Cost to Replace an Electrical Panel

The cost to replace an electrical panel is $1,300 to $4,500, installed. A like-for-like 200-amp swap runs $1,800 to $3,000. Upgrading the service size, moving the panel, or fixing old wiring at the same time pushes the total higher.

This guide breaks the job into the panel, the labor, the permit, and the utility work. It also covers the warning signs that mean you cannot wait, and where the price is negotiable.

What It Costs to Replace an Electrical Panel

Most homeowners pay $2,000 to $3,000 to replace an electrical panel with the same service size. The panel and breakers are $250 to $600. Labor is $800 to $1,600 for a full day. The permit, the inspection, and the utility disconnect round it out.

A jump in service size costs more. Going from 100 to 200 amps adds $500 to $1,500, because the meter base, the main breaker, and sometimes the service cable all have to grow with it.

The table below shows the installed price by amperage. Read the sections after it to see which add-ons apply to your home.

Panel Size and Amperage

Service size is measured in amps. A 100-amp panel was standard in older homes and still covers a small house with gas heat. A 200-amp panel is today the default, and it handles central air, an electric range, and an EV charger without strain.

A 150-amp panel is a middle option some utilities allow. A 400-amp service, usually split into two 200-amp panels, suits large homes or a property with a workshop, a pool, and heavy electric heat.

Do not oversize for its own sake. A 200-amp service is enough for almost every single-family home, even an all-electric one. Your electrician runs a load calculation to confirm.

Circuit count matters too, not just amperage. A modern 200-amp panel usually has 40 to 42 slots. If yours is full and you keep stacking tandem breakers to fit more circuits, that alone is a reason to replace it with a larger enclosure.

Replacement vs. Service Upgrade

A straight replacement swaps an old or failing panel for a new one of the same size. It is the cheaper job, and it is what you need if the panel is a fire risk but your usage is not growing.

A service upgrade raises the amperage. You need it before adding major loads: an EV charger, a heat pump, a hot tub, or a shop. Our cost to install a home EV charger guide covers when the charger alone forces the upgrade.

The two often happen together. If the panel is old anyway, upgrading while it is open costs far less than doing it as a separate visit later.

There is a smaller option in between. If the main panel is fine but out of space, an electrician can add a subpanel fed from it for $500 to $1,500. That buys you circuits without touching the service, though it does not fix a hazardous main panel.

Regional and Home-Age Differences

Labor rate is the swing factor. A licensed electrician in a coastal metro bills far more per hour than a rural one, so the same 200-amp swap can be $1,600 in one market and $3,500 in another.

Older homes cost more to work on. A 1950s house often hides cloth-covered wiring, no grounding, or a fragile service entrance, and the electrician has to bring those up to code before the new panel passes inspection.

Local rules add too. Some cities now require whole-house surge protection, arc-fault breakers on more circuits, or an exterior disconnect within sight of the meter. A good local electrician prices those in; an out-of-area bid may not.

What to Expect on Install Day

The crew arrives early, confirms the utility disconnect window, and kills power to the house. Plan for four to eight hours with no electricity, so charge devices and empty nothing critical from the freezer.

They mount the new panel, move every circuit onto new breakers, label each one, and rework the grounding and bonding. Then the city inspector checks it before the utility reconnects and re-seals the meter.

By evening the power is usually back. Keep the labeled panel schedule they leave behind, along with the permit and the signed inspection card.

Where the Money Goes

The panel and breakers are a small share, usually 15 to 25 percent. Labor is the largest, because the work means killing power to the house, moving every circuit, and passing inspection.

The utility disconnect and reconnect adds $100 to $500, and some utilities do it free on a schedule. A new meter base is $200 to $500. If the service mast or the cable from the weatherhead is undersized, replacing it adds $300 to $1,000.

A permit and inspection run $75 to $500 depending on the city. See our Electrical cost guides for how the other common jobs are priced.

What Drives the Price Up

Moving the panel is the biggest add. Relocating it to a new wall means extending every circuit, and a move from inside to outside can add $1,000 to $2,500.

Aluminum branch wiring found during the work has to be pigtailed with copper at every device, which adds $500 to $2,000 depending on the count. Knob-and-tube in the walls points toward a larger project.

An overhead service the city wants buried, a finished wall the electrician has to open, or a cramped crawlspace for the grounding electrode all add hours. A batch of new circuits added at the same time raises parts and labor together.

Signs You Need a New Panel

Some brands are known hazards. Federal Pacific Stab-Lok and Zinsco panels can fail to trip during a fault, so most electricians recommend replacing them on sight. The Electrical Safety Foundation International keeps guidance on aging panels.

A fuse box, a panel with no open slots, breakers that trip for no reason, or a burning smell near the panel are all reasons to act. Warm panel covers, buzzing, and lights that dim when the AC starts point the same way.

A home inspection that flags the panel, or an insurer that will not write a policy until it is replaced, sets the timeline. If you see scorch marks or melted insulation, treat it as urgent.

Permits and the Utility

This work always needs a permit and an inspection. The electrician pulls the permit, does the swap, and the city signs off before the utility restores power.

Expect the house to be without power for four to eight hours on the day of the swap. The utility coordinates the disconnect, so schedule around their availability, not just the electrician's.

Keep the signed inspection and the permit. An unpermitted panel is a problem at resale and can void a fire claim.

How to Keep the Cost Down

First, get three itemized quotes from licensed electricians, and make sure each one lists the panel brand, the amperage, and whether the meter base and mast are included.

Second, bundle. If you are also adding circuits, an EV charger, or a whole-house surge protector, doing it during the panel swap avoids a second trip charge and a second permit.

Third, ask the utility about free or scheduled disconnect windows. Fourth, do not upgrade to 400 amps unless a real load calculation says you need it.

Bottom Line

Budget $2,000 to $3,000 to replace an electrical panel like-for-like, and $2,500 to $4,500 if you are also going up to 200 amps. Add for a panel move, aluminum wiring, or a new mast and meter.

Replace a Federal Pacific or Zinsco panel, a fuse box, or anything that smells or scorches without delay. For everything else, get three quotes and bundle any other electrical work into the same visit. If the wiring itself is failing, our cost to rewire a house guide is the next read, and a ceiling fan is an easy add while the electrician is on site.

Related Repairs Worth Knowing About

A few smaller, related jobs come up often alongside this one: 240V outlet, garage subpanel, Federal Pacific panel. Each has its own detailed cost breakdown if you are budgeting for more than one repair at a time.