Sub Panel Installation

What Is a Sub Panel — and Do You Need One?

A sub panel — sometimes called a secondary breaker panel or load center — is a smaller electrical panel that receives power from your main service panel and distributes it to a specific area or structure. Think of it as a branch office for your home’s electrical system: the main panel stays in charge of the whole house, while the secondary panel handles the circuits for a garage, an addition, a workshop, or any zone that needs its own dedicated power supply.

A secondary panel doesn’t add power to your home — it redistributes what’s already available more efficiently. If your home’s total electrical service is undersized, adding a second panel won’t solve the problem. But if your main panel is full, or you’re powering a space too far away to run individual circuits efficiently, a sub panel is exactly the right tool.

Common Reasons Homeowners Add a Second Panel

Home EV Charger Installation

A Level 2 charging station requires a dedicated 240-volt circuit drawing 40–50 amps. If your main breaker box is full or your garage is on the far end of the property, a secondary panel positioned closer to the charger location is often the most efficient and cost-effective solution.

Detached Garage or Workshop

This is the most common reason we install secondary panels. A detached structure — garage, shop, barn, or studio — requires its own grounding and neutral configuration under NEC code, plus enough capacity to handle lighting, power tools, compressors, and whatever else you run out there. A 60- or 100-amp feed to a sub panel handles it cleanly.

Home Addition or Basement Finish

Finishing a basement or adding a room means adding circuits. Running every new circuit back to a main panel on the opposite end of the house wastes wire, creates voltage drop, and fills breaker slots fast. A secondary panel installed closer to the new space makes more sense both electrically and financially.

ADU or In-Law Suite

A separate living space needs reliable, independently manageable power. A dedicated sub panel gives the unit its own circuits and makes future metering or billing easier if needed.

Pool, Hot Tub, or Outdoor Kitchen

These features require dedicated high-amperage circuits with specific GFCI protection. Installing a secondary panel nearby shortens wire runs and keeps those circuits isolated from the rest of the home’s load.

Home Office with Dedicated Circuits

Servers, workstations, recording equipment, and video production rigs can’t share circuits with the rest of the house. A small sub panel gives a home office its own protected power supply without affecting the rest of the home.

Main Panel Is Full

No open breaker slots? Adding a secondary panel is often the right answer — it expands your circuit capacity without requiring a full panel replacement. This is especially common in older homes where the original box was sized for a much simpler electrical load.

Long Runs from the Main Panel

The longer a circuit runs, the more voltage it loses. When a space is 50 feet or more from the main panel, running a single feeder to a nearby sub panel and branching from there is more efficient, stays within NEC voltage drop limits, and reduces overall project cost.

Signs You May Need a Second Breaker Panel

Your main panel has no open breaker slots
Breakers trip repeatedly in a specific area of the home
You’re planning to add a home charger, hot tub, workshop, or major appliance
Lights flicker or dim in rooms far from the main panel
You’re finishing a basement, adding a room, or building an ADU
You’re running power to a detached structure for the first time
A solar or battery storage installer asked about your panel configuration

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the installation process look like?

Assessment & Written Quote — We evaluate your main panel’s available capacity and identify the best location and feeder route for the new panel.
Permit Application — All secondary panel work requires a permit. We pull it from the appropriate jurisdiction.
Installation — We mount the new panel, run the feeder conduit from the main breaker box, install the two-pole feeder breaker, and wire everything to code — including properly separated neutral and ground bars.
Circuit Wiring — We install the branch circuit breakers and run circuits to the locations you need.
Inspection & Sign-Off — We schedule and pass the city or county electrical inspection.

How long does it take?

Most residential jobs are completed in a single day. A straightforward installation in an attached garage or finished basement can run four to six hours. Jobs that require a long feeder run to a detached structure — especially if conduit needs to be trenched underground — may extend into a second day.

Is a permit required?

Yes, always. Sub panel installation requires an electrical permit and inspection in every jurisdiction — particularly critical for the four-wire feeder requirement and the separation of neutral and ground conductors, which must not be bonded together in a secondary panel. Never hire a contractor who skips the permit.

What does it cost?

Basic garage sub panel (60-amp, short run): $800–$1,800
EV charger feed or dedicated circuit panel (60–100 amp): $1,000–$2,500
Hot tub or pool feed (50-amp, GFCI required): $900–$2,200
Long run to detached structure (conduit, trenching): $1,800–$4,500

We provide a written, itemized quote before any work begins — no surprises at the end.

Ready to Add More Power Where You Need It?

Whether you’re powering a workshop, preparing for a home charger, or finishing a basement, our team will assess your electrical system and complete the job right — permitted, inspected, and built to code.

Cities We Serve for Sub Panel Installation

We install, upgrade, and service electrical systems for homeowners and businesses throughout Salt Lake County. Click your city below to see location-specific information, local permit details, and pricing for your area:

Don’t see your city? Call us — our coverage area is expanding and we may be able to help.