Electrical panels · Master electricians
Electrical panel upgrade
A fuse panel, a 60 or 100-amp panel too small for an EV charger or a heat pump, a Federal Pioneer your insurer is asking about: STM-Électrique’s master electricians replace your panel, most often in a day or less, handle all the steps with Hydro-Québec and label every circuit before they leave.
Free written quote
4.9469 Google reviews- Master electricians, RBQ licence 5815-0137-01
- Hydro-Québec steps included
- Every circuit labelled
In short
STM-Électrique and electrical panels
STM-Électrique is a firm of master electricians based in Mirabel, holding RBQ licence 5815-0137-01. It replaces electrical panels in homes and small buildings: fuse panels, 60 or 100-amp panels that have become too small, and Federal Pioneer panels with Stab-Lok breakers. The job includes the load calculation, all the steps with Hydro-Québec, the municipal permit, the declaration of work to Hydro-Québec or the Régie du bâtiment as applicable, and labelling every circuit. Allow about two weeks before the work, the time it takes to coordinate with Hydro-Québec. The quote is written and free: 438 542-7304 or the form at the bottom of the page.
An electrical panel project? Three contact details and a few questions are all it takes.
Get a quoteSigns it is time to replace your panel
A panel is not replaced because it is old, but because it no longer does its job or it stands in the way of a project. Here are the situations that bring us to your door most often.
Still on fuses
An installation from another era
A screw-in fuse box has had its day: limited capacity, fuses replaced with bigger ones than they should be, and insurers asking more and more questions. We replace it with a breaker panel sized for today’s home.
A Federal Pioneer panel
Red handles, Stab-Lok label
It is not illegal, and nothing requires you to replace it. The doubt is about the Stab-Lok breakers, suspected of not always tripping on overload, and the pressure comes mostly from insurers and pre-purchase inspections. Replacing only the breakers does not settle the question for insurers.
Too small for your projects
EV charger, heat pump, spa
A 60 or 100-amp panel that was enough twenty years ago can run out of room or capacity the day you add a large load. The load calculation tells whether the panel has to be replaced, or whether load management is enough.
Signs that do not lie
Heat, smells, breakers tripping
A breaker that trips often, a panel that is hot to the touch, a burning smell or scorch marks: this is no longer a project, it is a safety issue. Switch off what you can and call right away.
What amperage do you have?
60, 100 or 200 amps: what the difference means
60 amps
It was the norm before the 1960s, for a house without electric heating. Today it is too tight for almost every home, and it is often replaced together with the service entrance.
100 amps
It is still enough in some homes, especially without electric heating. It reaches its limit as soon as you add an EV charger, a heat pump or a spa: the load calculation decides.
200 amps
The standard in recent construction, without being mandatory: the Code sets a minimum of 100 amps for most homes, not 200, and the load calculation decides. The upgrade to 200 amps is often done with the service entrance, in the same job and with a single power cut.
Hydro-Québec, permits, paperwork
We handle all the steps
Replacing a panel requires cutting the power upstream, which often goes through Hydro-Québec. At STM-Électrique, we submit the request and follow up on it: you do not have to make a single call. Allow about two weeks between the accepted quote and the day of the work.
On the day, the power is off from half a day to a full day for the vast majority of replacements. We give you the exact window ahead of time, not that morning. The step-by-step process and what can make it longer are explained in our guide electrical panel upgrade: cost and how the day goes.
- The load calculation, first of all. It sets the capacity to install, not habit or a catalogue price.
- Hydro-Québec. Disconnection and reconnection requested and followed up by us.
- The municipal permit. Requested by us if your city requires one, and the work is declared to Hydro-Québec or the Régie du bâtiment, as applicable.
- Circuit labelling. Every breaker is labelled according to what it really powers, not according to the old label.
Pricing and rebates
What it costs, and what is subsidized
At STM-Électrique, a 200-amp panel replacement comes to about $1,850 for a single-family home, and an upgrade from 100 to 200 amps with a new service entrance, about $2,900. These are ballpark figures: the distance to the meter, the condition of the service entrance, the number of circuits and access to the panel change the bill, and the exact price is written in the quote.
- Single-family home: almost never a rebate. Hydro-Québec’s LogisVert program covers heat pumps, insulation, some appliances and solar, not the panel. Écorecharge pays part of the price of an EV charger, not the panel that feeds it. The only exception: RénoRégion, for low-income owner-occupants in a municipality of fewer than 15,000 residents, when the house has a major defect, electrical included.
