Sub-Panel & Circuit Breaker Services in Altadena, CA
Sub-panels for ADUs, garages and additions, and repair or replacement of breakers that trip, buzz or won’t reset.
Sub-Panels: More Circuits Where You Need Them
A sub-panel is a second, smaller panel fed from your main panel. It puts breakers close to where the power is used and frees up space when the main panel is full. It does not add capacity to your service. If the home is already near its limit, a service upgrade or load management may be needed first.
ADUs and guest houses
A dedicated sub-panel for the unit’s kitchen, bathroom, heating and cooling, sized from a load calculation.
Garages and workshops
240V circuits for tools, compressors or a second fridge, plus lighting and outlets, without overloading house circuits.
Additions and remodels
New kitchens, primary suites and conversions that need more circuits than the main panel has room for.
How We Install a Sub-Panel
- Load calculationWe check what the main service can actually support before adding anything.
- Feeder and locationWe size the feeder for the load and distance, and choose a code-compliant location with proper working clearance.
- Grounding and bondingIn a sub-panel, neutrals and grounds are kept separate. Detached buildings such as garages and ADUs also need their own grounding electrode.
- Permit and inspectionFiled with LA County Building & Safety for Altadena, or your city.
Circuit Breaker Repair
A breaker that trips is usually doing its job. The fix depends on why:
- Overload: too much on one circuit; we redistribute loads or add a dedicated circuit.
- Short circuit or ground fault: a damaged cord, appliance, device or cable; we trace and repair it.
- Worn-out breaker: one that trips under normal load, feels hot or won’t reset; we replace it with a listed breaker for your panel.
- Obsolete panel: when breakers are hard to find or unsafe, replacing the panel may be the better repair.
Read more in our guide: why a circuit breaker keeps tripping.
Local Notes
ADUs and garage conversions are common in Altadena, and many fire rebuilds include a guest house or studio. Planning the sub-panel with the main service, rather than adding it later, avoids paying twice.
For Altadena addresses, permits come from LA County Public Works Building & Safety (Altadena is unincorporated, so not the City of Pasadena or LADBS). Pasadena, South Pasadena, San Marino and La Cañada Flintridge each have their own building departments. We pull the permit and meet the inspector.
Related
ADU electrical requirements · Garage lighting and circuits · Troubleshooting
We serve Altadena and nearby: Pasadena, South Pasadena, San Marino, La Cañada Flintridge, Sierra Madre, Arcadia and Eagle Rock. See all areas we serve.
What Customers Say on Google
“This team was contracted for work on our new 400 amp 3 phase service panel installation and the installation of high efficiency LED high bay lighting in our warehouse in preparation for the large scale expansion. From city permitting to final safety inspections, they did it all and we received an extremely clean well-labeled system, which significantly enhanced our facility’s energy efficiency.”
— Google review
“One night, many outlets ceased to function and I feared that something bad had occurred. The electrician came out at night when I called and fixed it up when I needed it.”
— Google review
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a sub-panel increase my home’s capacity?
No. It distributes the capacity you already have. If your service is too small, you need a service upgrade or load management.
Do I need a sub-panel for an ADU?
Usually. An ADU needs several dedicated circuits, and a sub-panel in or near the unit is the practical way to provide them. A separate meter is a different option with different utility requirements.
Why does my breaker trip when I run the microwave and kettle together?
Kitchen countertop circuits are 20 amps. Two high-wattage appliances on one circuit can exceed that, so the breaker trips. The fix is spreading loads across the required kitchen circuits or adding one.
Can you replace just one breaker?
Yes, if the panel is in good condition and a listed replacement breaker is available. We check the panel at the same time.
Need Circuits or a Breaker Fixed?
Call us and we will diagnose the problem or plan the sub-panel.