What We Handle in New Braunfels
Most HVAC companies in New Braunfels can't touch your electrical panel. Moorhead can. We're licensed for both — which means when a contactor job turns into a disconnect wiring issue, or the new circuit for your EV charger requires a panel breaker, we handle it in the same truck, the same day.
Panel Upgrades & Repairs
A lot of New Braunfels housing stock — particularly anything off Common Street, Loop 337, or out toward Canyon Lake built before 1985 — is running on panels that weren't designed for today's electrical load. Central AC, a dryer, a dishwasher, an EV charger, and a hot tub are not a 1970s electrical situation.
If your panel has fewer than four open breaker slots and you're adding any significant load, get a load calculation done before something trips that doesn't untrip.
The Federal Pacific panel in older NB homes: New Braunfels has its share of housing built in the 1950s–1970s. A meaningful portion still has Federal Pacific Electric Stab-Lok panels — which look fine, test functional, and are documented to fail to trip under overload. Instead of cutting power to a faulting circuit, they arc. Justin finds one or two a year in Guadalupe and Comal County. He explains what it is, gives a flat-rate replacement quote, and doesn't push. Most people replace it. Insurance carriers are increasingly refusing coverage on homes with FPE panels — that's not a scare, it's a fact worth knowing.
Generac Generator Installation
Texas lightning is the universe's way of stress-testing your appliances. Usually during a long weekend.
Post-Uri, a standby generator is no longer a luxury item for a lot of Comal County homeowners. Moorhead is an authorized Generac dealer. We do the load calculation, pull the permit, install the transfer switch, connect the gas line, set up Mobile Link monitoring, and do the first service at 25 hours. The only thing that matters about a standby generator is whether it starts and runs when the grid doesn't — everything else is secondary to that.
EV Charger Installation
A Level 2 EV charger needs a dedicated 240V circuit — 50 amps for most vehicles, 60 amps for trucks and larger. We run the circuit, mount the charger, and set up the scheduling so it charges during AEP's off-peak window (9pm–6am), which keeps your electricity costs lower. The panel has to have the capacity for it — we check before we quote.
Whole Home Surge Protection
The ERCOT grid operates independently from the US national grid, which means Texas homes see more frequent voltage transients than interstate-grid states. A Type 2 panel-mounted surge protector — 50kA minimum, 80–100kA for generator or EV charger homes — is a $250–$450 install that protects everything downstream. Texas lightning is not hypothetical.
Smoke & CO Detector Installation
Hardwired, interconnected detectors throughout the house. When one trips, they all sound. That's the code requirement and the right way to do it. Battery-only detectors have batteries that die. Hardwired units don't have that problem — which is the whole point of hardwired units.
Electrical Inspections
A full home electrical inspection covers the panel, service entrance, branch circuits, outlets, GFCI and AFCI protection, grounding, and any visible wiring. Written report with flat-rate repair quotes. Useful before buying a home, before a renovation, or just because you'd like to know the state of the system before something tells you. Inspection under 2,000 sq ft starts at $150.
What It Costs
| Service | Notes | Price |
|---|
| 200A panel upgrade | New panel, breakers, service entrance, permit, inspection | $1,800–$2,800 |
| 100A panel replacement | New panel, breakers, permit, inspection | $1,200–$1,800 |
| FPE / Zinsco panel evaluation | Safety report + replacement quote | $100–$150 |
| EV charger install (Level 2) | Dedicated 240V circuit, permit, AEP off-peak setup | $400–$800 |
| Generac generator install | By system size — free load assessment first | $4,500–$16,000 |
| Electrical inspection (under 2,000 sq ft) | Written report + repair quotes | $150–$275 |
| GFCI outlet installation | Test, install, code documentation | $75–$150/location |
| Type 2 surge protector | Panel install — 50kA standard, 80–100kA for generator/EV homes | $250–$450 |
| Smoke + CO detectors (full home) | All units, hardwired, interconnected | $450–$900 |
All prices flat-rate, all-in, written and approved before work starts. Permits pulled where required — unpermitted work costs more to fix later than the permit would have cost upfront. Financing available on larger jobs through GoodLeap.
What Not to DIY
Swapping an outlet — maybe, if you know what you're doing. Swapping a breaker, adding a circuit, anything inside the main panel — no. Texas law allows homeowners to do electrical work on their own primary residence. The panel is where even people who know what they're doing take it seriously. The risk is electrocution and house fires, in that order. Give us a call.
Licensed for HVAC + electrical