It's in a basement or garage, and most owners have never opened it. They don't know the brand, the amperage, or whether the breakers work.
Electrical play · Panel upgrades
Panel upgrade leads from homes built in the Federal Pacific and 100-amp era.
Millions of homes still run on panels installed decades ago, some from brands that home inspectors routinely flag, and many on 100-amp service that can't handle a heat pump, an EV charger, and an induction range. Spur finds homes built in those eras, writes a free panel assessment offer for each owner, and alerts you when someone scans.
Free forever plan · No card · 20 property searches a month
USPSFirst-Class
Gary Feldman412 Kings CroftCherry Hill, NJ 08034Scan for a free panel assessment
Gary F. booked a free panel assessment · 15 min ago
AI-written for this owner · Mailed in 2 days
1950–1990era of Federal Pacific and Zinsco panel installs
100Aservice in many older homes, short of modern loads
46,700home fires a year involve electrical failure or malfunction
The problem
Most homeowners have no idea what's in their panel.
Panels usually get replaced after a flagged inspection, a tripping breaker, or a new appliance that won't fit. Then the homeowner calls three electricians.
Heat pumps, EV chargers, and induction ranges add load. Homes on 100-amp service often need an upgrade first, but owners don't find out until the install.
How it works
From list to mailbox in one workflow.
Five steps from a panel-era list to a booked assessment.
app.usespur.com
See it in Spur
A panel upgrade list in Spur
Sample homes in one Cherry Hill zip built in the Federal Pacific era. Names are partly masked.
Zip 08034Single-familyOwner-occupiedBuilt 1955–1985Owned 10+ yrs
- Gary F.412 Kings Croft2,140 sq ft · built 1968Owned 24 yrsFPE era
- Linda & Joe M.1205 Winding Way2,560 sq ft · built 1962Owned 31 yrs100A likely
- Sunil P.308 Covered Bridge Rd1,980 sq ft · built 1973Owned 14 yrs
- Ruth K.1517 Chapel Ave1,760 sq ft · built 1958Owned 35 yrs100A likely
- Mark D.227 Barclay Ln2,310 sq ft · built 1979Owned 17 yrsFPE era
AI draft for Gary F. · 412 Kings Croft
IS THE ORIGINAL 1968 PANEL STILL IN YOUR HOME?
Hi Gary, homes on Kings Croft were built in 1968. Panels from that era include brands like Federal Pacific and Zinsco, which home inspectors often flag for evaluation, and many homes were wired for 100-amp service.
That was plenty in 1968. Today, a heat pump, an EV charger, or an induction range can push an older service to its limit. Our free panel assessment checks the brand, the breakers, the service size, and your current load, and gives you an honest answer on whether you need an upgrade now, later, or not at all.
Scan the code to book a 30-minute visit.
Garden State Electric · NJ Lic. #34EI01928400 · (856) 555-0133
Sample data for illustration. Your results depend on your market and filters.
Playbook
How to find electrical panel upgrade leads
Panel upgrades are among the most valuable residential electrical jobs, and among the most predictable. The panel a home has, and the service size it was built with, depend heavily on when it was built. That makes build year one of the best targeting signals an electrician has.
Two groups of homes stand out. The first is homes built from roughly the 1950s through the 1980s, when Federal Pacific Electric Stab-Lok and Zinsco panels were widely installed. Home inspectors commonly flag those brands for evaluation or replacement because of long-standing concerns about breakers that may not trip reliably. The second is homes on 100-amp service, common in older construction, which often can't support today's loads. The National Fire Protection Association estimates that U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 46,700 home fires a year involving electrical failure or malfunction from 2015 to 2019.
Electrification adds a non-alarming reason to talk. Heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, EV chargers, and induction ranges all add load. Many homeowners planning one of those projects don't learn that their service is too small until an installer tells them. A panel assessment that includes a load calculation helps them plan, and positions you as the electrician for the whole project.
Avoid fear tactics. Name the build year, explain in one or two sentences what panels and service sizes were common then, and offer a free assessment with an honest answer. Homeowners respond to specific, factual information far better than to warnings, and an honest "your panel is fine" builds trust for later work.
Expect a considered decision. Panel upgrades often involve the utility and a permit, so plan two or three touches over a couple of months, and send a reminder before summer, when air conditioning pushes older services hardest.
Coordinate with the utility early. Service upgrades often require a utility disconnect and reconnect, a permit, and an inspection, and homeowners appreciate a contractor who handles that paperwork. Mentioning it on the card removes a common reason people delay.
6×return on a year of Spur Team from one $3,800 panel upgrade
One panel upgrade covers years of Spur.
- Spur Team: $49/mo billed annually = $588/yr
- 800 panel-era homes × 2 cards = 1,600 postcards at $0.94 = $1,504
- Five $3,800 panel upgrades = $19,000, or about 9× the software and postage combined
Example math. Upgrade pricing depends on service size, utility work, and permits. Run your own numbers →
One tool, not four
Spur vs. the usual way to find panel jobs
What you needThe usual waySpur
Homes built in the FPE and 100-amp eraWaiting for inspection referrals✓ Built in
Exclusive leadSame request sent to several electricians✓ Built in
Card about their home's panel eraGeneric electrical coupon✓ Built in
Printing and mailingPrint shop and post office✓ Built in
Knowing who's interestedWaiting for the phone✓ Built in
From electricians using Spur
Results from the mailbox.
“I ran a panel upgrade campaign targeting pre-1990 homes in my service area. Mailed 100 AI postcards with a QR to my free assessment page. Booked 18 assessments. Converted 11 into full panel replacements at an average of $3,800 each. That campaign made me $41,800.”
FAQ
Panel upgrade lead questions
How do electricians find panel upgrade leads?
Target build years. Homes built from about 1950 to 1990 are likely to have panels from that era, including Federal Pacific and Zinsco, and many older homes are on 100-amp service. Filter to owner-occupied homes held 10+ years.
Should I mention Federal Pacific on a mailer?
Factually and briefly. Say the brand was common in homes of that era and that inspectors often flag it for evaluation. Avoid alarming language and offer a free assessment.
What's the best offer for panel upgrade marketing?
A free panel assessment with a load calculation. It answers what the homeowner has, whether it's safe, and whether it can handle a heat pump, EV charger, or induction range.
Do heat pumps and EV chargers require a panel upgrade?
Not always, but many homes on 100-amp service need one or need load management. A load calculation tells you, and it's a natural reason to mail homeowners planning those projects.
Are panel upgrade leads from Spur exclusive?
Yes. You build the list and mail it. Homeowners who scan are responding to your card, not a request sent to several electricians.
Keep exploring
Related plays and guides
Start in minutes. No card required.
Find the panels before they find a problem.
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