PhillyHomeCosts

Electrical Panel Upgrade Cost in the Philadelphia Area

By Tom Alvarez · Sources verified by the editorial team on Nov 4, 2026

HomeGuide says "most modern homes require 200 amps," and older homes may have less. Adding a heat pump, an electric water heater, an EV charger or a backup generator can mean upgrading. This guide covers what a panel or service upgrade costs, what the utility does and what you pay for, permits and licensing in Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania suburbs and New Jersey, and the few rebates that exist.

What an upgrade costs

Source and geography Average Typical range Full range
Angi panel upgrade, national $1,600 $1,200–$2,000 $800–$4,000
Angi panel upgrade, Philadelphia $1,642 $1,231–$2,052 $821–$4,104
Angi panel replacement, national (9,551 projects) — $518–$2,194 Up to $4,500
HomeGuide breaker box replacement, national $1,475 $1,287–$1,707 $851–$4,000

Sources: Angi panel upgrade (updated Oct 29, 2026); Angi Philadelphia (updated Jul 9, 2026); Angi panel replacement (updated Oct 22, 2026); HomeGuide (Dec 30, 2024, the oldest source here). Checked Nov 4, 2026. Angi's Philadelphia page says: "We start with national average project costs" and "We then apply local price index data."

By amperage

Size Angi, panel + install (national) HomeGuide (national)
100 amps $800–$1,500 Upgrade from 60 to 100 amps: $850–$1,100. New 100-amp panel: $1,200–$1,600
150 amps $1,300–$1,600 —
200 amps $1,300–$2,000 Upgrade from 100 to 200 amps: $1,300–$1,600. New 200-amp panel: $1,800–$2,500
300 amps $1,800–$3,500 —
400 amps $2,000–$4,000 Upgrade from 200 to 400 amps: $2,000–$4,000

Angi's Philadelphia page shows the same amperage table as its national page. Angi says the panel alone costs $250–$350 at 200 amps; most of the price is labor. HomeGuide says "The biggest cost for most electrical work is labor."

The meter and service side

A bigger panel only helps if the service feeding it is big enough. Angi quotes a master electrician: "even though you installed a new 200-amp-rated panel, the exterior wire and meter box is still only rated at 100-amp or 150-amp and will need to be upgraded to 200-amps to get the full benefit of your new panel."

What PECO owns and what you own. PECO's equipment page lists the service wire and the meter as PECO's. The attachment point, "Weather Head and wire drip loop," "Riser/Raceway" and "Meter Enclosure/Box" are the customer's (PECO equipment responsibility).

Indoor meters. PECO's Electric Service Requirements say: "When replacing or upgrading services, or modifying equipment, existing indoor meter installations of all self-contained socket-type meters and transformer-rated meters shall be relocated outdoors" (PECO Blue Book, Section 8, revision 17, October 2026). The same section calls for a 200-amp socket for single-phase loads of 76 to 150 amps. If your meter is in the basement, ask your electrician whether the upgrade means moving it outside, and get that priced in the quote.

What the meter box costs. The sources don't agree. Angi's national upgrade page lists meter box installation or replacement at $200–$800 in one list and $500–$2,100 in another. Angi's panel replacement page says $100–$650. HomeGuide says $200–$500 on average. All are national figures.

Utility coordination. Your electrician works with PECO (or PSE&G or Atlantic City Electric in New Jersey) to disconnect and reconnect service. We couldn't find what PECO charges, if anything, for a residential service upgrade.

Other costs that can show up

Item National cost (Angi)
Install a subpanel $400–$1,750
Replace a circuit breaker switch or fuse $100–$250
Rewiring an electric panel $500–$4,500
Rewiring inside walls $1,500–$12,000
Moving the panel farther from the service point About $300 more

Source: Angi panel upgrade, national. HomeGuide puts moving an electrical panel at $1,000–$4,000 and replacing a fuse box with a breaker panel at $1,100–$4,000 (national, Dec 30, 2024).

