Not always. A Level 2 charger wants a 40–60A circuit; whether your panel has that headroom depends on its rating and what else it feeds. A load calculation answers it definitively — sometimes a load-management device beats a full upgrade and saves real money.

Most installs are half a day once the assessment confirms panel capacity and the run from panel to parking spot. Panel-upgrade-first jobs take a day or two more, including the utility coordination and inspection.

A breaker tripping is doing its job; the question is why. Occasional trips from a known appliance are a circuit-sizing issue. Frequent trips, warm outlets, or any burning smell mean stop using the circuit and call — that combination is the one we treat as urgent.

New panel and breakers, utility coordination for the disconnect/reconnect, permit and inspection, and labeling every circuit properly. Power is typically off for 4–8 hours on the day. You end up with capacity for EVs, heat pumps, and whatever's next.

Often, yes — federal tax credits have covered a share of EV charger hardware and installation in recent years, and utilities periodically run rebates. Eligibility shifts; we flag what applies during the assessment and you confirm with your tax preparer.

Yes. Mid-century Austin homes bring aluminum branch wiring, two-prong outlets, and crowded panels. There are code-approved remediation paths short of full rewiring — we'll lay out the options and price them separately.

Always, on any job that needs them. An electrical job without its permit is a problem you find out about when you sell the house — or worse. Permit, inspection, and labeled work are part of the price, not extras.

Because adding big loads — EV charger, heat pump, induction range — without one is guessing with your service capacity. It's arithmetic on your actual panel and appliances, and it's how you avoid paying for an upgrade you didn't need (or skipping one you did).