BlogPanels, permits and power
The questions we answer on the phone, written down with the Prescott specifics.
Aluminum Wiring in 1970s Prescott Homes: How to Tell and What to Do
Homes wired between 1965 and the mid-1970s may have aluminum branch circuit wiring, and in Prescott that lands on the late end of the 1940 to 1969 stock and the early end of the 46 percent of homes built from 1970 to 1999. The risk is at the connections, not in the wire itself, and a new panel does not fix it. The accepted repairs are a copper rewire, COPALUM crimps, or approved connectors at every termination in the house.
How Long Does an Electrical Permit Take in Yavapai County?
It depends on which of five offices your address falls under. Inside the City of Prescott, a panel replacement permit is issued the same day under the Fast Track program. Prescott Valley and Chino Valley issue permits promptly and then the wait is for inspection, up to five days in Prescott Valley and next business day in Chino Valley. Dewey-Humboldt takes one to two weeks for approval. Unincorporated county addresses follow the county's PE-4 process, which adds an APS release step between inspection and reconnect.
Can You Put an EV Charger on a 100 Amp Panel?
Often, yes. A 100 amp panel can take a Level 2 EV charger when a load calculation shows room for it, and a home with gas heat, a gas range, and a gas water heater usually has that room for a 40 amp circuit. An all-electric home usually does not, and the choices there are a load management device that throttles the charger, or a 200 amp service upgrade. The calculation, not the panel's amperage, decides it.
APS PSPS Shutoffs: What a Transfer Switch Does
A transfer switch is the piece of equipment that lets a generator power part or all of your home without feeding electricity back into the APS lines. APS ran Arizona's first Public Safety Power Shutoff on April 22, 2026, in the Flagstaff area, and it has designated specific subdivisions around Prescott and Prescott Valley for future shutoffs. If your address is one of them, the transfer switch, inlet, and panel work are what make a generator usable, and that panel side is what we install.
What a 200 Amp Panel Upgrade Involves in Prescott
A 200 amp panel upgrade in Prescott replaces the old load center, and usually the meter socket and service conductors feeding it, with a new 200 amp meter-main or panel, a full set of new breakers, and a labeled directory. The City of Prescott issues the permit the same day under its Fast Track program, APS drops and restores power around the work, and most single-family jobs take one working day with the inspection following.
Is My Zinsco or Federal Pacific Panel Insurable in Arizona?
Often not, or not for long. Many Arizona carriers now run underwriting inspections on the homes they insure, and a Federal Pacific Stab-Lok or Zinsco panel is one of the things they look for. The usual outcomes are a declined application, a renewal with an electrical exclusion, or a letter giving you 30 to 90 days to replace the panel. Replacing it with a modern panel closes the issue, and inside the City of Prescott the permit for that work can be issued the same day.
Photo estimate
Send the panel. Get a number.
Two photos are enough: the open panel and the meter outside. We reply with a written quote, and the permit is part of the price. No pressure, no invented urgency.
AZ ROC #365428, CR-11 Electrical