Updated October 2026 | Electrical |
If a home inspector, an electrician or your insurance agent just told you there is a Federal Pacific panel in your house, here is the short version. Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) sold its Stab-Lok panels from the 1950s into the 1980s. Independent testing found that many Stab-Lok breakers do not trip when a circuit overloads, which is the one job a breaker has. No federal recall was ever issued, swapping in new breakers does not solve the problem, and the accepted fix is a new panel.
Much of the San Fernando Valley was built out in those same decades, so these panels still turn up in Van Nuys, Sherman Oaks, North Hills and Northridge. This guide covers how to confirm what you have, why the risk is taken seriously, what insurers do about it, what replacement involves, what it costs in Los Angeles and where Edison rebate money may apply.
How to Tell If You Have a Federal Pacific Panel
You can identify most Federal Pacific panels without tools. Open the outer door of your breaker panel and look. Do not remove the metal cover behind the breakers. That cover keeps your hands away from live parts, and taking it off is a job for an electrician.
- The name on the door or label. Look for “Federal Pacific Electric,” “Federal Pacific” or the letters “FPE” on the outside of the door or on the paper label inside it.
- The words “Stab-Lok.” The name is usually printed on the label inside the door or on the panel face between the two rows of breakers.
- A red strip on the breakers. Many Stab-Lok breakers have a red strip running across the front of each handle. Not every one does, so the absence of red does not clear the panel.
- The age of the house. A home built between about 1950 and 1990 that still has its original panel is a candidate.
In Valley homes the main panel often sits on an outside wall next to the meter or inside the garage. Condos and apartments usually have a smaller panel in a hallway or closet, and Federal Pacific made those too. Check every panel on the property, including any subpanel for a garage, pool or addition.
A label is not always the last word. Some panels have lost their labels, and some have had breakers swapped over the years. If you see the name or the red strips, treat it as a Federal Pacific panel until an electrician from a licensed electrical contractor confirms otherwise.
Why Federal Pacific Panels Are a Fire Risk
A circuit breaker watches the current on a wire. When a circuit draws more than the wire can carry, or when a short happens, the breaker is supposed to trip and cut the power before the wire overheats. The concern with Federal Pacific Stab-Lok breakers is that many of them do not trip when they should. The wire keeps heating inside the wall, and nothing stops it.
Three pieces of the record matter most.
- The federal investigation. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission tested Stab-Lok breakers and reported in 1983 that they failed certain UL calibration test requirements. The commission closed the case without a recall, citing limited data and the cost of further testing. In a 2011 revision it added that it had closed the matter without making a determination about the safety of the breakers.
- The court finding. In 2002 a New Jersey court ruled that Federal Pacific knowingly distributed circuit breakers that were not tested to meet UL standards as their labels indicated.
- The independent testing. Engineer Jesse Aronstein tested hundreds of Stab-Lok breakers taken out of homes. In one sample from a New Jersey condominium complex, two-pole breakers failed to trip in up to 70 percent of cases.
The lack of a recall is the part that confuses people. No recall does not mean the panel passed. It means the agency stopped before reaching a conclusion.
The other common question is, “It has worked for 40 years, so why worry now?” A breaker does nothing on a normal day. You only find out whether it works at the moment a circuit overloads or shorts. Homes also draw more power than they did when these panels went in. Central air, EV chargers, induction ranges and heat pump water heaters all push an old panel harder than its first owner ever did.
If you smell burning or hear crackling from the panel, stay clear, do not open the panel or reset breakers, and seek urgent professional help. If you see smoke or flames, leave the home and call 911 from outside. A breaker that will not reset also needs diagnosis rather than repeated resets.
Federal Pacific Panels and Home Insurance
Insurers know this panel by name. Many ask about the panel brand on the application or send an inspector who photographs it. What happens next depends on the carrier.
- Some write or renew the policy and say nothing.
- Some renew on the condition that the panel is replaced within a set number of days.
- Some decline a new policy or send a non-renewal notice.
There is no single rule, so ask your agent directly and get the answer in writing. California homeowners already have fewer carriers to choose from than they did a few years ago. A panel that gives an underwriter a reason to say no is worth dealing with before your renewal date, not after a notice arrives.
The same issue shows up when you sell. Home inspectors flag Federal Pacific panels in their reports, and buyers often ask for a replacement or a credit because their own insurer will ask the same questions. Replacing the panel under permit before you list gives you a finaled permit and an invoice to hand over.
Keep both documents after the work is done. They are the proof an insurer or a buyer will want.
What Federal Pacific Panel Replacement Looks Like
Replacement means the whole panel comes out. Researchers who have studied these panels advise against buying replacement Stab-Lok breakers and recommend a new panel instead, because the way the breakers connect inside the panel is part of the concern.
Panel Swap or Full Service Upgrade
The job starts with a site visit. The electrician checks the size of your service, the meter, the grounding, the condition of the existing wire and the clearances around the panel, then runs a load calculation for the house. That answers the main question, which is whether you need a same-size swap or a larger service.
If the existing service has enough capacity, the Federal Pacific panel can be replaced with a modern panel of the same amperage. If you plan to add central air, EV charging or electric appliances, inspection and a code-compliant load calculation determine the service size and whether load management, circuit work or a service upgrade is appropriate.
Permits and the Utility Shutdown
A panel replacement needs an electrical permit and an inspection. In the City of Los Angeles, including Van Nuys, the permit comes from the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety (LADBS). Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena and other cities issue their own.
The utility also has a role, because the power feeding the panel has to be shut off and restored. That is LADWP for most City of Los Angeles addresses and Southern California Edison (SCE) or a city utility elsewhere. Your electrician schedules the shutdown and the inspection so they line up.
