My 1966 panel is a hundred amps of nostalgia. As of mid-September 2026, the Santa Anas are up, the swamp cooler’s fighting the fridge, and my breaker trips just to remind me who’s boss.
If your 60s or 70s ranch does the same flicker, my rule stands: take the photo first, then call.
How I picked these
Standard disclosure, and I mean it: no one on this list paid to be here, and I have no business relationship with any of them. I checked Google, BBB, and Angi, keeping only outfits with fifty-plus reviews, a 4.5 rating or better, and something posted in the last year. This covers Riverside and nearby towns. No licence lookups were done — that’s still your job before anyone touches your panel.
1. Expressway Electric
Out in Bloomington, this crew’s been doing panel work for nineteen years, and reviewers talk about the cleanup as much as the wiring. Seventy-two Google reviews, every one five stars, plus a BBB A+. Multiple 200-amp upgrade permits are on file, so this isn’t dabbling. One name, Memo, comes up again and again. Before you call, photograph your panel’s amp rating and manufacturer sticker, and note whether the box sits in the garage or on an exterior wall — that’s the first thing they’ll ask on a 60s house.
2. Gerhard Electric
Been around since 1981, based in Laguna Hills but working the Inland Empire enough that Riverside folks call it a hometown crew. Two hundred fourteen Google reviews at 4.9, another fifty on Angi at 4.5. One review describes an ancient panel going from 100 to 200 amps in a seamless process — exactly the job most ranch houses need. They do free estimates and emergency calls, so a holiday breaker failure is still their problem. Photograph your main disconnect and any double-tapped breakers before you call.
3. Infiniti Electric, Inc.
Right here in Riverside on Magnolia, this outfit’s only three years old but the panel-upgrade reviews read otherwise. Fifty-six Google reviews, every one five stars, and two separate reviewers describe the exact 100-to-200-amp job — fair price, clear communication, crew including James. One reviewer says they called five other electricians first. Get the written estimate before anything starts, and ask whether it includes pulling the city permit — a 200-amp job needs one, no way around it.
4. AR Electric Inc.
Family-owned, thirteen years in, based in Covina but covering Riverside County regularly. Eighty-five Google reviews at 5/5, eight more on Angi at a perfect 5, and two technicians, Noel and Andres, show up often enough you feel like you know them. They offer free estimates and emergency service both. Snap a photo of your panel and meter before you call, and ask whether hauling off the old panel is part of the estimate or an add-on — on a house this age, that’s rarely small.
Which one to call
Breaker tripping when the swamp cooler and toaster fight for one circuit? Call Expressway and ask for Memo. Panel old enough to worry an inspector? Gerhard’s done that upgrade often. Want a Riverside crew and a written quote before you commit? Infiniti’s young but does it right. Somewhere out in the county, need the old box hauled away? That’s AR.
If none of these fit, describe the job properly — amp rating, which breaker trips, any smell — before you call anyone…