400 Amp Service Upgrade Cost
Upgrading to 400-amp service typically costs $4,000 – $10,000 and up, depending on whether the utility runs overhead or underground, how the 400 amps is configured, and how much service-entrance work the job requires. It is the tier large and all-electric homes reach when stacking an EV charger, a heat pump, electric cooking, and a hot tub pushes a 200-amp service past its limit. Here is what it costs and why.
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| Scope | Installed range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 200A to 400A, service side reusable | $4,000 – $6,500 | Rare, only if equipment supports it |
| 400A with two 200A panels | $5,000 – $8,500 | Common configuration via a meter-main |
| 400A with full service entrance | $6,500 – $10,000 | New meter-main, mast, cable |
| Overhead to underground 400A | $8,000 – $15,000+ | Trenching and utility coordination |
| Transformer upgrade required | +$2,000 – $10,000+ | If the utility must upsize the transformer |
| Line item | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 400A meter-main / equipment | $600 – $2,500 | Meter-main with two 200A panels |
| Panels & breakers | $500 – $1,800 | Two load centers, AFCI/GFCI breakers |
| Service-entrance conductors | $500 – $2,000 | Heavy 400A-rated cable |
| Mast / weatherhead / riser | $400 – $1,500 | Upsized for 400A service |
| Electrician labor | $1,800 – $4,500 | Larger equipment, more terminations |
| Permit, inspection, utility fees | $200 – $1,000 | Higher than a 200A job |
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When 200 amps is not enough
For decades, 200-amp service was the ceiling a normal home needed. Electrification is changing that. A modern all-electric home can stack loads that individually demand a lot: a heat pump or two, a heat-pump water heater, an electric range and oven, a clothes dryer, a Level 2 EV charger (or two), and a hot tub or pool equipment. Run a load calculation across all of that and a 200-amp service can come up short.
The honest first step is an electrical load calculation, not the upgrade. Many homes that feel like they need 400 amps actually fit in 200 amps with smart load management, which sheds or staggers non-critical loads (the second EV, the hot tub) so they do not all peak at once. For many households a 200 amp service upgrade is the realistic target, and a 400-amp service is the answer only when the calculated demand genuinely exceeds what 200 amps can carry, which is real for larger all-electric homes.
How 400 amp service is usually configured
Residential 400-amp service is rarely a single 400-amp panel. The common arrangement is a 400-amp meter-main, a piece of service equipment that holds the meter and a 400-amp main disconnect, feeding two 200-amp panels. That gives you the total capacity while keeping standard, widely available 200-amp panels and breakers, which are cheaper and easier to service than true 400-amp gear.
This configuration shapes the cost. You are buying the 400-amp meter-main plus two 200-amp load centers rather than one exotic panel, and you are running heavier service-entrance conductors rated for the full 400 amps. The two-panel layout also gives you flexibility to dedicate one panel to a workshop, a guest house, or EV charging, which is why it is the default for most 400-amp residential jobs. A second panel here works much like a dedicated subpanel for a separate area.
The wildcard: the utility transformer
The biggest cost uncertainty in a 400-amp upgrade is on the utility's side of the meter. A jump from 200 to 400 amps can exceed what the transformer serving your home was sized for, especially in older neighborhoods where transformers serve several houses. If the utility determines its transformer or service drop has to be upgraded to support your new demand, that becomes part of the project, and the cost and timeline are theirs to set.
Sometimes the utility absorbs the transformer work; sometimes it bills the homeowner, and the figure can run from a couple thousand dollars to well into five figures for underground or long-run situations. This is why a 400-amp quote should start with a conversation between your electrician and the utility. The service-entrance work is predictable; the transformer question is the one that can move the total the most.
Overhead vs underground, and timeline
As with any service upgrade, overhead is cheaper than underground. An overhead 400-amp service reuses the pole drop and focuses cost on the meter-main, panels, and mast. Converting to or installing underground service for 400 amps adds trenching, conduit, and more utility coordination, which is why those jobs run $8,000 – $15,000 and up.
The timeline is longer than a 200-amp upgrade. Between the permit, the load calculation, the utility's review of transformer capacity, the disconnect and reconnect scheduling, and the inspection, a 400-amp upgrade commonly spans several weeks. If the upgrade is tied to an EV install, a heat-pump conversion, or an ADU, start the service work early so it is not the bottleneck.
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