- Building with 3 or more units: a real program exists. The infrastructure component of Écorecharge pays half of the eligible expenses, up to $120,000 per building, when the upgrade prepares at least half of the residents’ parking spaces for charging, and oversizing the panel is eligible.
The details, program by program, are in our guide panel replacement rebates: the real answer (in French). Official source: Hydro-Québec, LogisVert participation guide.
How it works
Three steps, and at most one day without power in most cases
- 1
Visit and load calculation
We look at the panel, the service entrance, the mast and the meter, do the load calculation and give you a written, itemized quote: the panel, the service entrance if it needs redoing, and anything that needs correcting.
- 2
Hydro-Québec and permit
We submit the request to Hydro-Québec and apply for the permit if your city requires one. Allow about two weeks. We confirm the date and the power-off window as soon as they are set.
- 3
The day of the work
Removing the old panel, installing the new one, connecting and labelling every circuit, then restoring power and checking your appliances with you. You receive the details of the work, the document your insurer will ask for.
Where we work
Electrical panel upgrades, city by city
Our offices are in Mirabel. Some cities have their own panel upgrade page (in French), with the specifics of their homes and their permits.
We also replace panels everywhere STM-Électrique already works: Mirabel, Blainville, Saint-Jérôme, Saint-Eustache, the northern suburbs, Montréal and the South Shore. Each city has its page, reachable from our services.
Our guides
Guides to prepare your project before our visit
Panel standards in Québec
Location, clearances, height and labelling: what the Code requires around your panel.
The load calculation
How we determine the capacity your home needs, before talking about price.
200-amp service entrance
Mast, bracket, meter base and cable: what gets replaced with the panel when you increase capacity.
Also: outdoor electrical panel and distribution panel. Related services: service entrance (in French), EV charger, generator and all our services.
Frequently asked questions
Electrical panel upgrades: your questions
How much does an electrical panel replacement cost?
At STM-Électrique, a 200-amp panel replacement comes to about $1,850 for a single-family home, and an upgrade from 100 to 200 amps with a new service entrance, about $2,900. These are ballpark figures: the exact price depends on the distance to the meter, the condition of the service entrance, the number of circuits and access to the panel, and it is written in the quote after the visit.
How long will I be without power?
From half a day to a full day for the vast majority of residential replacements. We give you the exact window before the work. Redoing the service entrance at the same time, or a lot of circuits to trace, can make it longer.
Who deals with Hydro-Québec?
We do. At STM-Électrique, we submit the disconnection and reconnection request to Hydro-Québec and follow up on it. You do not have to make a single call. Allow about two weeks between the accepted quote and the day of the work.
Is there a rebate for replacing my panel?
For a single-family home, almost never: neither LogisVert nor Écorecharge pays for a panel replacement. The only exception is RénoRégion, for low-income owner-occupants in a municipality of fewer than 15,000 residents, when the house has a major defect, electrical included. For a building with 3 or more units, the infrastructure component of Écorecharge pays half of the eligible expenses, up to $120,000 per building, when the work prepares at least half of the residents’ parking spaces for charging.
Do I need to replace the service entrance at the same time?
Not always. On an older house, the panel and the service entrance often reach the end of their life together, and doing everything at once costs less than two separate jobs: one disconnection, one permit. On a newer house, the panel alone is often enough. The visit decides.
Is my Federal Pioneer panel dangerous?
It is not illegal, and no law requires you to replace it. The doubt is about the Stab-Lok breakers, suspected of not always tripping on overload. In practice, it is mostly insurers and pre-purchase inspections that push for replacement. Replacing only the breakers does not settle the question for insurers: they ask for the whole panel to be replaced.
Can I replace my panel myself?
No. Electrical work on a service connection requires an electrical contractor licensed by the Régie du bâtiment du Québec. And even with the main breaker off, the incoming cables and the breaker’s line terminals are still live.
A breaker that is getting hot, a burning smell or a partial outage right now? See our 24/7 emergency service page or call us directly at 438 542-7304.
Electrical panel
A panel to replace?
A visit, a load calculation, Hydro-Québec and the permit taken care of, and a written price before the work.
Get a quote: electrical panel
Your contact details and three or four quick questions. Not sure of an answer? Leave “Not sure” and we will check on site.