How much does it cost to upgrade to 200 amps?

The fetched guides publish $1,300–$2,000 (HomeAdvisor), $1,300–$1,600 or $1,800–$2,500 with a new service panel (HomeGuide), $1,800–$4,500 (Fixr) and $1,300–$3,000 (This Old House), all dated 2024–2026. The top of each range is a full service upgrade with meter and mast.

Do I need 200 amps for an EV charger?

Not always. A 48 A charger needs a 60 A circuit; whether the existing 100 A service can carry it is an Article 220 load calculation. Load-management devices can throttle the charger instead of upgrading the service; the guides do not price them.

Can I replace the panel myself?

Most jurisdictions require a licensed electrician for service equipment and the utility will not reconnect an unpermitted job. Fixr: “All of this work must be done by a licensed professional.”

Electrical panel upgrade cost

Published range · 5 sources$518to$4,500Typical figures across the sources average $1,850. Lowest low to highest high of the 5 guides’ overall typical ranges (listed under Sources), fetched 2026-09-05; the rows below are line items with their own ranges. Not a quote.

Upgrade to 200 AHomeAdvisor $1,300–$2,000 · HomeGuide $1,300–$1,600 ($1,800–$2,500 with service panel) · Fixr $1,800–$4,500 · This Old House $1,300–$3,000: $1,300–$4,500
Upgrade to 100 AHomeAdvisor $800–$1,500 · Fixr $1,200–$1,800 · This Old House $800–$1,500: $800–$1,800
Upgrade to 400 AHomeAdvisor, HomeGuide, This Old House $2,000–$4,000 · Fixr $8,000–$12,000 · Today’s Homeowner $4,000+: $2,000–$12,000
Subpanel addedHomeGuide $500–$1,000 · This Old House $400–$1,750 · Bob Vila $530–$1,940 · HomeAdvisor $500–$2,000: $400–$2,000
Panel relocationHomeAdvisor $1,500–$4,000 · HomeGuide $1,000–$4,000 · This Old House $800–$3,000: $800–$4,000
PermitThis Old House, Fixr, Bob Vila $50–$300; HomeAdvisor $150–$300 with drywall repair: $50–$300

Replacing or upgrading a service panel is the job most homeowners meet when they add an EV charger, a heat pump or a kitchen. The band above is the spread of the typical ranges published by five national cost guides, fetched and dated below; the national averages they print run from about $1,300 to $3,000 because some include the service entrance and meter and some count only the panel swap. A 200 A upgrade with a new meter base and mast sits at the top of every range. Get three written quotes; the price is set by what has to change outside the panel.

What drives the price

Service entrance: A bigger service means a new meter base, mast or riser and often a new utility drop; HomeGuide prices the meter box at $200–$500 replaced and This Old House the meter box install at $1,800–$3,500. Utilities charge their own fee for a new meter ($200–$500 per HomeGuide).
Labor hours: A straight swap is 4–8 hours; a service upgrade with new entrance conductors 20–30 hours (HomeAdvisor, Bob Vila). Rates run $40–$130 per hour by guide, with master electricians at $90–$130.
Breaker types: AFCI and GFCI breakers cost $20–$100 each (HomeGuide) and current editions require them on most dwelling circuits when the panel is replaced, which adds up on a 30-space panel.
Old equipment: Fuse box to breaker conversion runs $1,100–$4,500 (HomeGuide, HomeAdvisor); replacing a recalled brand (FPE, Zinsco) $1,500–$4,000 (HomeAdvisor).
Relocation and finish: Moving the panel means new home runs for every circuit: $800–$4,000 across the guides, plus drywall.

When a permit is needed

Every guide fetched says yes. HomeAdvisor: “in most circumstances, you will need a permit to upgrade your panel.” Fixr: “Panel work requires a permit.” HomeGuide: never without one; fines are possible. Permits cost $50–$300 in most jurisdictions and the utility must disconnect and reconnect the service, so the work is scheduled with them.

Under the NEC the service disconnect, grounding electrode system, bonding and the AFCI/GFCI requirements of the edition in force all apply to the replaced panel; the inspector checks them. Local amendments can add surge protection (230.67 in the 2020 and 2023 editions) and emergency disconnects (230.85).

The sources behind the range

Each figure is as the publisher states it, with the date on the page. Where a publisher gives a national average it is listed as “typical”.

Publisher	Dated	Low	High	Typical
HomeAdvisorextremes $125–$4,500; 200 A $1,300–$2,000; 400 A $2,000–$4,000	Updated June 17, 2026	$518	$2,192	$1,346
HomeGuide100→200 A $1,300–$1,600, $1,800–$2,500 with a new service panel; 400 A $2,000–$4,000	December 30, 2024	$1,287	$1,707	$1,475
Fixrto 200 A $1,800–$4,500; to 400 A $8,000–$12,000; same-amperage replacement $1,000–$3,500	Updated January 31, 2025	$1,500	$4,500	$3,000
This Old House200 A installed $1,300–$3,000; 400 A $2,000–$4,000	Updated 03/31/2026	$1,300	$3,000	$2,150
Bob Vilapanel unit only: 100 A $100–$200, 200 A $250–$350, 400 A $500+	Updated April 18, 2024	$522	$2,082	$1,274

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to upgrade to 200 amps?: The fetched guides publish $1,300–$2,000 (HomeAdvisor), $1,300–$1,600 or $1,800–$2,500 with a new service panel (HomeGuide), $1,800–$4,500 (Fixr) and $1,300–$3,000 (This Old House), all dated 2024–2026. The top of each range is a full service upgrade with meter and mast.
Do I need 200 amps for an EV charger?: Not always. A 48 A charger needs a 60 A circuit; whether the existing 100 A service can carry it is an Article 220 load calculation. Load-management devices can throttle the charger instead of upgrading the service; the guides do not price them.
Can I replace the panel myself?: Most jurisdictions require a licensed electrician for service equipment and the utility will not reconnect an unpermitted job. Fixr: “All of this work must be done by a licensed professional.”