Bigger or unusual job? Compare bids from local pros and you pick who does the work.
The service
What sub-panel installation is, what a visit covers and where the line is.
The short answer
A sub-panel is a second breaker box fed by a single heavy feeder from your main panel. Sub-Panel Installation in San Francisco is booked through pros who cover its 28 ZIP codes, in neighborhoods such as The Mission, Noe Valley, and The Sunset. SF's microclimates mean fog, wind, and moisture vary dramatically by neighborhood. Providers account for this in material selection. On NorTech the electricians you compare name their own price and warranty, and the choice of pro is yours.
What a sub-panel installation visit includes
What is included depends on the jobs you pick and on how each pro sets up their visit and timing. You see the exact scope with each pro's price before you book.
- Review of main panel capacity and load
- Installation of a sub-panel with a properly sized feeder
- Breakers and circuits as needed
- Grounding and bonding done to code
- Labeling of every circuit
- Permit coordination and inspection
Pick what is on your list
Tick what you want done, or add your own. Your list goes under the booking card and to the pro you choose, and you can describe anything else when you book.
Planning and load check
Tick what you want done. One visit can cover several.
Tick jobs above, or add your own. Your list goes under the booking card and to the pro you choose, so they see exactly what you need before they arrive.
What shapes a sub-panel installation job
These are the things that make one job different from another. Mention them in your notes so each pro can scope your job properly.
What is not part of sub-panel installation
Knowing where the line is keeps the visit on track and keeps you safe. When a job belongs to a specialist, NorTech tells you before you book.
- A sub-panel job that reaches $1,000 in labor and materials is done by a licensed contractor. Sub-panels with long feeders or trenching usually reach that, and a licensed electrical contractor does that work.
- Replacing or upgrading the main service, the meter base or the utility connection. Book the matching electrical services for that scope.
- Building a garage, workshop wall or framing to hold the panel, and drywall or paint afterward.
- Trenching through concrete, pavers or hardscape and its restoration, unless agreed in writing.
- Appliances, tools and EV chargers themselves. The sub-panel only provides the circuits for them.
- In San Francisco, sF DBI permit requirements are among the strictest in California. Smaller jobs stay within the handyman exemption; permitted work is bid on by NorTech-verified licensed contractors.
License and permits for sub-panel installation
Installing a sub-panel is licensed electrical work. Electricians holding the license do this work, and their pro profile shows it. The work is done by the electrician you choose, not by NorTech.
A sub-panel commonly needs a permit and an inspection, and a detached building may need extra steps for grounding and a disconnect. Your pro tells you what applies and arranges it.
Check the license on the pro profile, ask for the permit number and the approved inspection, and keep the labeled circuit directory with your home records.
Plan your visit
How booking works, how to get ready, and what to expect where you live.
How booking sub-panel installation works
Say what needs doing
Add your ZIP and a few words about the job.
Compare pros near you
Each pro sets their own price and warranty. NorTech does not pick for you.
Book the pro you pick
Add photos and details on their page. Your card is held and only charged after the work and the photos.
Photos and a warranty
Your pro backs the work with a workmanship warranty — if covered work is not right, your pro makes it right, free.
Before you book sub-panel installation
Quick things that save a trip. Tick them off as you go; none of it is required to book.
List every load you plan to run
Write down tools, a compressor, a welder, lights, a heater and any EV charger, with their plate ratings if you have them. The pro sizes the feeder to the whole list.
Photograph the main panel
Take a photo of the open panel with the label inside the door and the main breaker. It shows capacity, spaces and condition before the visit.
Pick the panel location early
Panels need clear space in front and cannot be blocked by shelves or tool storage. Mark the spot you prefer and ask the pro to confirm it works.
Ask about future growth
A panel with open spaces now can spare you a second visit later. Mention any future workshop expansion or a charger.
Check how far the run goes
Measure roughly from the main panel to the sub-panel, and note any detached run or hardscape in the way. Distance changes wire size and the work.
Ask about the warranty
Warranty terms differ between pros, so read them on each profile. Ask what happens after inspection if a breaker needs adjusting.
Say where in San Francisco you are
Add your neighborhood, for example The Mission, Noe Valley, and The Sunset, or your ZIP code to your notes. Pros choose the neighborhoods they cover, and it tells them how far they have to travel.
How where you live changes sub-panel installation
Often booked together with sub-panel installation
Book several services with one pro. Pros set their own bundle discounts.
A sub-panel is the backbone of a workshop that needs several circuits, lighting and 240-volt outlets.
A charger is a large dedicated load that is often fed from a new sub-panel in the garage.
If the main panel is full or old, upgrading it can be the better route before adding a sub-panel.
A spa needs a dedicated, protected circuit that a nearby sub-panel can supply.
Around San Francisco
Where in San Francisco the work happens, and the cities close by.
Sub-Panel Installation across San Francisco
Pick your neighborhood to see what homes there tend to need. Pros choose the neighborhoods they cover, so enter your ZIP code to see who covers yours.
Cities near San Francisco
Pros often cover more than one city. The rings show 5 and 10 miles from the center of town.
Other services in San Francisco
Each one has its own page for this city.
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See pros in San FranciscoTrust and answers
What backs the work, who is licensed and insured, what customers say, and your questions.
Backed by your provider’s warranty. If covered work fails, your provider makes it right, free.
Looking for a licensed electrician? Bigger jobs and anything that needs a permit go to a verified California C-10 contractor. See licensed electrician services.
San Francisco homeowners
Sub-Panel Installation reviews in San Francisco
Verified sub-panel installation reviews from San Francisco homeowners will appear here.
Be the first sub-panel installation review in San Francisco
Your pro backs the work with a workmanship warranty — if covered work is not right, your pro makes it right, free. Book with confidence and tell San Francisco how your pro did.
Book Sub-Panel Installation in San FranciscoFrequently asked