Electrical Panel Replacement Cost: Upgrade Prices by Amperage
Replacing an electrical panel typically costs $2,000 – $4,500 for a like-for-like 200-amp swap, and $2,500 – $5,500 when you also bump the service from 100 to 200 amps. If the meter, mast, or service-entrance cable also need work, plan for $3,500 – $7,000. Below are the numbers by job type, the factors that move them, and a calculator to narrow your own range.
Talk through this project
Describe the job, get matched with a local licensed pro on the line.
(855) 000-0000New installs, replacements & repairs · No obligation
| Job type | Installed range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Like-for-like 100A panel swap | $1,500 – $3,000 | Same amperage, modern breaker panel |
| Like-for-like 200A panel swap | $2,000 – $4,500 | The most common replacement |
| 100A to 200A service upgrade | $2,500 – $5,500 | New panel plus utility coordination |
| Upgrade with meter / mast work | $3,500 – $7,000 | New meter base, weatherhead, or riser |
| Fuse box to breaker conversion | $2,000 – $4,500 | Replaces an obsolete fuse panel |
| FPE / Zinsco hazard replacement | $2,200 – $5,000 | Recalled-risk brands, often urgent |
| 400A service upgrade | $4,000 – $10,000+ | Large or all-electric homes |
| Line item | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New panel / load center | $150 – $600 | 200A main breaker panel, 40 spaces |
| Breakers (incl. AFCI/GFCI) | $200 – $900 | Code now requires more arc-fault breakers |
| Electrician labor | $1,000 – $2,500 | 6 to 10 hours for a clean swap |
| Meter base / service entrance | $0 – $2,000 | Only if the service side is replaced |
| Permit & inspection | $100 – $500 | Required in nearly every jurisdiction |
| Utility disconnect / reconnect | $0 – $500 | Some utilities charge, some do not |
Want a real number instead of a range?
Calls are answered around the clock and routed to a licensed electrical pro serving your area.
Call & describe the job
Tell us what you need: a new install, an upgrade, or something that stopped working.
Get matched on the line
You are connected with a local licensed electrical pro who serves your area.
Compare your numbers
Use the ranges on this page to sanity-check the quote before you commit.
Answer four quick questions to narrow the installed range for your panel job. No contact details needed.
What kind of panel do you have now?
Replacement vs upgrade: two different jobs
People use "replacement" and "upgrade" interchangeably, but they price differently. A like-for-like replacement keeps your amperage the same and swaps a tired or damaged panel for a modern one. That is mostly indoor work: kill the power, move the branch circuits to the new load center, and re-energize. A 200-amp like-for-like swap runs $2,000 – $4,500.
An upgrade raises the service capacity, almost always from 100 amps to 200 amps. That pulls the utility into the job because the meter, the service drop, and sometimes the transformer have to support the higher draw. The extra coordination and the heavier service equipment push a 100A to 200A upgrade to $2,500 – $5,500, and to $3,500 – $7,000 if the meter base and mast also get replaced. Adding a major load like an EV charger is a common reason the capacity needs to grow.
What drives the number up or down
The panel itself is cheap. A 200-amp load center is $150 – $600 at the supply house. The cost lives in labor, code-required breakers, and the service entrance. Three factors move the quote the most:
- ·Service-entrance condition: a corroded meter base, a damaged weatherhead, or undersized service-entrance cable adds $800 – $2,500 of work that has nothing to do with the panel itself.
- ·AFCI and GFCI breakers: current code requires arc-fault protection on most living-area circuits. At $40 – $90 each versus $5 – $15 for a standard breaker, a full set of code breakers can add $300 – $700.
- ·Panel location and access: a flush-mounted panel in a finished wall, a basement panel behind storage, or a relocation to meet clearance rules all add labor.
When code triggers extra work
A panel replacement is a permitted job, and the inspector holds the new install to current code, not the code in force when the house was built. That is where surprise line items come from. Common triggers include adding a grounding electrode (two ground rods or a connection to the water main and a supplemental rod), bonding the gas and water lines, and installing AFCI breakers on bedroom, living-room, and similar circuits.
In older homes the inspector may also flag the service-entrance grounding and the neutral-ground bond. None of these are padding; they are the difference between a panel that merely powers the house and one that protects it. A good electrician walks the service with you before quoting so the code items are in the number, not a change order later.
Signs your panel actually needs replacing
Not every old panel needs to go. Age alone is not a defect. But several conditions move a panel from "fine" to "replace it":
- ·A Federal Pacific Stab-Lok or Zinsco panel: documented failure-to-trip history. These warrant replacement on safety grounds regardless of condition.
- ·A fuse box: not dangerous by itself, but obsolete, easy to overfuse, and a problem for insurance and resale.
- ·Rust, scorching, or a burning smell at the panel: water intrusion or overheated connections. Stop and call an electrician.
- ·A full panel with no open slots: you are out of room for new circuits, which forces double-tapped breakers or a subpanel.
- ·A 100-amp service straining under a heat pump, EV charger, or electric range: the panel may be fine but the service is undersized.
How to compare panel quotes
Panel quotes vary because the scope varies, not because one electrician is padding. The way to compare apples to apples is to make each quote itemize four things: the panel and breaker package (including how many AFCI/GFCI breakers), the labor hours, any service-entrance work (meter, mast, cable), and permit and inspection fees.
A quote $1,500 above another usually means it includes service-entrance replacement or a full set of code breakers that the lower quote left out, and breaker brand can matter too, as our Square D Homeline vs QO comparison explains. The cheaper-looking bid often turns into the same number once the inspector flags the same items. Asking for a load calculation up front confirms the new service is sized right. Ask every electrician whether the quote covers everything the permit will require, and get the answer in writing.
Ready to get it handled?
One call, no obligation. Describe the job and compare the quote against the ranges above.