Can My Panel Handle It? Check Before You Upgrade
Free 60-second homeowner check — no electrician visit needed yet. Know before you pay $3,000–$5,000 for an upgrade you may not need.
Skip the $3,000+ panel upgrade guesswork. Get an electrician-designed, NEC-inspired estimate before you call for quotes.
Get clarity before you pay for quotes, upgrades, or a service call.
No electrical knowledge required. Takes about 1 minute.
$9.99
vs $150–$300 service call
~60 sec
average completion time
NEC 220
load method it's based on
Any high-load appliance you're thinking about adding. We'll estimate whether your panel has the headroom for it before you call a contractor.
Panel size, square footage, and what upgrades you're planning.
Get a fast result showing whether your home likely has enough electrical capacity or may need another solution.
Unlock a detailed load breakdown to bring to your next quote — typically saves a $150–$300 service call.
Upload 4 simple photos. We'll send back an electrician-ready summary you can hand to any contractor — so you're not guessing what to ask.
Close-up showing the amp rating stamped on the main breaker.
The manufacturer sticker inside the door listing make, model, and bus rating.
A straight-on shot showing every breaker in the panel.
Where you want the new EV charger, hot tub, heat pump, etc. to live.
You receive an electrician-ready summary.
Plain-English findings plus the technical notes a contractor will actually want to see.
Modern homes draw far more power than panels installed 20–40 years ago were designed for. Here's what's competing for capacity inside your panel.
Common warning signs of an overloaded panel include breakers that trip frequently, lights that flicker or dim when large appliances start, warm or discolored breaker switches, and a faint buzzing sound from the panel. If you notice any of these, it's a sign your panel is being pushed close to its capacity.
EV chargers, central air conditioning and heat pumps, electric water heaters, electric ranges and ovens, and clothes dryers are typically the largest loads. A single Level 2 EV charger alone can pull as much power as an entire 1990s house at peak.
Sometimes, but not always. It depends on your existing loads, not on a single rule of thumb — central AC, electric dryer, water heater, and range all compete for that same headroom. Our free check estimates this for you using NEC 220.82.
At best, your main breaker will trip and shut off power to the whole house. At worst, sustained overloads cause heat buildup at connections, which can damage breakers, melt insulation, and in rare cases start an electrical fire. That's why a load calculation matters before adding big appliances.
Many homeowners are quoted $3,000–$5,000 for a panel upgrade they may not actually need. A proper NEC load calculation often shows the existing panel has enough headroom — or that a smaller fix like a load management device will work. Always get the math before paying for a full upgrade.
Most homeowners don't find out their panel is fine — or isn't — until after they've spent money. This flips that order.
Many homeowners are quoted full panel replacements when their existing service has plenty of headroom. A 60-second check tells you whether that quote is justified.
Walk into the conversation knowing your panel size, your estimated load, and what the actual constraint is — not whatever the contractor leads with.
Use our result and optional electrician photo review as a sanity check on any quote you've already received.
Find out exactly what your panel can handle — by appliance, brand, or your local area.
Level 2 home charging — 100A, 150A, or 200A panel?
Whole-house heating + cooling load impact, with backup heat.
240V spa — 40A or 60A circuit, panel space requirements.
Switching from gas to a 40A–50A electric range.
Tesla Powerwall, Enphase, FranklinWH backfeed planning.
Whole-house electric tankless — typically 100A+ of demand.
Local panel check for Nassau & Suffolk County homeowners.
No guesswork and no sales pressure — just the same math an electrician runs.
The tool is operated by Berman Electric, a licensed electrical contractor serving Long Island, NY.
The estimate uses the NEC 220.82 optional load calculation — the same framework electricians use for residential service sizing.
You get a plain-language summary of the assumptions and numbers, so your electrician can check the work on-site.
In-depth guides written and reviewed by a licensed NY electrician.
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If your home was built between the 1950s and 1980s, there's a real chance your panel is a known safety risk. Here's how to identify Federal Pacific and Zinsco panels, how insurers treat them, and what to do next.
Knowing your home's amp service is the first step in any electrical upgrade decision. Here are three reliable ways to figure it out — and what each rating means for what you can actually add to your home.
Heat pumps are one of the largest electrical loads you can add to a home — and one of the most misunderstood. Here's exactly what they need from your panel and how to know if yours is ready.
Most homeowners have no idea what their electrical panel label says — and that's exactly why they overpay for upgrades. Here's how to decode every number on the inside of your panel door in 5 minutes.
Adding a subpanel is sometimes the right answer — and sometimes a $1,500 way to spend money that doesn't actually fix your problem. Here's how to know which solution your home really needs.
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