Panel and service upgrades with Burbank Water and Power

Get the utility side in writing first

Utility charges are the part of a panel quote that moves latest. In Burbank, BWP’s meter spot is the document that lists them, and it comes before any permit that includes a panel upgrade. Request it early and compare it against each bid. Ask every electrician for a quote that lists their own labor, materials and permit as separate lines, so the totals line up against the typical SoCal range on the panel cost page. The timeline guide explains the meter spot in general.

If the house might go to a larger service later, ask BWP whether the size changes what it charges. A standard 200 amp upgrade is the usual target, but the capacity rules for anything bigger are a question for BWP.

Bungalow panels and what to look for

Half of Burbank homes were built before 1960, and the median year is 1959. Panels from that era were sized for a few circuits and an electric range, not for a charger, a heat pump and a hot-summer air conditioner. Signs of trouble are breakers that trip on hot afternoons, a panel with no free slots, and stickers with the Zinsco or Federal Pacific name. Hot summers in climate zone 9 mean cooling already uses much of the capacity, which is often what pushes an owner to upgrade before adding anything.

Multi-unit buildings near the older parts of town add a wrinkle: the panel often serves more than one unit, so the decision belongs to the building owner.

The sequence, from the electrician’s side

The order is the BWP meter spot, then the city permit, then the work and inspection. After that BWP unlocks the meter, which depends on the permit number and payment of BWP fees. Reconnection is not the same day as the inspection, so plan the days without power with the electrician and ask who makes the call to BWP. Add the steps up before you promise a date to a landlord, a tenant or a solar installer waiting on the new panel. For other utilities’ versions of the same flow, see the utility coordination guide.

Fire season and the panel

BWP publishes its own Wildfire Mitigation Plan, and the Verdugo Mountains on the north edge of town have burned several times. No power shutoff event is documented for Burbank, but a hillside owner may still want to ask the electrician about battery-ready wiring while the service is open. If a charger is the reason for the work, the Burbank charger page covers the permit checklist and rate.