I want to replace the electrial panel in my cabin in Maine. It’s small, has only 4 circuits and I want more options. I have to get the “local municipality” to approve having my power turned back on. SO I have tow questions
Is this a job for the standard home improvement guy that has done a fair amont of electical work (I think it is). And,
Is the inspector going to bust my balls so much on the inspection that I just should have hired the local guy in the first place?
Thanks much.
If the work is done without a permit, plan on a world-class ball-busting and some penalty fines. It’s kinda rare that a breaker panel can be replaced without a permit.
When you enquire about a permit, they should also be able to tell you if you (or some random handyman) can do the work yourself or if they require a licensed electrician to do it.
Now the good news - if it’s a remote area, there’s a fair chance that you will not need a permit if the job is under some dollar amount threshold, and that you can do it yourself. You really need to ask the relevant building inspection department. More good news - small breaker panels are cheap. You can probably pick up a combo pack of a 12-space SquareD Homeline panel and either two or four breakers for under $60. Add another $20 for a main breaker (if the main isn’t in a separate enclosure, or if it’s a different brand than your new panel) and you’re looking at under $100 and maybe two hours time.
Check with the municipality, you may be able to do the rough-in or even all the work yourself, if you have licensed electrician inspect it. You can find this out when you take out your permit.
He shouldn’t, as long as you have a permit. When applying for your permit you will probably have to submit a plan, drawings, and a description of the work.
As long as you don’t stray too far from this, the inspector shouldn’t have a problem.
May I suggest that this is a great opportunity to upgrade to 200-Amp service?