Commercial Panel Upgrades in Northern Virginia
Single-phase commercial panel and subpanel upgrades for small businesses — offices, retail, restaurants, and property managers — across the DMV. We handle the load calculation, the permit, the Dominion (or Pepco) coordination, and the inspection. Up to 400A single-phase. Not 3-phase industrial.
Virginia Class A · Licensed Master Electrician · Permits + utility coordination handled · Standard COI on file
When small businesses need a commercial panel upgrade
Most commercial panel work we do falls into one of three patterns: added equipment (kitchen build-out, server room, new HVAC, EV charger banks) that pushes the existing service over capacity; older panels that have reached end of life or need fault-tolerance upgrades for insurance/lease compliance; and tenant changeovers where the new occupant has different load needs than the previous tenant. AJ Long Electric has been a residential master electrician for 30 years; small-commercial panel work uses the same skill set scaled up — and we stay inside the single-phase up-to-400A range where that scale extension is honest.
For an overview of all our commercial electrical offerings — repairs, lighting retrofits, EV charging, inspections, and tenant fit-outs — see our commercial electrical hub. For residential panel-upgrade work, the residential panel-upgrades page has detail on home loads, EV-driven upgrades, and FPE/Zinsco replacement.
Typical small-commercial panel jobs
Subpanel for new equipment
Restaurant kitchen, server room, HVAC expansion, EV charger bank — load calc, subpanel installation, feeder run from the main, breaker fit-out.
Service-entrance upgrade
100A → 200A or 200A → 400A single-phase. Includes meter coordination with the utility, weather-head and service-conductor replacement, and panel install with proper grounding/bonding.
Panel-to-panel replacement
Same-capacity replacement for a failing or out-of-code panel. Common when an older property is failing inspection or the building owner is preparing for a tenant turnover.
Subpanel for tenant build-out
Dedicated subpanel for a new tenant suite, sized to the lease load and labeled clearly so future maintenance is straightforward.
Where we fit — and where we don't
Honest scope on commercial panel work.
Best fit
- ·Single-phase up to 400A
- ·Subpanel additions for kitchen / server / HVAC / EV
- ·Service-entrance upgrades for small commercial
- ·Tenant-changeover panel work
- ·Failed-inspection panel replacement
- ·Property-manager portfolio panel updates
Not the right fit
- ·3-phase industrial service
- ·Heavy switchgear and central distribution
- ·Service entrance above 400A
- ·Healthcare-specialty panels (NEC 517)
- ·High-rise base-building distribution
Frequently asked questions
What size commercial panel upgrades do you handle?
We handle single-phase commercial panel and subpanel upgrades typically up to 400A — offices, retail tenants, restaurants, and small-business properties. Beyond 400A or any 3-phase industrial service work is outside our scope and we'll refer to a specialty commercial contractor.
Can you add a subpanel for new equipment or a kitchen?
Yes — adding a dedicated subpanel for a restaurant kitchen, a server room, or an office expansion is one of the most common small-commercial jobs we run. We size the subpanel and feeder for the load, pull the permit, and coordinate with the building owner if the main service is shared.
Do you coordinate with Dominion (or Pepco) for service work?
Yes. For service-entrance upgrades that need a meter disconnect/reconnect, we schedule the utility coordination, handle the permit, and time the disconnect window to minimize business impact. Most commercial service upgrades complete in one to two days.
Do you handle 3-phase commercial panels?
Generally no. Our commercial panel work is single-phase up to 400A — the small-commercial and tenant-grade range. For 3-phase industrial service, heavy switchgear, or specialty commercial gear, you want a contractor with that specific equipment and certification stack.
What does a typical commercial panel upgrade cost?
For small-commercial single-phase work: subpanel additions $2,500-$5,000, full service upgrades $5,500-$12,000 depending on amperage and conduit run length. The Standard Project and Larger Build-Out tiers on the commercial hub describe the typical range; every quote is written and itemized before work starts.
Planning a commercial panel upgrade?
Send us your scope and address; we'll do an on-site walkthrough, run the load calc, and provide a written quote with utility-coordination timeline.
See also: commercial electrical hub·commercial repairs·residential panel upgrades →