--- title: "Panel Upgrades in Middle TN | Free Diagnostic Visit | Root House" url: https://roothousemechanicals.com/electrical/panel-upgrades updated: 2026-09-29 business: "Root House Mechanicals" phone: "(615) 426-9344" text: "(615) 426-9344" email: info@roothousemechanicals.com hours: "Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m." --- # Electrical Panel and Meter Base Upgrades in Middle Tennessee > Root House Mechanicals handles electrical panel replacement, service upgrades and meter base replacement for homes across Middle Tennessee. The diagnostic visit is free, and you'll get a firm price before any work starts. Call or text (615) 426-9344, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. - Call (615) 426-9344 (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) - Text (615) 426-9344 - Email: info@roothousemechanicals.com The electrical panel (the breaker box) takes power from the utility and sends it to every circuit in the house. The meter base is the socket on the outside wall that the utility's meter plugs into. When either one is worn out, too small for the house, or a model with a history of problems, it's time to replace it. Electrical work is done by licensed and insured techs. One call covers the whole house. We'll look at what you have, tell you whether it needs replacing, and give you a firm price before any work starts. ## Signs you need panel upgrades help - The home has 100-amp service or less, and you're adding big electrical loads - You're planning an EV charger, a heat pump, a generator or an addition - Breakers trip often, or a breaker won't reset - The panel is full, and new circuits have been squeezed in wherever they fit - The panel feels warm, buzzes, or shows rust, scorch marks or melted plastic - The home still has a fuse box, or a panel brand with a history of problems - The meter base is rusted, loose on the wall or pulling away from the siding - A home inspector or insurance company flagged the panel ## What we do - **Panel replacement.** Replacing an old, damaged or problem panel with a new one, moving each circuit over, labeling the breakers, and adding AFCI and GFCI protection where current code calls for it. - **Service upgrades.** Raising the amount of power the house can draw, for example from 100 amps to 200 amps. That usually means a new panel, a new meter base and new service wires to the point where the utility connects. - **Meter base replacement.** Replacing the socket the utility's meter plugs into when it is rusted, damaged or too small for the service. The meter itself belongs to the utility, so the work is scheduled with them. - **Subpanels.** Adding a smaller panel for a garage, shop, basement or addition, fed from the main panel, when the main panel is out of room. - **New construction and renovations.** Service and panel installs for new homes, and upgrades for additions and remodels, coordinated with the electrical rough-in and trim-out and the plumbing and HVAC work. ## Repair or replace? Some panel problems are one breaker or one bad connection, and a repair is the right call. We'll tell you when that's the case. Replacement makes more sense when the panel shows heat damage or rust, when there's no room for the circuits you need, when the service is too small for what you plan to add, or when it's a model known for breakers that may not trip when they should. We'll show you what we found and give you the price of each option before you decide. ## What it costs, and how we price it What drives the price: - A panel replacement alone, or a full service upgrade with a new meter base and service wires - The size of the service, and how many circuits are moved or added - Whether power comes to the house overhead or underground - Whether the panel stays where it is or moves to a new location - Code updates that come with new equipment, such as grounding, bonding, and AFCI, GFCI or surge protection where required - Permits, inspections and coordinating the disconnect and reconnect with the utility - The diagnostic visit: free. - Firm price given before any work starts. - Priced per job. Each job is priced on its own. - Why prices stay down: low overhead, and the work done right the first time with current methods, equipment and quality materials, so customers are not paying for callbacks. ## How a visit works 1. **Call or text.** Call or text (615) 426-9344 and tell us what's going on. A photo helps. We work Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 2. **A free diagnostic visit.** We come look, find the cause and explain it in plain words. The visit is free. 3. **A firm price before any work starts.** You get the price for the job before we begin, so you can decide with real numbers. 4. **The work, done right the first time.** Current methods, good equipment and quality materials. We keep overhead low and skip the callbacks, which keeps prices down. 5. **Follow-up.** If anything we worked on gives you trouble, call or text the same number. ## Urgent: Burning smell, heat or buzzing at the panel? 1. If there is smoke or fire, get everyone out and call 911 from outside. 