Most panel work in this area starts the same way: a homeowner adds a second oven, a hot tub or an EV, and there is no space left on the bus. The other half starts with the panel itself. Federal Pacific Stab-Lok and Zinsco panels were installed all over the north suburbs between the fifties and the early eighties, and both have a documented history of breakers that fail to trip under fault. If your panel carries either label, replacement is the fix — there is no repair for that failure mode.
A standard residential upgrade takes one day on site. We pull the permit with your municipality first — Village of Niles permits are filed at the Community Development office on Milwaukee Ave and usually turn around in a few business days — then schedule the ComEd disconnect. On the day, power is off for roughly six to eight hours while the old panel, meter socket and service entrance conductors come out and the new 200-amp service goes in, grounded to a driven rod and bonded to the water main. Every circuit is traced, labelled and landed on its own breaker, with AFCI and GFCI protection where the current code requires it.
You get the inspection scheduled, the inspector met, and the permit closed out. That last part matters more than people expect: an open permit shows up in a title search and stalls a closing. We do not leave one open. Final paperwork, the load calculation and photos of the finished work go to you when the job is signed off.
Common questions
How do I know if I have a Federal Pacific or Zinsco panel?+
Open the panel door and look at the label inside it. Federal Pacific panels say 'Stab-Lok' and usually have red breaker handle tips; Zinsco panels are often branded Zinsco, GTE-Sylvania or Sylvania-Zinsco with colored breaker faces. Send us a photo of the label and the breakers and we will tell you what you have at no charge.
How long will my power be out?+
Six to eight hours for a typical residential service change, scheduled to start in the morning so the power is back on the same evening. If you have medical equipment, a sump pump on an active basement or a home office you cannot lose, tell us when you book and we will arrange a temporary feed.
Do I really need a permit for this?+
Yes. A service change is inspected work in every municipality we serve. Unpermitted panel work is the single most common thing that kills a real estate closing in this area, and an insurer can deny a fire claim on it. The permit fee is a line on your estimate and we handle the filing and the inspection.
Other services
Most jobs touch more than one of these. Ask and we will tell you which.
