Your electrical panel is the central hub of your home’s entire electrical system. Every circuit in your house, every outlet, every light, every appliance, routes power through the main service panel. When that panel is undersized, outdated, or showing signs of failure, the consequences ripple through the entire home.
Greg Beverly Services, Inc. has been upgrading residential and commercial electrical panels across the Grand Strand for over 40 years. We understand the electrical demands that modern homes place on their systems, and we know how to bring aging infrastructure up to a standard that is safe, code-compliant, and ready for whatever comes next.
If your home is running on a 100-amp service panel, has a fuse box, or is experiencing recurring breaker trips, flickering lights, or capacity limitations, it is time for an honest assessment. Our licensed electricians will evaluate your current system, explain your options clearly, and complete any upgrade work to full South Carolina code standards with all required permits and inspections.
When Do You Need an Electrical Panel Upgrade?
Electrical panels are built to last, but they are not built to last forever, and they are certainly not built to handle electrical loads that were never anticipated when they were originally installed. There are several clear signs that a panel upgrade deserves your attention.
You Have a 100-Amp (or Smaller) Service Panel
Most homes built before 1990 were wired with 100-amp service. At the time, that was adequate. A typical 1980s household relied on a furnace, a water heater, a refrigerator, a dishwasher, and maybe a window air conditioner or two. Modern homes run central HVAC systems, multiple large appliances, home offices, smart home systems, whole-house entertainment setups, and increasingly, electric vehicles. The load profile has changed completely.
If you are adding an EV charger, a standby generator, a hot tub, or even just a significant renovation, a 200-amp service upgrade is almost always necessary to support the new load safely. Even without those additions, a 100-amp panel in a larger home is often already running near its limits.
Your Breakers Trip Frequently
An occasional breaker trip is a normal function of the protection system working as intended. But if breakers in your home are tripping regularly, especially on circuits that have not changed, it is a signal that the panel is struggling to manage the electrical load. Before assuming the problem is the appliance or the circuit, the panel itself needs to be evaluated.
You Have a Fuse Box
Fuse boxes are not inherently dangerous, but they are a sign of an electrical system that has not been updated in decades. Fuses must be replaced when they blow, and they do not offer the same resettable protection that modern circuit breakers provide. More importantly, a home still on fuses likely has other outdated electrical infrastructure that warrants a comprehensive assessment. We can evaluate the full system and provide a clear picture of what upgrading to a modern breaker panel involves.
You Are Planning a Major Addition or Renovation
Kitchens, primary bedroom suites, bonus rooms, detached garages, pool houses, and workshops all add meaningful electrical load to a home. Before a major renovation, it is worth having your panel capacity assessed so that the new construction can be wired correctly from the start. Trying to retrofit adequate capacity after a renovation is always more expensive and disruptive than planning for it upfront.
You Want to Add an EV Charger or Whole-House Generator
Both of these are high-demand electrical additions. A Level 2 EV charger typically requires a dedicated 50-amp circuit. A whole-house standby generator requires its own transfer switch and sufficient panel capacity to manage the transition between grid power and generator power. If your existing panel does not have the capacity or available breaker slots, the panel upgrade and the new installation need to happen together. We coordinate both projects so the work is done right in a single process.
Your Panel Is from a Recalled or Known Problematic Manufacturer
Certain panel brands and models produced during the 1970s and 1980s have documented performance and safety issues. If you own an older home and are unsure of your panel’s history, a licensed electrician should evaluate it. We assess older panels during service calls and provide honest guidance on whether replacement is warranted.
Your Lights Flicker or Dim When Appliances Run
This is often a sign of an overloaded panel or specific circuits that cannot handle their load without interference from other circuits. While it can occasionally be a wiring issue rather than a panel issue, a panel evaluation is the right starting point.
What a Panel Upgrade Involves
A residential electrical panel upgrade is a coordinated process that involves more than swapping one box for another. Understanding the full scope helps homeowners plan appropriately.
Initial Assessment and Sizing
Before any work begins, we assess your home’s current and anticipated electrical load to determine the correct panel size and configuration. Most residential upgrades target 200-amp service, which provides comfortable headroom for modern households and most additions. Some larger homes or properties with multiple high-demand systems benefit from larger service or the addition of a subpanel.
Utility Coordination
A service upgrade requires coordination with your local electric utility, which controls the meter and service entrance. We handle that coordination on your behalf, ensuring the utility is notified and any required utility-side work is sequenced correctly with our installation.
Permitting and Inspection
All panel upgrade work requires a permit from the appropriate authority having jurisdiction, which in most of our service area means Horry County or the relevant municipality. We pull the permit, complete the work, and arrange the required inspection. You will receive documentation that the work is properly closed out. Skipping permits and inspections is not something we do.
Panel Replacement
The actual panel replacement involves disconnecting power to the home, removing the old panel, installing the new service panel and any associated equipment (meter base updates, grounding, surge protection), and reconnecting all circuits. Depending on the scope, some circuit wiring may need to be updated as well to meet current code requirements.
Surge Protection
Whole-home surge protection is one of the most cost-effective additions to a panel upgrade and one we strongly recommend for Grand Strand properties. The coastal South Carolina environment is active with lightning, and a single significant surge event can destroy thousands of dollars of appliances and electronics in seconds. Installing whole-home surge protection at the time of the panel upgrade adds minimal cost compared to doing it as a separate project.
