Add power and safety to your home's electrical system
Upgrading an electrical panel increases your home's electrical capacity and safety, especially when adding major appliances or converting to electric HVAC systems.
Expect to pay $1,000 to $4,500 for professional electrical panel upgrades, with average costs around $1,600 depending on your home's specific needs.
Your electrical upgrade requires permits, utility coordination, and inspection approval before power can be restored, so plan for temporary service interruption during installation.
Hiring a local electrical panel upgrade professional keeps your home safe and ensures the work meets building codes, handles permit applications, and passes inspections.
Whether you live in an older home with outdated electrical service or need more power for new appliances, you may wonder how to upgrade your electrical panel. This is a risky project that requires a professional, but it's important to be informed. Here's what you need to know about electrical panel upgrading, including necessary prep work, the expected cost, what a professional will do, and more.
There may be several reasons why you need to upgrade your electrical panel. The most common is updating old electrical service to a more modern, safe, and robust system. Switching to 100 or 200-amp electrical service from an old home's fuse box or undersized breaker box can increase the safety of the entire system. Other reasons include:
Increasing electrical demand
Home renovations or new appliances
Home office or work-from-home needs
Switching your HVAC from gas to electric
Adding central air conditioning to your home
Improving resale value
The average cost to upgrade an electrical panel to 200 amps is $1,600. However, the price can range from $800 to over $4,000, depending on the job's specifics. Adding higher amp service, such as 300 or 400 amps, will increase the cost, as will adding new circuits that require additional wiring. If your home doesn't currently have grounded outlets, this additional task will also increase the project's cost.
Electrical panel upgrading is generally not a DIY project. In some municipalities, parts of the job are illegal for a homeowner without the help of an electrician. Besides the high degree of electrical knowledge that’s necessary, upgrading an electrical panel can be hazardous and even lethal.
Preparing for an electrical panel upgrade comes down to choosing which electrical contractor will do the work. Selecting a provider requires due diligence, as swapping electrical boxes and rewiring parts of your house is a major job.
Upgrading your electrical panel can mean several different things. In some cases, your electrical system may only require repair and internal updating, and you won't need any assistance from your electrical service utility provider. However, extra steps with the power company are needed when upgrading to 200 amp service or higher.
Upgrading your electrical panel means your home's electricity will be off for a while, which can disrupt everyday life. With the help of your electrician, develop a plan, including what work is necessary, how much it will cost, how long it will take, and what day or days work best.
Your electrician will take the information from the plan and file a permit application with your city or municipality. The permit application requires specifics about the upgrade, and approval is necessary before any work can begin. Keep in mind that your electrician will handle this part of the process, and you should ensure that’s the case before hiring them.
The power company that supplies electricity to your home will need to turn off the flow of electricity before upgrading your panel. Your electrician will schedule this with the power company. The service provider may also inspect, upgrade, or replace parts of the service connection to the home during this time.
While the electrical power is off, the electrician will remove the existing panel and any wiring that needs replacing. They’ll install the new panel, breakers, wiring, and other necessary components. If there's other electrical work to perform, whether related to the upgrade or not, consult your electrician about whether it makes sense to add on that service now or wait until a later date.
Your electrical company can only turn the power back on once your upgrade work passes a final electrical inspection from your city or municipality. Your electrician will notify the electrical utility provider to turn the power on after the inspector signs off on the permit.
Upgrading the electrical panel in your home requires precise planning and timing. Your electrician must have skills not only related to the physical work itself, but also the ability to schedule and delegate effectively. Here are a few tips to help make your electrical upgrade project go smoothly.
Obtain at least three quotes for the work and carefully interview each company before hiring.
Schedule your panel upgrade for a time or day when not having electricity will be the least disruptive.
Plan other electrical upgrades or repairs at the same time to minimize disruptions.
The cost to replace a circuit breaker box averages between $520 and $2,140, and upgrading your electrical service can increase that cost. You might be tempted to DIY and save on labor fees, but doing so is dangerous and sometimes illegal.
When it's time to upgrade your electrical panel, contact an electrical panel upgrade professional near you to start the process. These pros have the skills and knowledge to seamlessly upgrade your electrical system with efficiency in mind.
Great company! Price was competitive, technician showed up on time and completed the job (exterior electric Radon fan replacement) quickly. Would hire them again.
MaGen Property Inspections and Radon MitigationI conferred with 2 other contractors before Armstrong Electric. Nick and his crew showed me that the project was not as convoluted as the other contractors made it appear to be. They completed the entire project on time. They were professional, friendly and cleaned up after at completion. I...
Armstrong Electric LLCThe techs on my project, Shawn and Cliff, were great. They were prompt, courteous, and efficient. I am very happy with the results and would definitely contact Mr. Electric for any future electrical projects.
Mr. Electric of ColumbusVictor was wonderful. He was on time, professional, and explained everything he was doing. He was thorough and figured out that the problem was electrical instead of with my HVAC system. Very knowledgeable. I will be using this company in the future for any HVAC needs. Thanks!
Hubbs Heating & Air LLCThey were excellent. They did a great job. I was totally satisfied. They put tremendous effort in making sure the work was completed. They were great. They provided immediate response to any inquires I made. I would hire them again. I would recommend them to anyone who needs electrical work....
Property-Tech Industries, LLCInitially, the repairman could not find the problem. Apparently, there was some electrical shortage, but he could not find the definite problem. He left, but called back later to say he had a new idea. He returned and replaced the light switches on the doors. The refrigerator seemed to return...
Appliance Pro LLCThe initial quoted price from a walk-through seemed high, but we discussed that the quote represented worst case scenario (re-wiring to two floors) and we were excited about the opportunity to have the work done in a timely manner with closing for fire safety reasons, etc. When the job was...
I have to tell you I am all about customer service - I will go out of my way and even pay more for it if you give me great customer service. <br> <br>In a world where this is hard to find, these guys were awesome! I can not sing their praises enough. They were prompt, personable, funny, got...
Waibel ElectricWhen I challenged the markup on the generator, Bruder Electric withdrew its bid. They only want naïve customers.
We had no power to any of the electrical outlets in the MBR. We'd had an intermittent problem for a few years and they finally went out all together. We live on the 3rd floor of a 100 year old building and I know from past experience the wiring has been added to in hodgepodge ways over the...
From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.
Looking to size up your electrical system to cover higher usage and improve efficiency? Use this guide to see the cost to upgrade an electrical panel.
Your budget for moving an electrical panel depends on the type, labor, and more. Find out the average cost to move an electrical panel.
Electrical panel replacement costs $530 to $2,100, depending on the location, the type of hardware, and any required building materials.
If your electrical panel is interrupting your home’s aesthetic, you can cover it with art, paint it, or try one of these other ways to hide an electrical panel.
Electrical upgrades can improve your home’s energy efficiency. Keep reading to find out which electrical upgrades you should consider.
Wondering if a breaker box upgrade will reduce your electric bill? It very well could. Learn more in this informative guide.