The Day of the Work
A typical single-family panel swap is planned as a one-day job, with the power off for most of that working day. The old panel comes out, the new one goes in, and every circuit is reconnected and labeled. Grounding and bonding are updated where current code requires it. After the inspector signs off, the power goes back on.
Some homes need more. Aluminum or cloth-insulated wiring, a panel in a spot that no longer meets clearance rules, a combined meter and panel, or stucco that has to be cut and patched all add scope. A full service upgrade adds utility work and takes longer to schedule. You can see how we handle the full job on our electrical panel replacement in Van Nuys page.
Federal Pacific Panel Replacement Cost in Los Angeles
Replacing a Federal Pacific panel costs the same as replacing any other panel of the same size. The brand does not change the price. The size of your service and the condition of what is behind the panel do.
| Scope | PowerRoute starting price | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Standard panel swap, same capacity | From about $3,500 | Your service is already large enough and the Federal Pacific panel is replaced with a modern panel of the same amperage. |
| Full 200-amp service upgrade | From about $9,000 | The home runs on 60 or 100 amps and needs more capacity. Covers broader service work such as meter, grounding and service-equipment changes. |
These are starting prices. A firm number takes a site visit, because the things that move the price are hidden until someone looks.
- Service size. A same-size swap costs far less than a move from 100 to 200 amps.
- Utility work. Overhead or underground service, meter location and utility requirements all change the scope.
- Wiring condition. Aluminum, cloth-insulated or damaged wire has to be dealt with before it lands in a new panel.
- Access and location. A panel that has to move to meet clearance rules costs more than one replaced in place.
- Wall repair. Stucco, drywall or siding around a larger enclosure may need patching.
When you compare bids, ask each contractor whether the permit, the inspection and the utility coordination are included in the number. For a deeper breakdown, including subpanels and LADBS permit fees, read what an electrical panel upgrade costs in Los Angeles.
Edison Rebates That May Help Pay for Panel Replacement
No rebate pays you to remove a Federal Pacific panel because of its brand. The money that exists is tied to what a new panel makes possible, mainly EV charging.
The main program for homeowners is Southern California Edison’s Charge Ready Home. As listed on SCE’s program site in October 2026, it offers up to $4,200 toward an electrical panel upgrade plus a 240-volt EV outlet. To apply, you have to meet these conditions.
- You are an SCE residential customer. Renters need the owner’s approval.
- The home is an eligible attached or detached single-family home with its own electrical panel and no shared electric meter. Apartments and condos in multi-unit buildings fall outside this rule.
- Your household is income-qualified, defined as earning less than 80 percent of the area median income or enrolled in a listed assistance program, or you live in a designated disadvantaged community.
- Your existing main panel is rated below 200 amps and cannot support Level 2 EV charging.
- The panel work upgrades the panel to at least 200 amps and adds a dedicated circuit with a new 240-volt outlet for Level 2 charging.
- A licensed and bonded contractor does the work with the required permits and inspection records.
You do not need to own or lease an EV before you apply. You do sign an attestation that you will install a Level 2 charging station, and SCE requires that charger within 180 days. The rebate covers the panel and circuit work, not the charger. That makes the program a real option if your Federal Pacific panel sits on an undersized service and you qualify on income or location.
Check your electric bill before you count on it. Most addresses in Van Nuys and the rest of the City of Los Angeles are LADWP customers, and SCE programs do not apply to them. SCE serves many neighboring cities, including Santa Clarita, Simi Valley and Calabasas. LADWP runs its own EV charger rebate, so look at its current terms if LADWP is your utility.
Rebate funding is limited, program rules change and approval is not guaranteed, so confirm the current terms with the utility before you build a budget around a rebate. SCE lists the full rules on its Charge Ready Home eligibility page and program FAQs. Our Edison EV and panel rebate program page covers the available programs and who qualifies.
Have a Federal Pacific Panel? Get It Checked
PowerRoute Electric & Plumbing replaces Federal Pacific panels in Van Nuys and across the San Fernando Valley. We confirm the brand, size your service and give you a written scope that includes the permit and the utility coordination. Call (323) 616-2829 or see our Van Nuys electrical panel replacement service.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The Consumer Product Safety Commission investigated Stab-Lok breakers and closed the case in 1983 without a recall. It later clarified that it closed the matter without making a determination about the safety of the breakers. The absence of a recall is not a clean bill of health.
That is not the recommended fix. Researchers who have studied these panels advise against replacement Stab-Lok breakers and recommend replacing the entire panel, because the way the breakers connect inside the panel is part of the concern.
A breaker only proves itself when a circuit overloads or shorts. A panel that has never been tested by a fault tells you nothing about how it will respond to one. Modern loads like central air and EV charging also ask more of the panel than it faced when it was installed.
It depends on the carrier. Some renew without comment, some require replacement within a set window, and some decline or non-renew. Ask your agent in writing, and keep your finaled permit and invoice once the panel is replaced.
PowerRoute’s standard same-capacity panel swap starts from about $3,500. A full 200-amp service upgrade starts from about $9,000. The final price depends on service size, utility work, wiring condition and access, so it takes a site visit to quote.
A typical single-family panel swap is planned as a one-day job with the power off for most of that working day. A full service upgrade involves more utility work and takes longer to schedule.
Zinsco is a different brand with a different defect. Some Zinsco components have been linked to overheating and bus-bar damage. The advice is the same, which is to have an electrician from a licensed electrical contractor inspect the panel and advise on replacement.
Sources
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Commission Closes Investigation of FPE Circuit Breakers (1983, revised 2011)
- InspectAPedia, Federal Pacific Electric Stab-Lok Panel and Breaker Hazard Summary
- Southern California Edison, Charge Ready Home
- Southern California Edison, Charge Ready Home Eligibility