2. Don't touch the panel if it is sparking, wet or too hot to touch, or if you are standing on a wet floor. 3. Otherwise, if it is safe, switch off the main breaker. 4. Then call us at (615) 426-9344. We work Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Call (615) 426-9344. ## What is the difference between the meter, the meter base and the panel? The meter measures the power you use, and it belongs to your electric utility. The meter base is the socket on the outside wall that the meter plugs into. It's part of the home's electrical equipment, so when it needs replacing, that's the homeowner's job to arrange. The panel, usually inside the house or in the garage, holds the main breaker and a breaker for each circuit. Replacing a meter base or upgrading the service means the utility has to disconnect power and reconnect it afterward, usually once the work passes inspection. So the job is scheduled with them, and the house is without power while the work is done. ## Is 100-amp service enough? For some homes, it still is. A smaller house with gas heat and a gas water heater can get along fine on 100 amps. Add an EV charger, a heat pump, an electric tankless water heater or a shop, and it gets tight. A load calculation, which adds up what the house can draw at once, shows whether your service has room. Sometimes it does, and the answer is a new circuit instead of an upgrade. We'll tell you which, and why. ## Why do some older panels get replaced even when they seem to work? Some panel brands and models from past years have a history of breakers that may not trip when they should. A panel like that can seem fine for years, which is the problem. Home inspectors and insurance companies often flag them. Fuse boxes aren't unsafe by design, but they're usually too small for a modern house, and a blown fuse is easy to replace with the wrong size. If your panel is one of these, we'll tell you, and explain what replacing it involves. ## Where we offer panel upgrades - [Columbia, TN](https://roothousemechanicals.com/service-areas/columbia-tn) - [Spring Hill, TN](https://roothousemechanicals.com/service-areas/spring-hill-tn) - [Franklin, TN](https://roothousemechanicals.com/service-areas/franklin-tn) - [Thompson's Station, TN](https://roothousemechanicals.com/service-areas/thompsons-station-tn) - [Brentwood, TN](https://roothousemechanicals.com/service-areas/brentwood-tn) - [Nolensville, TN](https://roothousemechanicals.com/service-areas/nolensville-tn) - [Nashville, TN](https://roothousemechanicals.com/service-areas/nashville-tn) - [Murfreesboro, TN](https://roothousemechanicals.com/service-areas/murfreesboro-tn) - [Smyrna, TN](https://roothousemechanicals.com/service-areas/smyrna-tn) - [Mount Pleasant, TN](https://roothousemechanicals.com/service-areas/mount-pleasant-tn) ## Common questions ### Do I need to replace the meter or the meter base? The meter belongs to your electric utility, so it is theirs to replace. The meter base, the socket it plugs into, is part of the house. If it is rusted, damaged or too small for a service upgrade, it gets replaced, and the utility reconnects the meter afterward. ### How long will the power be off? For a panel swap, plan on the power being off for most of a day. A service upgrade also depends on when the utility can disconnect and reconnect, and on the inspection. We'll tell you what to expect when we give you the price. ### Will I need a permit and inspection? Yes, in most places. Panel replacements and service upgrades usually need a permit, and the utility typically waits for the inspection before restoring power. We'll tell you what your job needs when we give you the price. ### Can I add an EV charger without upgrading my panel? Often, yes. A load calculation shows whether your service has room. If it does, the charger gets its own circuit. If it doesn't, a lower charger setting, a device that manages the load, or a panel upgrade can make room. ### Is the diagnostic visit free? Yes. We'll look at your panel and meter base for free, tell you what you have, and give you a firm price before any work starts. ### Who does the electrical work? Licensed and insured techs do the electrical work. Root House gives you one firm price, so a panel upgrade that also touches plumbing or HVAC is still one call. ### Do you install panels for new homes and additions? Yes. Root House specializes in new construction and renovations. Service and panel installs, subpanels for additions, and the electrical rough-in and trim-out are coordinated with the plumbing and HVAC on the same job. ## Related - [EV Charger Installation](https://roothousemechanicals.com/electrical/ev-chargers) - [Whole-Home Generators](https://roothousemechanicals.com/electrical/generators) - [Whole-Home Surge Protection](https://roothousemechanicals.com/electrical/surge-protection) - [Electrical Repair and Troubleshooting](https://roothousemechanicals.com/electrical/electrical-repair) - [Heat Pump Repair and Installation](https://roothousemechanicals.com/hvac/heat-pumps) - [Outlets, Switches, GFCI and Rewiring](https://roothousemechanicals.com/electrical/outlets-and-wiring)