How Long Does an Electrical Panel Upgrade Take in Florida?

The short answer: the actual panel swap is usually a one-day job, and most homes are without power for part of that day, not all of it. The longer answer is that the calendar from signed quote to final inspection sticker often runs a few weeks, and almost none of that time is spent with a screwdriver in hand. Permits, utility scheduling, and the inspection window take up most of it. Here is how the whole thing unfolds, start to finish, the way our crew runs it across Palm Beach County and the Space Coast.

Phase one: the quote and the load calculation

Before anything gets scheduled, someone has to look at the panel. We can do a lot from photos, but for a real quote we want to see the meter, the service entrance, the condition of the enclosure, and what is landing in the panel today. In a 1980s Boynton Beach ranch house that usually takes under an hour. In an older Northwood home in West Palm Beach with a few generations of wiring added on, it takes longer because we are also tracing what each circuit actually feeds.

That visit also produces the load calculation. Florida code requires it when you change service size, and it is what tells us whether your home needs a 200-amp service or whether the existing feed is fine and you only need a new panel. If you are planning a Generac standby generator or a Level 2 EV charger, say so during this visit. Sizing for those now avoids opening the wall twice.

Most homeowners have a written quote within a business day of the visit. Our residential panel upgrade service quotes are free and carry no obligation.

Phase two: permit and utility lead time (the slow part)

Once you sign, two clocks start, and they run in parallel.

• The permit. Every panel replacement in Florida needs an electrical permit pulled by a licensed contractor. Turnaround depends entirely on the jurisdiction. Some municipalities issue over the counter or within a day or two through their online portals; others, especially during busy season after a storm, take longer. The Town of Jupiter, the City of Palm Bay, and Brevard County each run their own process, and we have learned which ones to pad.
• The utility disconnect. If we are replacing the meter can or upgrading service size, FPL has to pull the meter and later reconnect. That requires scheduling with the utility, and their lead time is the single most common reason a panel job slides a week. A panel-only swap that leaves the meter base alone can sometimes be done without a utility appointment, which is one reason we look hard at whether the meter base really needs replacing.

Between the two, plan on roughly one to three weeks from signature to install day in normal conditions. After a hurricane, when every contractor in the county is pulling permits, that stretches.

Phase three: install day

This is the part people picture, and it is the shortest. A typical single-panel replacement on a home with a healthy meter base and decent wire condition runs most of a working day. Power is off from roughly mid-morning until the new panel is landed and tested, which for most homes means several hours, not the full day.

What happens during that window:

• We shut down at the meter (or coordinate with the utility if they are pulling it).
• The old panel comes out, and every circuit gets labeled before it is disconnected. This is tedious and it is where rushed crews make mistakes.
• The new panel goes in, grounding and bonding are brought up to current code, and circuits are landed on new breakers, including AFCI and GFCI protection where code now requires it.
• We re-energize, test every circuit, and walk the house with you.

Jobs that run past a single day usually have a reason you can see in advance: corroded service entrance cable from salt air near the water in Delray Beach or Cocoa, aluminum branch circuits that need proper connectors, a meter base that crumbled when touched, or a panel being relocated rather than replaced in place. We flag these at the quote stage so there are no surprises on the day.

Hot weather is a factor too. Running an August install in a Wellington or Viera garage with no air conditioning is a reality for our crew, and we plan start times around it.

Phase four: inspection and close-out

After the install, the county or city inspector has to sign off. Inspection scheduling is another lead time, usually a few business days. The inspector checks the work, not your ability to live in the house, so you have power and can use everything in the meantime. If anything is flagged, we correct it and request re-inspection. Once it passes, the permit is closed and you have the paperwork that insurers and future buyers will ask for, which matters if an older FPE or Zinsco panel is what triggered this project.

So, start to finish: one visit, a quote within a business day, one to three weeks of waiting on paper and the utility, one install day with a partial-day outage, and a few more days for inspection. Expect the whole process to take three or four weeks in most cases, with the work itself taking one day.

What to ask before you sign

A few questions sort out a well-run panel job from a sloppy one:

• Will you pull the permit, and is the inspection included?
• Is the utility disconnect coordinated by you or by me?
• Does the quote include bringing grounding and bonding up to code?
• Are the breakers I need for AFCI and GFCI requirements included?
• What will the actual outage window be on install day?

If a contractor hedges on the permit question, keep looking. We pull every permit on every job, under our license (FL EC 13005020), for every residential customer we serve.

If you are planning an upgrade and want a real timeline for your specific house and jurisdiction, call us at (844) 432-2262 or request a free, no-obligation quote online. We respond within one business day.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is my power off during a panel upgrade?

For a standard in-place replacement, the outage usually covers several hours of the install day, not the full day. Larger jobs that also replace the meter base or relocate the panel can require a longer window, which we tell you in advance.

Can I stay in my house during the panel replacement?

Yes. Most customers stay home. The only real inconvenience is the hours without power, so people with refrigerators full of food or medical equipment sometimes plan around it, and a portable generator can bridge the gap if needed.

Why does the permit take longer than the actual work?

The install is skilled labor on a known schedule; permits and utility appointments depend on how busy the jurisdiction and FPL are. In Florida that varies by city and by season, and it is the main reason a one-day job can sit on the calendar for a few weeks.