Federal Pacific (FPE) Panels: Risk and Replacement Cost
What is known about Federal Pacific Stab-Lok breakers, what insurers say, and what replacing the panel costs.
The short version
Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) Stab-Lok panels were installed in many US homes from the 1950s to the 1980s. Independent testing found that many of their breakers can fail to trip under overload. Insurers and home inspectors commonly recommend replacing the whole panel rather than individual breakers.
What the CPSC found
The Consumer Product Safety Commission tested FPE breakers and confirmed that they "fail certain UL calibration test requirements", but said it was unable to link those failures to a hazardous situation. It closed its investigation in 1983 without a determination on safety and without a recall, citing the cost of further study.
What testing and insurers report
A Great American Insurance loss-control sheet cites testing by engineer Jesse Aronstein in which about 21% of single-pole and 36% of double-pole Stab-Lok breakers failed to trip at 135% of their rating. It also describes a New Jersey ruling that FPE had violated the state Consumer Fraud Act over its UL testing, and it recommends complete replacement of the panel. Kin Insurance says some insurers may refuse to cover or may decline to renew homes with FPE panels.
How to tell if you have one
Look for "Federal Pacific Electric" or "FPE" on the panel door or label, and for breakers marked "Stab-Lok", usually with a red stripe on the handle. If you are unsure, an electrician or home inspector can identify it.
Replacement cost
HomeAdvisor puts replacing a Federal Pacific or Zinsco panel at $1,500 to $4,000. That is in line with general 200-amp panel prices from Angi ($1,300 to $2,000) and This Old House ($1,300 to $3,000), plus any meter or wiring work the electrician finds. Run the estimator with the panel size you need.
Sources
Sources: CPSC, Commission Closes Investigation of FPE Circuit Breakers (1983, revised 2011); Great American Insurance, FPE Circuit Breaker safety topic (2017); Kin Insurance, Recalled Electrical Panels (Apr 30, 2026); HomeAdvisor, Upgrade an Electrical Panel (Jul 6, 2022); Angi, Cost to Upgrade an Electrical Panel; This Old House, Electrical Panel Upgrade Cost (updated Mar 31, 2026). Retrieved Oct 30, 2026.
Prices are published US ranges from the sources listed on each page; anything we calculated ourselves is labeled as an estimate. Get at least three written, itemized local quotes. Run the estimator to build your own range.