How much does it cost to put in a 200amp electric panel (materials and labor)?

Question

I'm replacing main board at new home I purchased which is currently 100 amp

I'm moving into a new house, and will have 2 refigerators running, air con, expecting a baby so washer/drier will work extra time, etc.. My electrician told me that 100amp may not be enough given my increased needs. He also gave me a quote of $2K for the entire job -out of which $1.5k is labor (he claims that he needs to get a permit too)...do you think that I need the extra power to begin with? Thanks!

Answer 1

You and a friend of mine have/had the same problem. My friend wanted to install a heat pump for air conditioning in addition to heat and needed to upgrade his electrical system from 100 amps to 200 amps to make it work. Material cost was $450 for the parts and replacement wiring to add the heat pump. The new panel was only $150, and the additonal heavier wiring and circuit breakers were the rest of the material cost. Labor cost $400 for 2 men for the day at $25 per hour each. The power company also had to be involved since they had to deenergice and reenergize the wiring to the house from the transformer in the street, which involved a fee of $150. The total cost out of pocket was $1000 and change. It seems in some cases, labor costs also incur sales tax in Washington State. You may not have this much cost depending on the extent of the rewiring needed inside the house and the fee charged by your power company and the man-hours needed to actually do the work you need to have done. Some power companies do not charge for the disconnect and reconnect for this type of upgrade. This may not be typical or applicable to you as my friend needed a whole new circuit and breakers to supply the heat pump which definitiely added a bit of labor and materials to his cost of the upgrade. As another pointed out, you may save substantially on the labor cost by doing some of the work yourself. My friend was not able to do the work, and thus incurred the whole costs as I've laid it out. Check it out, if you can do some of the work, you can save substantially on the labor cost.

Answer 2

There is another option...(I do not need a permit where I live~believe it or not!!!) that did save some money...another is what we did....
we added on a bedroom/SMALL office & bathroom (still have a little left to do actually since we are doing most ourselves....) to our existing house when we had our last baby...and in the "office" we added on another box. We were lucky, a friend of ours knew a couple electricians that could do it for free.) We left the existing box....and ran conduit all down the side of house tieing the two together. I am not sure exactly how much it cost (or how they did it) electrical isn't MY best...my husband might would have better details for you. But it is an option you could throw in the air or do research on. We saved alot of $$$ not pulling out the old one and not having to run as much "new" wire, etc...
the main box usually runs $115.00 - 135.00 WITH the main breaker in it. Individual breakers which you will need a few larger ones (all Double Pole) will run you maybe around $30-50 a piece. But not many....if you do like we had done. The smaller ones are around $10.00 (i.e. 20 amp DP) - $20.00 (a 30 amp DP)
It might be something to check into...
Also...get a few bids. AND don't go for the cheapest...sorry to say you might end up paying more in the end. When any contractors/plumbers/electricians are talking...you can usually tell if they KNOW what they are doing and you aren't going to get screwed over. Get referals....Hope that helps some.

Oh and by the way, you could buy the "whole set up" for under $300-400. That is the top end on material. The most expensive (other than the box with the main) is the wire...it will add up quickly. Prices vary everywhere...and unfortunately they just keep going up like everything else.

Good luck~
Bambina

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How much does it cost to put in a 200amp electric panel (materials and labor)?
I'm replacing main board at new home I purchased which is currently 100 amp

Answer 4

A 200A panel with main breaker costs about $300. Breakers for the house circuits are extra. Depending on the brand and number of breakers this could be another $200 to $500. Labor to remove the old panel and install the new would be about $600. Any additional new circuits would be extra above that.

So, about $1100 to $1500 for the basic replacement, plus any new circuits you are adding. You will need a building permit if you live in a city, that cost will be extra.

Answer 5

That cost is probably reasonable. It really depends on where you are at. Those that say $500 either have no clue or live somewhere very cheap. Since the electrician who gave you the quote recommended the upgrade, there is a conflict of interest.

The national electrical code specifies the size of service needed for a new house. 100A will work for a small house, even with A/C, electric dryer and stove. You didn't mention if you have gas or electric stove and oven.

Answer 6

If you hire an electrician, he will complete the job in 1/2 day. So with parts and labor it will be less than $500.

The thing you need to be careful about is going from 100 amps of service to 200 amps. You need to be sure your line coming into the breaker panel can handle 200 amps of service. If it can't, then you will have to run new line from the pole transformer to the line side of your panel. If this is the case, you will not be able to do the work yourself, and the price will more than double. If the house has 100 amps of service, why would you need to double the capacity? Has the house had a large addition added, or a large electrical load added?

Answer 7

I don't know where you live but 2 grand sounds a little high, I'd think $1200.00 parts and laybor would be closer. Contact your local chamber of commerce and ask for a list of reputible electricians. If this is not an option call 2 or 3 local electricians and get quotes. MAKE SURE you are getting what you pay for. I'd only use Square D electrical panels you can get cheaper ones but you get what you pay for,

Answer 8

200 Amp Service Panel

Answer 9

Wait and see how much draw there really is because you are not doing anything out of the ordinary from your description. The normal price tag on this job should be no higher than $1500 with all new breakers, wire etc.. It does not add to the resale value of your home. If you don't have problems save the money. Seen this many times in large homes with pools and more stuff. Electrical is my business.

Answer 10

dont listen to most here!!! I am licensed electrician for 30 yrs.
First off you simply cannot replace a panal! You must rewire the entire feed coming from the street or at least the wire from the service drop down your outside wall to your electric meter!
You must also of course then replace your meter, your meter can(box) and your feeds from your meter to your panal! Usually your old service if in pipe will have to be repiped for the new wire is much larger! so it aint that simple !