Town ‘n’ Country is the first stretch of Hillsborough County you reach after crossing the bay from Pinellas, about 18 miles from our Seminole shop. Its housing runs from 1960s and ’70s block homes with overhead drops to canal-front houses in Bay Port Colony, and many of them are still on the service they were built with. Keywest Lights & Electric (EC#13014717) handles the whole upgrade as a planned project: load math, Hillsborough County permit, Tampa Electric scheduling, inspection.
Call (727) 476-7079 or request a service upgrade assessment. Office 7 AM–5 PM, weekend appointments available.
What’s on the wall in Town ‘n’ Country
About 85,900 people live in this unincorporated community, and the median home dates to 1984; the oldest neighborhoods go back to the 1960s (Census ACS 2020–2024). The typical service upgrade call involves one of these:
- An overhead 100-amp drop on a 1960s–70s block home, with a mast that’s been painted over a few times and a meter can that’s rusting at the seams. The service size changes, so the mast and weatherhead change too.
- An addition or enclosed porch that was tied into a panel that had no room left.
- A converted garage with a mini-split, now competing with the main AC.
- A new pool heater, spa or EV charger that the load calculation can’t absorb.
- A waterfront home near Old Tampa Bay or on the Bay Port Colony canals, where corrosion and flood-zone rules both come into play.
Bay Port Colony and the low streets
Bay Port Colony and other low-lying waterfront areas can fall inside FEMA flood zones. If an upgrade is part of a substantial improvement, or follows storm damage, Hillsborough County may require service equipment above a certain elevation. We look at the flood designation before quoting, so the inspector’s expectations are built into the plan rather than discovered on install day. On these lots we also choose meter sockets and fittings that hold up to salt air.
Smaller fix first, when it works
- Panel only: if the amperage is adequate but the panel is worn out or a recalled brand, a panel upgrade in Town ‘n’ Country keeps the service and replaces the box.
- Load management: a load-managed EV charger or a SPAN smart panel in Town ‘n’ Country with SPAN PowerUp™ can pause or slow large loads to stay within the current rating and can sometimes avoid a utility service upgrade.^ Westchase owners can see SPAN in Westchase.
- The full upgrade: meter socket, service-entrance conductors, main disconnect, grounding and bonding, new panel, and whole-house surge protection, which the electrical code adopted in Florida requires when dwelling service equipment is replaced (surge protection).
Adding a car? EV charger installation in Town ‘n’ Country explains how we size the circuit and when it pushes a service change.
TECO and the county
- Utility: Tampa Electric. We submit the upgrade through TECO’s online Construction Center and track its work request. TECO owns the drop or underground lateral and the meter; the mast, weatherhead, meter socket and interior wiring belong to the owner. TECO reconnects after the county releases the inspection.
- Permit: the mailing address says Tampa, but Town ‘n’ Country is unincorporated, so permits go to Hillsborough County Development Services through HillsGovHub, not the City of Tampa.
Hillsborough Avenue and Memorial Highway businesses
Near the airport, shops and offices along Hillsborough Avenue and Memorial Highway regularly need more capacity for a new tenant, a kitchen or added equipment. We assess the existing service with your engineer or GC and take care of the county permit. See commercial electrical service.
How we schedule from across the bay
At about 18 miles, Town ‘n’ Country sits just past the ~15-mile area where we take small jobs and urgent calls. We book the visit and the install ahead of time and don’t promise response times across the bay. We don’t offer emergency service here; our emergency electrician service covers Pinellas addresses near our shop.
From first visit to reconnect
- We inspect the meter, panel, drop and grounding and note what you want to add.
- You get the load calculation and an itemized quote after the site visit.
- We file with HillsGovHub and open the TECO request.
- Install day; expect the power off for part of the day.
- Inspection, TECO reconnect and a labeled circuit directory.
Warranty and financing
Our workmanship warranty is 3 years, or 5 years for Member Care Plan members. Financing available through Acorn Finance, subject to credit approval, and you can check your options without affecting your credit score. Office hours: 7 AM–5 PM, with weekend appointments.
Keywest Lights & Electric has been in business since 2010. We’re woman-owned and family-run, a Home Depot preferred contractor, bondable to $1M with projects up to $2M. Solar and battery systems are installed by our licensed partner installers; we handle the electrical work and manage the project.
Town ‘n’ Country service upgrade FAQ
How much does a service upgrade cost in Town ‘n’ Country? That depends on overhead or underground service, the meter socket, panel, grounding, the county permit, flood-zone rules and TECO’s requirements. You get an itemized quote after a site visit.
My service comes in overhead from the back of the lot. Does that matter? It means the mast and weatherhead are usually replaced with the upgrade, and TECO reconnects the drop to the new equipment.
Do I need 200 amps? Many homes here with central AC, a pool and an EV do. Some don’t. The load calculation decides.
Who issues the permit? Hillsborough County, through HillsGovHub. Town ‘n’ Country is unincorporated.
Do you also upgrade service in Tampa, Carrollwood and Westchase? Yes. See service upgrades in Tampa, Carrollwood, Westchase and Riverview.
Town ‘n’ Country homeowners and business owners: call (727) 476-7079 or request an assessment.
^ Requires qualification and enrollment in SPAN PowerUp to avoid a utility service upgrade. Results are site-specific. SPAN® and SPAN PowerUp™ are trademarks of Span.IO, Inc. Keywest Lights & Electric is an independent SPAN Authorized Installer.
Related: Electrical Service Upgrades · Electrician in Town ‘n’ Country, FL · Panel upgrades in Town ‘n’ Country · EV chargers in Town ‘n’ Country · SPAN in Town ‘n’ Country · Service upgrades in Tampa · Electrician in Westchase, FL