Does a Panel Upgrade in Palm Springs Qualify for a Simple Permit?
Yes, if it meets the city's checklist, which we check for you. Palm Springs handles main panel upgrades as Simple Permits, along with home solar and HVAC replacements. The main points: a new panel of 400 amps or less, where the old one was, in a single-family home, duplex or townhome with no aluminum wiring. Otherwise, it's a standard permit.
The Simple Permit
What Is a Simple Permit in Palm Springs?
It's a permit Palm Springs uses for certain home jobs, including main panel upgrades, home solar and HVAC replacements. A panel upgrade gets one only when it meets every point on the city's checklist. If it misses a point, it takes a standard permit, so the checklist tells you which kind your job needs.
Ask which checklist point your job might miss before the work is planned.
How much power comes in
One point is your main service, the power supply coming into your home: at least 200 amps, on a panel rated for 225 amps, or for 200 amps if it's a solar-ready panel. You don't need to know yours; we check it.
Written By
Frank Luersen
Owner and Founder, Home Team Electric
California C-10 Electrical Contractor License #879507, with 28 years of residential electrical experience serving the Coachella Valley and Morongo Basin.
Last Updated: October 2026
What the Checklist Covers
What Does the Palm Springs Checklist Cover for a Panel Upgrade?
It covers the new panel, the building, the wiring and the work, and a Palm Springs job has to meet every point to count as a Simple Permit. These are points we check for you at the evaluation, before any work is planned.
- 01
The new panel
It's 400 amps or less, and it goes in the same spot as the old panel. The city's Simple Permit checklist
- 02
The building
It's a single-family home, a duplex or a townhome, and it runs on single-phase power, which we confirm at the evaluation.
- 03
The wiring
The home's wiring has been checked, and none of it is aluminum.
- 04
The contractor and the parts
The contractor installing the panel holds every license the city requires. Every part is listed and labeled under the California Electrical Code.
If one point is unclear, ask before the work starts.
Know the Difference
What If Your Palm Springs Panel Job Misses a Checklist Point?
Then it isn't a Simple Permit. The city's checklist gives two ways forward: change the plan so the job meets every point, or the job takes a standard permit instead. We tell you which point your Palm Springs job misses and what changing the plan would mean.
- Where the new panel goes
- How big the new panel is
- Whether it's a solar-ready panel
- The kind of building it serves
- Whether its power is single phase
- Any aluminum wiring in the house
Where the panel goes counts as much as how big it is.
Worth a Call First
When Should You Call Before a Panel Upgrade?
- You don't know whether your home has aluminum wiring.
- You'd like the new panel in a different spot.
- You're not sure how big your main service is.
- You're planning solar and want a solar-ready panel.
Call before a Palm Springs panel upgrade is planned if any of these fits your home, since each can change whether the job meets the Simple Permit checklist. We check the wiring, the main service and where the panel can go, and you'll know where your job stands before any work begins.
What to Expect
What Does Our Panel Upgrade Visit Cover in Palm Springs?
We check your Palm Springs panel job against each point on the city's checklist, so you know whether it fits. Your panel, main service and wiring shape the price. The upgrade ends with a tested panel, a swept-up work area and a walk-through of your new breakers.
- 01
We evaluate first.
We look at your current panel, how much power comes into your home and what your wiring is made of.
- 02
We explain the situation.
You hear, in plain words, which checklist points your job meets, and what it would take to meet any it misses.
- 03
We give you the price before any work begins.
Our $99 service fee covers the time we need to evaluate the situation, the available options, and guaranteed pricing before any work begins. Every decision about what happens next belongs to you.
- 04
Then you decide.
We'll explain what we see and walk you through your options. You decide what fits your home.
Backed by the Work
Who Handles Panel Upgrades for Palm Springs Homeowners?
Our own crews, who check each Palm Springs panel job against the city's checklist before it's planned. Panels are part of the home electrical work we've done since 2006, all through the Coachella Valley and Morongo Basin. Our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and Lifetime Workmanship Guarantee back the work on your new panel. Same-day service available.
- California C-10 Electrical Contractor License #879507. Verify it at cslb.ca.gov.
- Home Team Electric works exclusively on residential electrical systems in desert conditions. All work is code-compliant and backed by our Lifetime Workmanship Guarantee.
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