Electrical Panel Upgrades for Des Plaines Homeowners
Des Plaines is a city with a lot of character and a lot of older housing stock. Homes in neighborhoods along Lee Street, Oakton Avenue, and the areas near the Des Plaines Metra station were built decades ago, and many of them are still running on electrical panels that were never designed to handle a modern household’s power demands.
Jimco Electric specializes in electrical panel upgrades for homeowners throughout Des Plaines and the northwest suburbs, including Park Ridge, Elk Grove Village, and Mount Prospect. Our licensed electricians assess your current setup, recommend the right panel size, pull all required permits, and complete the work to code so your home is safe, inspected, and fully functional.
What’s Included in Our Electrical Panel Upgrade Service
When you hire Jimco Electric for a panel upgrade in Des Plaines, you are not just getting a new breaker box. You are getting a complete service that covers the assessment, the installation, the permits, and the city inspection so nothing gets skipped.
Full Load Assessment for Your Des Plaines Home
Before we touch the panel, we evaluate your home’s total electrical load including your HVAC system, appliances, lighting, and any planned additions like an EV charger or home addition. This step ensures we recommend the right panel size, whether that is 150-amp, 200-amp, or higher. Getting the sizing right the first time prevents the need for another upgrade down the road.
Panel Replacement with Licensed, Code-Compliant Work
We remove your old panel and install a new breaker box from trusted manufacturers, wiring each circuit cleanly and labeling every breaker clearly. Our electricians follow Illinois electrical code and the specific requirements set by the City of Des Plaines Building and Inspections Division. All work is done by licensed electricians, not subcontractors.
Permit Pulling and City Inspection Coordination
Jimco Electric handles the permit application with the City of Des Plaines and schedules the required electrical inspection on your behalf. Once the inspector signs off, you have documentation showing the work was completed to code, which matters when you sell your home or make an insurance claim. You do not have to make a single call to the city yourself.
Ready to get started? Contact Jimco Electric today for a free estimate on your Des Plaines panel upgrade.
Signs You Need an Electrical Panel Upgrade in Your Home
A lot of Des Plaines homeowners do not realize their panel is the problem until they start noticing recurring issues around the house. Here are the most common situations that signal it is time to call an electrician.
Breakers That Trip Repeatedly in Older Des Plaines Homes
If you are constantly resetting the same breaker, that circuit is being overloaded and the panel cannot handle the demand. This is especially common in Des Plaines homes from the 1960s and 1970s that were wired for far fewer appliances than a modern family uses. Repeatedly tripped breakers are a sign the panel is working too hard and a fire hazard is building.
Adding High-Draw Appliances or an EV Charger
Homeowners across Des Plaines are adding EV charger installation, central air conditioning, or large kitchen appliances that older panels simply cannot support. A Level 2 EV charger alone requires a dedicated 50-amp circuit, and a 60-amp or 100-amp panel usually cannot accommodate that without an upgrade. Trying to power these loads on an undersized panel leads to tripped breakers, damaged appliances, and potential wiring damage.
Planning a Home Addition or Renovation
If you are finishing a basement, adding a garage, or expanding your home in any way, your electrical panel needs to be evaluated before the project starts. Des Plaines building inspectors will flag an undersized or outdated panel during the permit review for any major renovation. Getting the panel upgraded at the start of a project is far easier and cheaper than doing it after walls are already finished.
Do not wait for a problem to get worse. If any of these situations sound familiar, call Jimco Electric and we will assess your panel at no charge.
Our Process for Electrical Panel Upgrades in Des Plaines
Schedule Your Consultation
Call Jimco Electric or submit a request online and we will set up a time to visit your Des Plaines home. We keep scheduling simple and try to get to you within one to two business days. When you call, have your panel’s current amperage handy if you know it, but do not worry if you do not since we will find everything we need during the visit.
Evaluate Your Electrical System and Needs
Our electrician walks through your home, inspects the existing panel, checks the condition of your wiring, and calculates your current and anticipated electrical load. Des Plaines homes from different eras have different wiring challenges, including aluminum branch circuit wiring in some 1970s builds, and we account for all of it before making a recommendation. You get a clear, written estimate before any work is scheduled.
Install the New Panel and Transfer All Circuits
On installation day, we shut off power at the meter, remove the old panel, and install the new breaker box with each circuit properly wired, grounded, and labeled. We also check for opportunities to add whole-home surge protection during the same visit, which many Des Plaines homeowners choose to do at this stage. Most jobs are finished and power is restored within the same day.
Complete the Final Inspection and Walkthrough
After installation, we coordinate the City of Des Plaines electrical inspection and make sure everything passes without issue. Once the inspector approves the work, we walk you through your new panel, explain what each breaker controls, and answer any questions you have. You receive copies of the permit and inspection records for your files.
