Services · Pittsburgh

Panels & Wiring in Pittsburgh, PA

Service and panel upgrades, knob-and-tube and aluminium rewiring, and the mast that feeds it all.

Almost every serious electrical conversation in this region ends up at the panel. Pittsburgh's housing stock is old enough that a great many homes are still being fed by a service sized for a 1950s household — one that had a fridge, a radio and some lamps, and nothing that heats, charges or computes. The house has changed enormously since. The wire coming into it usually has not.

The Electric Guys replace and upgrade services and panels across the city and out to roughly thirty-three miles, and we rewire the circuits behind them. That covers the 60-amp fuse boxes still live in some older city homes, the early 100-amp panels in the postwar townships, the recalled Federal Pacific and Zinsco panels scattered through anything built between the fifties and the eighties, and the original knob-and-tube and mid-sixties aluminium branch wiring that turns up behind plaster all over the place.

It also covers the part nobody thinks about until a storm takes it down. The mast, weatherhead and meter enclosure on the side of the house are the homeowner's responsibility, not the utility's, and a tree limb that pulls the mast away from the wall is an emergency that only an electrician can put right before the power comes back on.

The honest answer on this kind of work is rarely all-or-nothing. A house with a tired panel and three genuinely bad circuits does not automatically need a full rewire, and a house with sound wiring does not become safe because somebody fitted a bigger panel. We look at what is actually there, tell you which category you are in, and price the work that follows from it.

Estimates are free, Monday through Saturday. Pick the service below that matches what you have, or send a photo of the panel to (412) 501-7391 and we will tell you what we are looking at.

Our panels & wiring services

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my panel actually needs replacing?

The clear cases are a fuse box, a service under 100 amps, or a Federal Pacific Stab-Lok or Zinsco panel — those last two have a documented history of breakers failing to trip and insurers routinely ask about them. Beyond that it is about capacity and condition: rust, scorching, double-tapped breakers, or simply no room left for the circuits the house now needs.

What does a service upgrade involve on my end?

The power goes off for a good part of the day, because the utility has to disconnect and reconnect at the meter and a permit and inspection sit either side of the work. It is the main reason we quote and schedule these on Saturdays where we can — it is far less disruptive than losing a weekday.

Does knob-and-tube wiring always have to come out?

No, and anyone who tells you otherwise before looking has not looked. Undisturbed knob-and-tube in an open ceiling void is a very different proposition from knob-and-tube that has been spliced into, buried under blown-in insulation, or extended with modern cable. The first may be monitored; the second needs replacing. Insurers and mortgage lenders often force the issue regardless, which is worth knowing before you buy.

My service mast got pulled loose in a storm. Who fixes that?

You do, through an electrician. The utility owns the wire up to the point of attachment; the mast, weatherhead, meter enclosure and everything inside are the homeowner's. That is why a damaged mast can leave a house without power even after the street is restored — the utility will not reconnect to a mast that is not put right first.

Need panels & wiring? We're ready to help.

Free estimate, written quote, no obligation — and a straight answer about what your Pittsburgh home actually needs.

  • Serving Pittsburgh, Mt. Lebanon, Bethel Park, Monroeville
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