Panels and service
Electrical panel upgrade
A panel is replaced for one of three reasons: it is unsafe, it is full, or the house needs more power than the service can deliver. A panel swap keeps the same service size. A service upgrade, usually from 100 to 200 amps, also replaces the meter socket and service cable and involves the utility.
Call availability varies by area and time of day. Calls are routed to an independent electrical contractor. Reviewed .
Panel replacement or service upgrade?
The two jobs are often quoted under the same name. Ask which one you are being offered.
Panel replacement
- New panel and breakers at the same amperage
- Meter socket and service cable stay
- Right for a defective, damaged or obsolete panel when capacity is adequate
- Typically completed in a day
Service upgrade
- Higher amperage, most often 100 to 200 amps
- New meter socket, service cable, mast or underground riser, grounding and panel
- Needs the utility to disconnect and reconnect, and sometimes to upsize its own line
- Right when new loads will not fit: EV charging, heat pumps, electric cooking, an addition
If space is the only problem and the service has capacity to spare, a subpanel may solve it for less.
Signs a panel should be replaced
Heat, scorch marks or a burning smell at the panel
Signs of arcing at the bus bars. Treat as urgent; see buzzing electrical panel.
Rust or water tracks inside the cabinet
Water follows the service cable into the panel. Corroded breakers may not trip.
A Federal Pacific Stab-Lok or Zinsco panel
Both are widely flagged by home inspectors and insurers for breakers that may fail to trip or that fuse to the bus. Many insurers ask for replacement.
A fuse box
Fuses protect correctly when sized correctly, but fuse panels are small, often overfused by past owners, and hard to insure.
No free spaces and many tandem breakers
A crowded panel is a capacity question first. A load calculation decides whether a subpanel or a larger service is needed.
Breakers that trip under normal use
See breaker keeps tripping to separate a circuit problem from a panel problem.
How a service upgrade is carried out
Load calculation
The electrician adds up the house's loads using the method in the electrical code. This sets the service size and is usually required with the permit.
Permit and utility request
The contractor applies for the permit and files a service request with the utility, which sets its own meter location and clearance rules.
Disconnect
The utility, or the electrician where the utility allows it, disconnects the service. The house has no power from this point.
Replace the equipment
Meter socket, service cable, panel, breakers and the grounding system are installed and each circuit is moved across and labeled.
Inspection
The inspector checks the work. Most utilities will not reconnect until the inspection has been passed and reported to them.
Reconnect
The utility restores power. Plan for most of a working day without power, and longer where inspection and reconnection cannot happen the same day.
Which service size fits which house
A rough orientation only. The load calculation for your house is what counts.
| Service size | Typically suits | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| 60 amps | Small older homes with gas heat and gas cooking | Too small for central air, an electric range or EV charging. Often refused by insurers. |
| 100 amps | Small to mid-size homes with gas heating and water heating | Tight once an electric range, dryer and air conditioning run together. |
| 200 amps | Most modern homes, including electric cooking, air conditioning and one EV charger | The standard for new single-family construction in most areas. |
| 320/400 amps | Large all-electric homes, multiple EV chargers, workshops, accessory dwellings | Needs heavier utility equipment and sometimes a transformer upgrade. |
Load management devices can sometimes add an EV charger or heat pump to a 100-amp service without an upgrade. See EV charger installation.
What changes the scope and the price
Published price ranges are in the panel upgrade cost guide.
- Overhead or underground service
- Underground services can mean trenching or a new conduit to the utility's connection point.
- Meter location
- Utilities may require the meter to move to meet current clearance rules, which lengthens the service run.
- Grounding and bonding
- Older homes often need new ground rods and bonding of water and gas piping.
- Condition of the branch wiring
- Short, brittle or aluminum conductors need extending or special connectors at the new panel.
- Code-required additions
- A new panel can trigger current requirements such as AFCI breakers or surge protection, depending on the code edition your area enforces.
- Wall repair
- Patching stucco, siding or drywall around a relocated panel is usually separate from the electrical price.
Panel terms explained
- Service size
- The maximum current the house can draw from the utility, in amps. Common sizes are 100 and 200.
- Bus bar
- The metal bars inside the panel that breakers clip onto to pick up power.
- Load calculation
- The code method for adding up a house's electrical demand to size the service.
- Meter socket
- The enclosure the utility's meter plugs into. Replaced in a service upgrade.
What to have ready before a panel quote
A photo of the panel with the door open
Showing the label, the breakers and the main breaker rating.
A photo of the meter and the service entry
Overhead or underground, and how close it is to windows or gas equipment.
Your plans
EV charger, heat pump, electric range, addition or hot tub. They decide the size.
Any insurer or inspector letter
So the quote addresses exactly what was flagged.
Panel upgrade questions
Does a panel upgrade need a permit?
Yes, in practically every U.S. jurisdiction, and an inspection before the utility reconnects. A contractor who suggests skipping the permit is a warning sign.
Will a 200-amp panel lower my electric bill?
No. A larger service raises the amount of power available at once. It does not change how much you use.
Can I add more breakers instead?
Only up to the number the panel is listed for, and only if the load calculation shows spare capacity. Tandem breakers are allowed only in the slots the panel label permits.
Do I have to upgrade for an EV charger?
Not always. It depends on the calculated load and the charger's size. A smaller charging circuit or a load management device is sometimes enough.
Are there rebates or tax credits?
Incentives for panel upgrades tied to electrification have existed at federal, state and utility level, but they change often. Check current rules with your utility and a tax professional before relying on one.
How do I know what size my electrical service is?
The main breaker is usually marked with its rating, for example 100 or 200. The meter socket and the service cable size must match it, which an electrician can confirm.
How long does a panel upgrade take?
A like-for-like panel replacement is typically a day. A service upgrade adds utility scheduling and inspection, so the whole process often runs to days or weeks even though the power is off for one day.
Is it safe to stay in the house during a panel upgrade?
Yes, but there is no power for most of the day. Plan for refrigeration, medical equipment and working from home.
Can I upgrade a panel myself?
Service conductors stay live even with the main breaker off, and most jurisdictions require a licensed electrician and a permit. It is not a homeowner job.
Is a panel upgrade different in a city with its own code?
Yes. For example, Chicago requires conduit and a city-licensed contractor. See panel upgrades in Chicago.
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