A; larger homes with multiple subpanels may need 400A. We coordinate the new mast and meter base with JEA so power is off for the shortest possible window.
Every panel replacement and service upgrade we do includes whole-home surge protection — current code requires it whenever a home’s service is replaced — and we can add it to an existing panel that’s in good shape. The device at the panel stops the big surges from lightning and utility switching before they reach your A/C’s control board, appliances, and electronics. Plug-in surge strips still help for sensitive gear; the panel device handles what they can’t.
Adding a workshop, ADU, or pool? We install correctly-fed sub-panels with proper grounding and neutral separation, and we only install brands we would put in our own homes — Square D QO and Homeline, Eaton CH, and Siemens.
We serve:
Arlington · Baymeadows · Downtown Jacksonville · Jacksonville Beach · Mandarin · Riverside · San Marco · Southside · Nocatee · Palm Valley · Ponte Vedra · St. Augustine · St. Johns · World Golf Village · Fleming Island · Middleburg · Orange Park · Fernandina Beach
Good to know
Panels & Breakers questions
Why are Federal Pacific Stab-Lok panels dangerous?
Independent testing has shown that FPE Stab-Lok breakers fail to trip under overload at a rate far above other panels. The result is heat, melted insulation, and fire risk. Replacing the panel is the only permanent fix — breaker-only replacement does not solve the underlying issue.
What about Zinsco panels?
Zinsco (and Sylvania-branded Zinsco) panels are known for aluminum bus bars that corrode and arc. Breakers can fuse to the bus and fail to trip. We replace the entire panel, not just the breakers.
Do I need a 200A service?
Most older Jacksonville homes have 100A or 150A service. Modern homes with central air, an EV charger, and electric water heating usually need 200A. We size the service to your actual loads.
Do I need whole-home surge protection?
If your panel or service is being replaced, current code requires it, so it’s included. On an existing panel it’s one of the most cost-effective upgrades in Florida: lightning and utility switching surges are common here, and today’s A/C systems, appliances, and electronics all run on circuit boards that surges damage.
Can you add surge protection to my existing panel?
Yes, as long as the panel is in good condition and has space for the device. If it’s a Federal Pacific or Zinsco panel, we’ll recommend replacing the panel first — surge protection doesn’t fix a panel whose breakers may not trip.
How long does the work take?
A straightforward panel swap is one day with power off for 4–8 hours. Service upgrades (new mast, meter base, JEA cutover) are usually scheduled across two days. Adding surge protection to an existing panel is usually a short visit.
Copper & Co. Services
Get a quote for your panel, service upgrade, or surge protection.
Most quotes are turned around in 48 hours. We bring photos and a written scope so you can compare apples to apples.
Mon–Fri, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM