How much does an electrical panel upgrade cost in Los Angeles?
Published cost ranges, the permit and utility steps in the City of Los Angeles, and the options that can make an upgrade unnecessary.
Short answer
A main electrical panel upgrade typically costs about $1,800 to $4,500 for a 100-to-200-amp upgrade and $8,000 to $12,000 for 400-amp service, according to Fixr’s national cost guide, which notes California runs higher. In Los Angeles you also need an LADBS electrical permit and an LADWP meter release; LADWP generally charges nothing extra if its existing service is adequate, but transformer or line work costs more. Before paying for an upgrade, get a load calculation: a line-side tap or load management sometimes avoids it.
On this page
Panel upgrade cost ranges
There is no official Los Angeles price list for panel work. The ranges below come from national cost guides; Los Angeles labour, permitting and older housing stock tend to put local jobs toward or above the top of national ranges. They are market figures, not a Current Energy quote.
| Job | Published range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Panel upgrade, all types (average) | About $3,000; typical $1,500–$4,500 | Fixr |
| Upgrade to 200-amp service | $1,800–$4,500 | Fixr |
| Upgrade to 400-amp service | $8,000–$12,000 | Fixr |
| 100A to 200A upgrade | $1,300–$1,600 | HomeGuide |
| New 200-amp panel installed | $1,800–$2,500 | HomeGuide |
| Electrical permit | About $50–$300+, varies by city | Fixr |
The gap between the low and high numbers is mostly about scope. Swapping a panel behind an adequate service is one job; replacing the meter main, the service conductors, the mast or underground conduit, and coordinating a utility disconnect is another.
What makes a Los Angeles upgrade cost more
Older housing stock
Much of the housing across Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley was built with 100-amp service and panels with no spare capacity, and some have obsolete or unsafe equipment that has to come out entirely.
Service, not just panel
If the meter main, service drop or underground lateral has to change, the job grows. Underground work on LADWP needs an engineering estimate first.
Permits and inspection
LADBS permits are required, and larger jobs need plan check. Inspection timing sits on the schedule.
Utility-side work
If LADWP has to change a transformer, run conduit on public property or do line work, charges can apply.
The LADBS and LADWP steps
- Load calculation and design. Establish what the home needs now and with planned solar, battery, EV or heat-pump loads.
- LADBS electrical permit. Required for electrical work in the City of Los Angeles; plan check is required when, among other triggers, total load exceeds 400 amps.
- LADWP service request. LADWP says single-family meter spotting up to 320 amps can be requested online. It generally charges no installation fee if its existing service is adequate.
- Installation and inspection. The work is typically a day, with the power off for part of it.
- Meter set. Where no other utility work is needed, LADWP says it generally sets the meter within about 10 working days of LADBS approval.
Outside the City of Los Angeles, the local building department and SCE, BWP or GWP replace LADBS and LADWP in that sequence.
Not tax or legal advice
Current Energy is a licensed contractor. This page summarises publicly available rules as they stood on October 8, 2026 and is not tax, legal or financial advice. Programs change. Confirm anything that affects a real decision with your CPA, tax counsel or the program administrator.
When you actually need one
Common signals: a 100-amp service with no spare breaker positions, a fuse box rather than breakers, a panel brand with a known safety history, scorching or buzzing, or a plan to add solar, a battery, an EV charger or a heat pump. A load calculation gives the definite answer.
Solar adds its own constraint: the panel’s busbar and main breaker ratings limit how much solar can be back-fed through it. On LADWP, a small solar job that includes a panel upgrade also moves from the simplest interconnection path (no agreement, photo inspection) to the next tier.
Ways to avoid an upgrade
| Option | What it does | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Load calculation | Measures what the home really needs, often less than assumed | Every project, first |
| Line-side tap | Connects solar ahead of the main breaker where permitted | Solar on a full or undersized panel |
| Load management device | Shares capacity between large loads so they do not run at full power together | EV chargers, heat pumps |
| Sub-panel | Adds circuit space without changing the service | Garages, ADUs, workshops |
These are the same options listed on our panel upgrades page. In a meaningful share of cases they deliver the same outcome for a fraction of the cost of a service upgrade.
Incentives in 2026
- Federal 25C credit: ended for property placed in service after December 31, 2025, per the IRS.
- Federal 30C home charger credit: ended for property placed in service after June 30, 2026, per the IRS.
- California HEEHRA: the California Energy Commission reports Phase I is fully reserved; a proposed Phase II, including a panel rebate of up to $4,000 for eligible income-qualified households, is not yet available.
If a panel upgrade is part of a solar or battery project, read home solar cost in Los Angeles and home battery cost in California. Apartment owners adding EV charging should see EV charging for multifamily properties.
Questions to ask an electrician’s quote
- Was a load calculation done, and what does it show the home needs now and with the solar, battery, EV charger or heat pump I am planning?
- Is this a panel replacement only, or does the meter main, service conductor, mast or underground lateral change too?
- Does the price include the LADBS permit, inspection and coordination with LADWP for the disconnect and meter set?
- Have you checked whether LADWP needs to do work on its side, such as a transformer or service drop, and who pays for it?
- Were a line-side tap, load management or a sub-panel considered, and why were they ruled out?
- Will the new panel have room and busbar rating for future solar back-feed?
- How long will the power be off, and what is the realistic date for the meter to be set?
Good answers to these make the difference between a one-day job and a home without power waiting on a missed inspection.
How we price it
We visit, run the load calculation, check the service and the utility’s requirements, and quote a scope that includes permit and utility coordination. As a market reference, Fixr puts a 200-amp upgrade at about $1,800–$4,500 nationally (January 2025), with California typically higher; a firm quote depends on whether the service and utility connection change, and on permit and meter-set timing. Call our home services line on (818) 405-9062.
23 photographs from our own jobs →
Sources and further reading
- Fixr — Electrical panel upgrade cost (updated January 31, 2025) — accessed October 8, 2026
- HomeGuide — Cost to replace an electrical panel (December 30, 2024) — accessed October 8, 2026
- LADBS — Electrical permits — accessed October 8, 2026
- LADWP — Electric services FAQs — accessed October 8, 2026
- LADWP — Solar interconnection requirements — accessed October 8, 2026
- IRS — FAQs for modification of sections 25C, 25D, 25E, 30C, 30D, 45L, 45W and 179D under Public Law 119-21 (OBBB) — accessed October 8, 2026
- IRS — Alternative fuel vehicle refueling property credit (30C) — accessed October 8, 2026
- California Energy Commission — IRA residential energy rebate programs (HEEHRA) — accessed October 8, 2026
Questions we get asked
How much does a 200-amp panel upgrade cost in Los Angeles?
National cost guides put a 100-to-200-amp upgrade at roughly $1,800 to $4,500 (Fixr, updated January 2025), with Fixr noting that California costs run higher than average. The final number depends on whether only the panel changes or the whole service, meter and utility connection change too. We quote after a site visit and load calculation.
Do I need a permit for a panel upgrade in Los Angeles?
Yes. In the City of Los Angeles, LADBS requires an electrical permit for electrical work, and larger or more complex jobs (for example total load over 400 amps) also need plan check. The utility then has to release or set the meter, so the permit and the utility steps both sit on the schedule.
Does LADWP charge to upgrade my service?
LADWP says there are generally no installation charges if its existing service is adequate for the new load. Charges can apply when LADWP has to do work such as conduit on public property, a transformer change or line work. Your project’s situation is confirmed with LADWP during the service request.
How long does it take?
The electrical work itself is typically a day, with the power off for part of it. LADWP says that, where no other utility work is needed, it generally sets the meter within about 10 working days after LADBS approval. Underground services can take longer, as LADWP notes they need an engineering estimate that can take 6 to 8 weeks.
Can I add solar or an EV charger without upgrading the panel?
Often, yes. A load calculation may show you have more capacity than you think, a line-side tap can connect solar ahead of the main breaker where permitted, and load-management devices can share capacity between an EV charger and other large loads. We check these before recommending an upgrade.
Are there rebates or tax credits for panel upgrades in 2026?
Fewer than before. The federal 25C home-improvement credit ended after December 31, 2025, and the 30C home charger credit ended for property placed in service after June 30, 2026. California’s HEEHRA Phase I is fully reserved and its proposed Phase II panel rebate is not yet available.
Is a panel upgrade needed for a home battery?
Not always. It depends on the battery, the backup design and how much capacity the existing panel and busbar have. Whole-home backup on a 100-amp service is the case where an upgrade is most likely.
Last updated October 2026
Find out what your panel can actually carry.
Send a photo of the main panel and a recent bill. We will run the load calculation and tell you whether you need an upgrade, and say so plainly if you do not.