There’s no honest flat price for a panel upgrade. The cost depends on whether you need a new panel or a bigger service, what your
utility requires for the meter, what your city needs for the
permit, and the condition of the wiring behind the panel. That’s why Ready Electric prices every panel upgrade after an
on-site assessment. You get a written price, with permits and utility coordination included, before any work starts. Want help? See our
panel upgrades service.
What Affects the Cost of a Panel Upgrade
- New panel or bigger service: swapping a panel at the same size is a smaller job than going from 100 to 200 amps, which also involves the utility.
- Meter and service equipment: some upgrades need a new meter base, a meter-main combo or a new service line from the utility.
- Meter spot: the utility may need to approve where the new meter goes, or require it to move.
- Panel location: moving a panel, or bringing one up to current clearance rules, adds wiring and permit work.
- Load calculation: it shows what size service your home actually needs. Sometimes that’s less than you expect.
- Permit requirements: LADBS, Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank and LA County each have their own process and paperwork.
- Diagrams and plans: some jobs need a single-line diagram or a site plan with the permit or utility application.
- Grounding and existing wiring: older homes often need grounding and bonding brought up to code, and damaged circuits fixed.
- What you’re adding: an EV charger, heat pump or ADU can change the size of service you need.
Why We Assess Before We Price
Two homes on the same street can need very different panel upgrades. On the assessment we look at your panel, meter, service entrance and grounding, run the load calculation, and check what your city and utility will require. Then you get a written price for the whole job.
A number given over the phone can’t account for any of that. It either leaves things out, like the permit or the utility work, which come back later as extra charges, or it’s padded to cover what the contractor hasn’t seen. The service call fee is waived when you approve the work.
Want a licensed electrician to take a look? Ready Electric answers 24/7.
Permits and Meter Spots Are Getting Harder. We Handle Them
Getting permits and meter spots approved in Los Angeles has become slower and more involved, with more paperwork and longer utility queues. That’s why some contractors skip the permit, or hand the homeowner the job of pulling it and requesting the meter spot. Either way, you end up with the headache.
We don’t work that way. On every panel upgrade, Ready Electric:
- Pulls the permit with your city or LA County
- Requests the meter spot and coordinates with LADWP, Southern California Edison, or Pasadena, Glendale or Burbank Water and Power
- Prepares the load calculation, and the single-line diagram or site plan when they’re required
- Schedules the utility disconnect and reconnect
- Meets the inspector and closes out the permit
We’ve been through this process with each of these utilities and building departments. See
how the permit and utility process works.
What Skipping the Permit Can Cost You
An unpermitted panel or service upgrade can show up when you sell the house, cause trouble with an insurance claim after a fire, or have to be opened up and redone to pass inspection later. And utilities typically won’t energize an upgraded service until the inspection is signed off. Doing it right the first time is the cheaper path.
What’s Included in a Ready Electric Price
The assessment and load calculation, the permit, the meter spot request and utility coordination, diagrams and plans when required, installation, circuit labeling and the final inspection. Qualifying panel upgrades carry a 10-year warranty, and financing is available for qualifying customers.
Ways to Keep the Cost Down
Start with a load calculation: you may not need a full service upgrade. If you’re planning an EV charger, heat pump or ADU, do the work at the same time so the permit and utility work happen once. And check your utility for current electrification rebates.