Final Testing and Walkthrough
When the work is complete, we test every circuit in the home to confirm proper function, confirm the new panel is labeled correctly, and walk you through the new system so you understand what you have and how it works.
Electrical Panel Upgrades Throughout the Grand Strand
We perform panel upgrade services throughout our service area, including:
- Murrells Inlet (home office)
- Myrtle Beach
- Carolina Forest
- Socastee
- Garden City
- Surfside Beach
- Pawleys Island
- Georgetown County
- Brunswick County, NC
If you are anywhere on the Grand Strand, contact us to discuss your panel upgrade project.
Related Services
A panel upgrade often makes sense alongside other electrical improvements. We also provide:
- Generator Installation and Service – A standby generator requires a properly sized panel and a correctly installed transfer switch. We coordinate both.
- EV Charger Installation – Most Level 2 EV charger installations require a dedicated circuit that panels at 100 amps often cannot support without an upgrade.
- Residential Electrical Services – Full range of residential electrical work, from outlets and lighting to whole-home rewiring.
- Surge Protection Installation – Whole-home surge protection at the panel level, recommended during every panel upgrade for coastal SC properties.
Outdoor Lighting Installation – Landscape, security, deck, and accent lighting for residential properties.
Why Choose Greg Beverly Services for Your Panel Upgrade
40+ Years of Electrical Experience on the Grand Strand
Since 1985, Greg Beverly Services has been the trusted electrical contractor for homeowners and businesses throughout the Myrtle Beach area and surrounding communities. Panel upgrades are one of the most common services we provide, and we have handled every variation of this project across the region’s diverse housing stock.
Licensed and Insured
All work is performed by licensed electricians under full liability insurance coverage. There are no subcontractors of unknown licensing status working on your home. Every technician on our crew meets South Carolina’s licensing requirements, and every job is covered.
Permits, Inspections, and Code Compliance, Always
We do not cut corners on permitting. Every panel upgrade we perform is properly permitted, inspected, and documented. The permit record protects you when you sell your home and confirms to any future buyer or inspector that the work was done to standard.
Honest Assessment and Transparent Pricing
We provide clear, detailed estimates before any work begins. If we assess your panel and determine that it does not need replacement, we will tell you that instead of recommending unnecessary work. Our goal is to serve as a trusted advisor on your electrical system, not to maximize billable work.
Coastal South Carolina Expertise
Grand Strand homes have specific electrical challenges: high humidity, salt air, frequent lightning and surge events, and storm-related power disruptions. We select materials and installation methods suited to this environment and include surge protection recommendations with every panel upgrade because we know what coastal weather can do to unprotected systems.
One-Year Warranty on Labor and Materials
Every panel upgrade we perform is backed by a one-year warranty on labor, service, and material supply. If anything is not right after the job is complete, we address it promptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a panel upgrade cost in South Carolina?
Panel upgrade costs vary depending on the current service size, the new service size, the panel brand and configuration, the scope of any associated wiring work, and utility coordination requirements. Contact us for a free, detailed estimate based on your specific home and situation.
How long does a panel upgrade take?
Most residential panel upgrades are completed in a single day. Larger projects involving subpanel installation, significant wiring updates, or utility-side work may take longer. We will give you a clear timeline when we provide your estimate.
Will my power be off during the upgrade?
Yes. Power to your home will need to be shut off for the duration of the panel replacement. We complete this work as efficiently as possible to minimize the disruption. For most standard upgrades, the power is off for a portion of a single day.
Do I need to be home during the panel upgrade?
It is helpful but not always required. We will discuss this with you when scheduling. At minimum, we ask that someone be available at the start and end of the job.
Can I stay in my home during the panel upgrade?
Yes. Because the power will be off for part of the day, you will be without electricity during that window, but there is no reason you need to leave your home.
Will a panel upgrade increase my home's value?
Upgraded electrical infrastructure is a positive factor in home sales, particularly when selling to buyers planning to add an EV charger or other modern systems. It also removes a potential inspection flag that can complicate sales transactions involving older panels.
Does a panel upgrade require a permit in Horry County?
Yes. Panel upgrades require permits under South Carolina and Horry County electrical code. We manage the permitting process on your behalf and ensure all inspections are completed and documented.
Can you add surge protection during the panel upgrade?
Yes. We recommend whole-home surge protection to every panel upgrade customer. Installing it during the upgrade is the most efficient and cost-effective approach. We will discuss this option during the estimate process.
I want to add an EV charger and my current panel may not support it. Can you handle both?
Yes. This is one of the most common scenarios we see. We assess your panel capacity, determine if an upgrade is needed to support the new EV charger circuit, and coordinate both the panel upgrade and charger installation together.
What panel brands do you install?
We install quality brands that meet current UL and South Carolina electrical code standards. We will recommend the appropriate product for your home’s needs during the estimate process.
Schedule a Panel Upgrade Assessment
If your home is showing any of the signs described above, or if you are planning a project that requires additional electrical capacity, the first step is a straightforward assessment. Our licensed electricians will evaluate your current panel, review your planned additions, and provide a clear, honest recommendation.