Electrical Panel Upgrade Cost Calculator
| Job | Typical installed | Timeline | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 to 200 amp upgrade | $1,800-3,800 | half day + inspection | the standard whole-house move |
| 200 to dual 200 (or 400) | $3,500-7,000 | full day | big EV + big heat pump territory |
| Subpanel addition | $500-1,200 | hours | when the main is fine, just full |
| Meter box or mast repair | $600-1,500 | same visit if lucky | utility-side may be on them |
Panel upgrades used to be a renovation footnote; this decade they are the gateway purchase - the EV charger wants a 200-amp service, the heat pump wants what the gas furnace never asked for, and the century home still humming on 60 or 100 amps wants all of it at once. The honest band: 100-to-200-amp upgrades run $1,800-3,800 installed with permit and utility coordination, dual-200 (or 400-amp) setups run $3,500-7,000, and sometimes the right answer is a $500-1,200 subpanel because the main was fine and merely full.
The calculator prices your move - current service, target service, and the reason driving it - because the reason matters: an EV on a 150-amp house usually fits with a load calculation, the legacy Federal Pacific or Zinsco panel in the reason list is an insurance conversation as much as an electrical one, and the 400-amp request that follows a big heat pump quote is often one correctly-sized unit away from unnecessary.
The process realities frame the money: the utility pulls and resets the meter, so the power-off window is hours to a day and crews schedule around the utility slot; permits run $100-500 and the inspection is the part of the invoice your insurer will actually value; and aluminum branch wiring discovered mid-job can turn an upgrade into a rewiring conversation, which is why honest electricians quote bands and load calculations instead of numbers over the phone.
How to use
- Find your current service: the main breaker number on the panel, 100 or 150 or 200 - and if the panel says Federal Pacific or Zinsco, that brand is its own reason row.
- Pick the target honestly: 200 amps covers a house with an EV or a heat pump; 400 (usually two 200s) is for both plus a shop or an addition.
- Name the driver - the reason changes the load calculation the electrician should run before quoting anything.
- Ask for the load calculation before accepting any band: it is the difference between the panel you need and the panel that was sold.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to upgrade to a 200-amp panel?
The standard 100-to-200-amp upgrade runs $1,800-3,800 installed - panel, breakers, grounding, permit and the utility meter pull - with 60-amp century services starting higher ($2,200-4,500) because the service entrance wiring usually goes too. Dual-200 or 400-amp setups run $3,500-7,000. Quotes far below the band are missing the permit or the meter work, which surfaces as a lien on the sale or a red-tagged meter, both cheaper to avoid.
Do I need a panel upgrade for an EV charger?
Maybe not: a 150-amp house with a 32-amp charger usually passes a load calculation without an upgrade, and chargers with adjustable amperage make the fit easier still. The upgrade becomes real when the service is 100 amps or less, or when the charger, heat pump and range all land in the same year. The load calculation costs an hour of an electrician's time and is the honest gate between a $500 breaker and a $2,800 panel.
How long does a panel upgrade take?
The work is a half-day to a day; the power is off for roughly that window while the utility pulls and resets the meter. The full timeline includes the utility coordination slot (days to weeks depending on the utility), the permit inspection, and the utility's own final reconnection - so book around a week of real-world time even though the crew is only there for hours. Plan the fridge strategy accordingly.
Are old electrical panels dangerous?
Some, specifically: Federal Pacific Electric (FPE Stab-Lok) and Zinsco panels have documented histories of breakers that fail to trip under overcurrent, which is the exact job a breaker exists to do - and US Fire Administration data counts electrical malfunctions among the leading residential fire causes. Insurers increasingly ask the brand at renewal. A panel that is merely old and by a reputable maker is a capacity decision; those two brands are a replace-it decision wearing a capacity costume.
What is a subpanel and when does it work instead?
A subpanel is a smaller distribution box fed from the main - $500-1,200 installed - and it solves the wrong problem brilliantly: a full panel with open capacity upstairs in the service. If the main breaker can carry the house's real load (that calculation again), adding circuits via a subpanel beats replacing the service. It fails exactly when the main itself is undersized, which is why the load calculation comes before any panel shopping - including the one this page prices.