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# Electrical Panel Upgrade Cost in California: What Actually Drives the Price

Why two 200 amp panel upgrades on the same street can differ by thousands, plus the five factors that move the number and how to get a quote you can trust.

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Panel upgrades | Updated 2026-01-28 | Rupert Electrical Solutions

Ask three electricians what a panel upgrade costs in California and you'll get three numbers. That isn't evasiveness. A panel upgrade is five or six separate jobs bundled together, and which ones apply to your house is what sets the price.

## What you are actually buying

A "panel upgrade" can mean any of the following, and the label doesn't distinguish between them:

- Panel change only. New enclosure and breakers, same service size, same location, existing feeders reused. The cheapest version.
- Service upgrade. 100 amps to 200 amps, which means new service conductors, likely a new meter socket, and utility coordination.
- Service upgrade with relocation. The panel moves, so every branch circuit needs extending or a junction. This is where costs climb.
- Overhead to underground conversion. Trenching, conduit, and a different utility process entirely.

## The five factors that move the number

### 1. Service size and whether the utility is involved

Staying at your existing amperage keeps the utility out of it. Going from 100 to 200 amps means a disconnect and reconnect, a new meter socket in most cases, and scheduling around the utility's calendar.

### 2. Condition of the service entrance

If the mast, weatherhead or underground lateral is deteriorated, it gets replaced. This is common on California homes from the fifties and sixties and it is frequently the single largest line item nobody expected.

### 3. Grounding and bonding

Older installations often have a single ground rod, or a water-pipe bond that no longer qualifies because the service line got replaced with plastic. Current requirements mean supplemental grounding electrodes, and that work is not optional on a permitted upgrade.

### 4. AFCI and GFCI breakers

Modern protective breakers cost several times what a plain breaker costs. On a 30-circuit panel that difference is real money, and it is also the part that genuinely improves fire safety.

### 5. Panel location and access

An exterior panel on a clear wall is a straightforward day. A panel in a finished garage behind shelving, or in a closet that no longer meets clearance requirements, adds hours and sometimes forces a relocation.

## Signs you shouldn't put it off

- Zinsco or Federal Pacific Stab-Lok. Both have documented histories of breakers that fail to trip under fault. New breakers don't fix the bus. The panel gets replaced.
- Double-tapped breakers or tandem "cheaters" everywhere. The panel is out of spaces, and someone has been improvising.
- Rust streaks or water staining inside the enclosure. Corrosion on bus stabs creates high-resistance connections that run hot.
- A fuse box. Functional when maintained, but no AFCI or GFCI protection is possible and fuse replacement invites the wrong amperage.
- Warmth, hum or a burning smell at the panel. Call today, not next month.

## When the upgrade is really an EV or heat pump project

Most panel upgrades we quote in California start as something else: an ev charger installation, a heat pump, an induction range, or an ADU. All of those are large continuous loads that need a load calculation, and if existing demand plus the new load exceeds your service, capacity comes first.

Worth knowing: a load management device can sometimes let you add EV charging without upgrading the service at all, by throttling the charger when the rest of the house is busy. It is not the right answer for every home, but it is worth pricing against a full upgrade before you commit.

## How to compare quotes properly

Ask every bidder the same four questions. Does the price include the permit and the inspection? Does it include the utility disconnect coordination? Does it include grounding electrode work and new bonding? Are AFCI and GFCI breakers included or listed as an extra? A quote that is silent on those four is not comparable to one that covers them.

Rupert Electrical Solutions quotes electrical panel upgrade work as a flat scope with all four included, so what you approve is what you pay.

## Find an electrician in your city

We cover 482 California cities. A few of the busiest:

- Electrician in Los Angeles, CA
- Electrician in San Diego, CA
- Electrician in San Jose, CA
- Electrician in San Francisco, CA
- Electrician in Fresno, CA
- Electrician in Sacramento, CA
- Electrician in Long Beach, CA
- Electrician in Oakland, CA
- Electrician in Bakersfield, CA
- Electrician in Anaheim, CA
- Electrician in Santa Ana, CA
- Electrician in Riverside, CA
- Electrician in Stockton, CA
- Electrician in Irvine, CA
- Electrician in Chula Vista, CA
- Electrician in Fremont, CA
- Electrician in Modesto, CA
- Electrician in Oxnard, CA
- Electrician in Fontana, CA
- Electrician in Moreno Valley, CA

See all 482 cities we serve, or call (833) 652-8933 and we will confirm coverage for your address.

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