Electrical Panel Replacement Cost
What a panel upgrade costs, and when you actually need one.
Compiled by DIY Repair Guide · reviewed 2026-09-05 ·how we research these
A panel replacement is one of the few electrical jobs where the quote is genuinely large and largely unavoidable. It is a day or two of licensed work, a permit, an inspection, and usually a coordinated power shutdown with the utility.
It is also a job people are sold when they do not need it. Running out of breaker spaces is not the same as running out of capacity, and the cheaper fix is often a subpanel rather than a service upgrade.
What It Costs
Installed figures including panel, breakers, labor, permit and inspection, for a like-for-like replacement in an accessible location.
- The utility may bill separately. Upgrading the service drop, the meter base or the underground lateral is often the utility’s work and its own charge, sometimes included and sometimes several thousand dollars.
- Permit and inspection run $100 to $500 and are not optional. Unpermitted panel work is a serious problem at sale and can affect an insurance claim.
- Aluminum service entrance conductors sized for 100A cannot simply be reused at 200A. If the feeder has to be replaced, that is trenching or wall work on top.
| Job | Typical installed cost |
|---|---|
| Replace panel, same amperage (100A) | $1,300–2,500 |
| Replace panel, same amperage (200A) | $1,800–3,500 |
| Upgrade 100A service to 200A | $2,500–5,000 |
| Upgrade 60A or fuse box to 200A | $3,000–6,500 |
| Upgrade to 400A service | $5,000–12,000 |
| Add a subpanel | $800–2,000 |
| Move the panel to a new location | add $1,000–3,000 |
| Replace a single breaker | $120–300 |
Do You Need an Upgrade, or Just More Space?
These get conflated constantly, and the difference is thousands of dollars.
Running out of breaker slots is a space problem. A subpanel fed from the existing main gives you more circuits without touching the service, and costs a fraction of an upgrade. Tandem breakers, where the panel is listed for them, are cheaper still.
Running out of capacity is a service problem. That is when the total calculated load of the house approaches what the service can deliver, and no amount of rearranging fixes it.
The test is a load calculation, which an electrician can do from the square footage, the fixed appliances and the planned additions. Ask for one before agreeing to an upgrade. If the answer is that your 100A service is at 55 percent, you do not need 200A, you need a subpanel.
Genuine reasons to upgrade: adding an EV charger, an electric range or a heat pump. A 60A or fuse-box service. Or a load calculation that comes back near capacity. "The panel is full" on its own is not one.
The Panels That Must Be Replaced Regardless
A small number of panel types have documented failure histories serious enough that replacement is recommended on sight, independent of capacity. Insurers increasingly refuse to write policies on homes containing them.
| Panel | Problem |
|---|---|
| Federal Pacific Electric (FPE) Stab-Lok | Breakers documented to fail to trip under overload |
| Zinsco / Sylvania-Zinsco | Bus bar corrosion and breakers that fail to trip |
| Challenger | Breaker failure and overheating reports |
| Split-bus panels (no single main) | Obsolete. No single disconnect, hard to service |
| Fuse boxes | Typically 60A, no ground, easily over-fused |
If your panel says Federal Pacific, Stab-Lok or Zinsco, have it assessed by an electrician. These are not merely obsolete. The failure mode is a breaker that does not trip when it should, which removes the protection the panel exists to provide.
Signs a Panel Needs Attention
Some of these are urgent, some are simply informative.
- Urgent: burning smell, scorch marks, buzzing or crackling from the panel, a panel that is warm to the touch, or visible rust and water staining inside.
- Urgent: breakers that trip with no identifiable load, or that will not reset firmly.
- Worth addressing: a fuse box, a 60A service, or any of the panel brands above.
- Worth addressing: no room for arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) or ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) breakers where current code now requires them.
- Informative: lights dimming when a large appliance starts, which is sometimes a capacity issue and often just a shared circuit or a loose neutral. Either is worth investigating.
- Informative: a panel over about forty years old. Age alone is not a fault, but it correlates with obsolete equipment and undersized service.
What the Job Involves
Understanding the sequence helps make sense of the price.
The utility disconnects power at the meter or the drop, usually by scheduled appointment, which is why the job cannot simply happen on demand. The old panel comes out, the new enclosure is mounted, every circuit is re-terminated and labelled, grounding and bonding are brought to current code (frequently including new ground rods and a water-pipe bond), and the whole thing is inspected before the utility restores power.
Expect the house to be without power for most of a day. A straightforward like-for-like swap is often one day. A service upgrade with utility coordination and a new meter base can run two or more.
Getting a Fair Quote
Panel work has a wide spread, and itemisation is how you compare.
- Ask for a load calculation in writing if an upgrade is being recommended.
- Get the utility charges stated separately. Or confirmed as not applicable.
- Confirm the permit is included and who pulls it. The electrician should.
- Ask what code upgrades are triggered. Ground rods, water bonding, AFCI and GFCI breakers throughout, and surge protection in some jurisdictions all add cost and are usually mandatory rather than optional.
- Check the breaker count included. A quote that covers the panel but prices AFCI breakers separately can be misleading, because they are considerably dearer than standard ones.
- Verify licensing and insurance, and that the quote is a quote rather than an estimate.
Common questions
How much does it cost to replace an electrical panel?
Typically $1,300 to $2,500 for a like-for-like 100A replacement and $1,800 to $3,500 at 200A. Upgrading service capacity from 100A to 200A usually runs $2,500 to $5,000, plus any separate utility charge.
Do I need a 200 amp panel?
Only if a load calculation says so. Adding an EV charger, electric range or heat pump commonly pushes a 100A service to its limit. If you simply have no free breaker slots, a subpanel is far cheaper and solves the actual problem.
How long does a panel replacement take?
A like-for-like swap is usually one day, with the house without power for most of it. A full service upgrade needing utility coordination and a new meter base often runs two days or more.
Is a Federal Pacific panel really dangerous?
FPE Stab-Lok panels have a documented history of breakers failing to trip under overload, which defeats the point of the panel. Replacement is widely recommended, and some insurers will not write a policy on a home that has one.
Can I replace my own electrical panel?
In almost all jurisdictions, no. Panel work involves conductors that remain live even with the main breaker off, it requires a permit and inspection, and it usually needs the utility to disconnect the service. This is licensed work.