Is Your Electrical Panel Putting Your Home Insurance at Risk?
Insurers across Los Angeles are requiring electrical panel upgrades to meet safety codes and reduce fire risk. If your home sits in a high-risk fire zone or your panel is outdated, your coverage could be next.
Licensed C-10 Contractor · License #1147130 · Serving the Los Angeles & San Fernando Valley · (818) 245-5201
Schedule your free fire zone panel assessment
Complete the form below and we will call you back, usually the same day. Or call us anytime, 24/7, at (818) 245-5201.
Licensed C-10 Contractor · License #1147130 · Fully Bonded & Insured
Request Your Free Fire Zone Assessment
You got a letter from your insurance company. Now what?
If you are a homeowner in the hills of Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Tarzana, Woodland Hills, Beverly Hills, Calabasas, Malibu, Brentwood, or anywhere along Mulholland, there is a good chance your insurance company has already sent you a letter, or will send one soon.
Insurance carriers across California are tightening their requirements for homes in fire hazard zones. Properties with outdated electrical panels are being non-renewed, hit with massive premium increases, or denied coverage entirely. For many homeowners, the first time they hear about this is when the letter shows up.
The good news: this is fixable. A code-compliant 200A electrical panel upgrade is one of the fastest and most effective ways to satisfy your carrier's requirements and keep your coverage in place.
Why is your insurance company asking about your electrical panel?
It comes down to two things: safety codes and fire risk. An outdated electrical panel is one of the leading causes of residential electrical fires. When your home sits in a fire hazard severity zone, insurers are looking at every risk factor they can measure, and the electrical panel is one of the first things they check.
If your panel cannot properly trip during an overload, current keeps flowing through a faulted circuit, generates heat, and creates a fire risk. The panel might look fine from the outside. Internally, it can be a serious hazard. Insurers treat these panels as unacceptable risks regardless of whether you have ever had a problem.
These panels are on every insurer's watch list
Federal Pacific (FPE)
Stab-Lok breakers have a documented failure rate. They can fail to trip during overcurrent events, creating a direct fire hazard. These panels were the subject of major safety investigations.
Zinsco / Sylvania
Breakers can fuse to the bus bar over time, preventing them from tripping. The panel may appear to be functioning normally while this condition exists. Insurers flag these regardless of visible condition.
Challenger
Known for bus bar connection issues and breaker failures. Many Challenger panels have been recalled or flagged by insurance underwriters.
Pushmatic
Uses a push-button design instead of toggle breakers. Parts are no longer manufactured, making maintenance and replacement impossible.
Fuse Boxes
Pre-breaker technology. Fuses can be oversized or bypassed, and the systems lack the overcurrent protection required by modern code. Most insurers will not write a policy on a home with an active fuse box.
Have one of these panels? Do not wait for the letter. Call (818) 245-5201 or request a free panel assessment.
What a fire zone panel upgrade looks like
When we upgrade your panel, we handle everything from start to finish. No runaround, no surprises, no wondering what happens next.
- 1
Inspection and Assessment
We inspect your existing panel, identify the issue, and determine what is needed to bring your system into compliance.
- 2
Scope and Estimate
You get a clear, written estimate with the full scope of work before anything starts. No hidden fees.
- 3
Permit and Utility Coordination
We pull the permit and coordinate with SCE or LADWP for the meter and service work. You do not have to make those calls.
- 4
Panel Upgrade
Removal of the old panel and installation of a new code-compliant 200A main breaker panel with AFCI protection on required circuits, updated grounding and bonding, and all work per current NEC standards.
- 5
Inspection and Sign-Off
We schedule the city inspection and make sure everything passes. We do not leave until it is done right.
- 6
Documentation Package
You receive a complete package including permit records, inspection results, and photos that you can submit directly to your insurance carrier.
Recently completed: Encino fire zone panel upgrade
A homeowner in Encino received a non-renewal notice from their insurance carrier. The home sits in a designated fire hazard severity zone, and the existing electrical panel did not meet current code standards.
We performed a full 200A panel upgrade, bringing the home into compliance with current NEC and local code requirements. The scope included removal of the old panel, installation of a new code-compliant 200A main breaker panel, AFCI protection, updated grounding and bonding, full permit and inspection, and LADWP coordination.
With the upgrade complete and inspection signed off, the homeowner submitted the documentation package to their carrier and retained their insurance coverage.
Serving homeowners in fire hazard zones across the Valley
We work in the hillside and brush-adjacent neighborhoods where fire zone designations and older housing stock overlap. If you are in any of these areas and your home was built before 1980, your panel may be on an insurer's watch list.
Not sure if your home is in a fire hazard zone? We can check for you. Call (818) 245-5201 or use the form at the top of this page.
Common questions from homeowners in fire zones
Ready to keep your coverage?
Call (818) 245-5201, answered 24/7, or request your free panel assessment.
Licensed C-10 Contractor · License #1147130 · Fully Bonded & Insured
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24/7 Electrical and Smart Home Automation Services in Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley
Service Areas & ZIP Codes We Cover
Electrical service, panel upgrades and smart home installation across the San Fernando Valley, Calabasas, Malibu and the Westside. See all service areas.
- Sherman Oaks91401, 91403, 91411, 91423
- Studio City91602, 91604
- North Hollywood91601, 91602, 91605, 91606, 91607
- Van Nuys91401, 91405, 91406, 91411
- Encino91316, 91436
- Tarzana91356
- Woodland Hills91364, 91367
- Calabasas91301, 91302
- Topanga90290
- Malibu90265
- Pacific Palisades90272
- Brentwood90049
- Beverly Hills90210, 90211, 90212
- West Hollywood90046, 90048, 90069
- Playa Vista90094
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Locations
Sherman Oaks • Studio City • Beverly Hills • Brentwood • Calabasas • Encino • Malibu • North Hollywood • Pacific Palisades • Playa Vista • Tarzana • Topanga • Van Nuys • West Hollywood • Woodland Hills • All Service Areas
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