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Last reviewed 2026-10-30

Zinsco Panels: Problems and Replacement Cost

Why Zinsco and Sylvania-Zinsco panels are flagged by inspectors and insurers, and what replacement costs.

Why Zinsco panels are flagged

Great American Insurance says the aluminum clips that hold Zinsco breakers to the bus bar can loosen and arc, and the bus bar can corrode. Breakers can melt onto the bus, fail to trip, and in some cases keep conducting power with the breaker switched off.

Other names to look for

Zinsco-style breakers were also sold under the Sylvania, GTE, Kearney and Challenger names, according to the same source. Kin Insurance lists Zinsco among older panels that some insurers may refuse to cover.

Replacement cost

HomeAdvisor puts replacing a Zinsco or Federal Pacific panel at $1,500 to $4,000. Expect the same line items as any panel replacement: the new panel, permit, and often a meter base or service cable.

Sources

Sources: Great American Insurance, Is Your Electric Panel a Fire Risk?; Kin Insurance, Recalled Electrical Panels (Apr 30, 2026); HomeAdvisor, Upgrade an Electrical Panel (Jul 6, 2022). 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.

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