Permits and who can do the work

Where What we found Source
Philadelphia "A licensed electrical contractor must perform all electrical work." "The owner or the owner’s agent must hire a licensed electrical inspection agency to perform all inspections." Permit fee "$25 for each $1000 or fraction thereof of estimated electrical construction cost," minimum $63. The $100 filing fee "will be counted toward the final permit fee." City surcharge $3 and state surcharge $4.50 per permit. "A separate PECO service and meter application (PDF) may be required." L&I Electrical Permit
Pennsylvania suburbs A permit is required to "install … an electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system regulated by the Uniform Construction Code." The state has "no licensure or certification requirements for most construction contractors"; some towns license electricians locally. The home improvement law requires most contractors to register with the Attorney General and contracts over $500 to be in writing. 34 Pa. Code §403.62; PA Labor & Industry; PA Attorney General FAQ
New Jersey Electrical contracting needs a business permit and a licensed electrical contractor, and "Any single act or transaction shall constitute engaging in the business of electrical contracting." Work "by a person on a dwelling that is occupied solely as a residence for himself" or immediate family is exempt from the business permit. New Jersey's "minor work" list covers a few small electrical jobs but doesn't mention panel or service upgrades (our reading). Ask your construction office what permit applies. N.J.S.A. 45:5A-9; N.J.S.A. 45:5A-18; N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.17A

Philadelphia permit example (our arithmetic, not an L&I quote): on a $1,642 job (Angi's Philadelphia average), $25 per $1,000 "or fraction thereof" is $50. That's below the $63 minimum, so the permit fee would be $63, plus the $3 city and $4.50 state surcharges. The inspection agency's fee is separate, and we couldn't find a published price.

Rebates and credits

Program What it pays Conditions Source
PSE&G (NJ) $300 for a new panel; up to $4,000 for low- to moderate-income customers, plus up to $2,500 for wiring The panel must "accommodate building decarbonization measures" such as a heat pump. Alternatively, up to $300 per 240V circuit, limit four PSE&G HVAC Instant Rebates (building decarbonization tab)
Atlantic City Electric (NJ) Income-qualified customers: the full cost of a panel upgrade, up to $4,000, plus $2,500 for wiring. Others: $300 for a panel upgrade Only when installing building decarbonization (BD) measures ACE building decarbonization application
Federal tax credit (25C) Ended The IRS says the credit covers improvements "made through December 31, 2025." Angi's national page still describes "a 30% tax credit (up to $600)" for a 200-amp panel. That no longer applies to new work IRS
Pennsylvania federal home energy rebates (Penn Energy Savers) Not open "As of September 2026, DEP is awaiting final DOE approval to launch the Home Energy Rebate programs." PA DEP

Checked Nov 4, 2026. We didn't find a PECO rebate for panel upgrades. Our federal tax credit guide covers what you can still claim for 2025 work.

Do you need an upgrade?

  • Adding big electric loads. Our heat pump guide covers panel upgrades as an add-on for heat pumps. A whole-house generator often needs a transfer switch and panel work (see our generator guide).
  • Old fuse boxes. HomeGuide says "Old fuse boxes were never designed to handle the electrical load we now require from our homes" and "Installing bigger fuses creates a fire hazard."
  • Why people upgrade. Angi says that among its customers' wiring and panel projects, 65.7% "involve upgrades to existing service."
  • Ask for a load calculation. Before you pay for 200 or 400 amps, ask the electrician to show how they sized the service against what you plan to add.

Questions to ask before you sign

  1. Scope: Is this a panel swap at the same amperage, or a service upgrade? What amperage, and why?
  2. Meter and service: Does the price include the meter box, service cable, riser and weather head? Will the meter have to move outside?
  3. Utility: Who files with PECO (or PSE&G or ACE) and schedules the disconnect? How long will the power be off?
  4. Permits and inspection: Will you pull the permit? In Philadelphia, which inspection agency, and is its fee included?
  5. Wiring: What happens if you find old or damaged wiring? How will changes be priced?
  6. Walls: Does the price include patching drywall or plaster?
  7. License and registration: What's your license number (Philadelphia or New Jersey) or Attorney General registration number (Pennsylvania)?
  8. Rebates: If I'm adding a heat pump in New Jersey, will you apply the utility's panel rebate on the invoice?

FAQ

How much does a 200-amp upgrade cost in Philadelphia? Angi's Philadelphia page puts a 200-amp panel at $1,300–$2,000 with installation, the same as its national figure. Meter, service-cable and wiring work can add more.

Can I replace my own panel? Not in Philadelphia, where "A licensed electrical contractor must perform all electrical work." In New Jersey, a homeowner working on their own home is exempt from the electrical business permit, but permits and inspections still apply (our reading). In the Pennsylvania suburbs, ask your township.

Will PECO charge me? We couldn't find a published PECO fee for a residential service upgrade. PECO supplies and owns the meter, and the meter box and riser are yours.

Is there a rebate in Pennsylvania? We didn't find one from PECO, and Pennsylvania's federal home energy rebates haven't launched.

Thinking about a project?

We don't offer quotes or connect homeowners with contractors. Get at least two written, itemized quotes from licensed electrical contractors and compare them with the questions above. The costs, rules and rebates in this guide come from the sources listed below. Learn how we make money.

Sources