Is your home still running on a 100-amp panel? Struggling with tripping breakers or can't add new circuits? We upgrade residential electrical panels to 200A — safely, to code, with permits handled.
Most Baltimore rowhouses and older homes were built with 60A or 100A service — designed for a time before air conditioning, electric dryers, and EV chargers. Today's homes routinely require 150–200A to run comfortably without constantly tripping breakers or being unable to add new circuits.
Beyond capacity, certain older panel brands are a known safety hazard. Federal Pacific Stab-Lok panels are found in thousands of Baltimore-area homes and have a documented history of breakers that fail to trip under overload conditions — creating a real fire risk. The same applies to Zinsco/Sylvania panels and old pushmatic breakers. If your home has one of these, replacement isn't just about capacity — it's a safety issue.
Common reasons homeowners upgrade: adding an EV charger (requires a dedicated 50A circuit), installing central HVAC, finishing a basement, adding a hot tub, or simply running out of breaker slots after years of renovations.
A standard 100A to 200A upgrade in Baltimore typically runs $2,500–$4,500. That includes the panel, breakers, service entrance hardware, permit, BGE coordination, and a full day of licensed master electrician labor. More involved jobs — old wiring that needs updating, tight access, or a full service entrance replacement — land toward the higher end. Federal Pacific or Zinsco replacements are priced in the same range since the panel swap is the main labor component. We give you a flat price upfront — no surprises when the job is done.
Yes — panel upgrades require a permit in Baltimore City and Baltimore County. We handle the permit filing as part of the job. The permit process involves a BGE meter pull and a city/county electrical inspection after the work is complete. We coordinate all of this so you don't have to.
Plan for a full day without power — typically 6–8 hours. BGE pulls the meter in the morning, we install the new panel and reconnect all circuits, then BGE restores power. If BGE scheduling requires it, we may complete the installation one day and have power restored the following day.
Key signs: breakers trip frequently and don't reset cleanly, you have a Federal Pacific, Zinsco, or pushmatic panel, lights dim when large appliances kick on, you have a fuse box instead of breakers, or you want to add circuits (EV charger, workshop, addition) but are out of space. If you're not sure, we'll assess it for free when we come out.