Panel & service upgrades

If your home still runs on a 60- or 100-amp service, it was wired before heat pumps, EV chargers, and induction ranges existed. A 200-amp service is what a modern house draws on, and getting there is one of the most common jobs we do. We replace aging panels, upgrade services to 200 amps, and bring the whole installation up to current BC Electrical Code, permit and BC Hydro coordination included.

Signs you’re due for an upgrade

Some of these are code issues, some are safety issues, and some just mean you’ve run out of room:

• Breakers that trip when the dryer and the microwave run together
• A panel that’s full, with no spare slots for a new circuit
• Fuses instead of breakers, or a 60-amp service
• A panel brand with a known defect history (more on those below)
• Anything scorched, warm to the touch, or buzzing at the panel
• An insurer asking questions about your electrical, or holding up a renewal until it’s addressed
• Adding a big load: an EV charger, a heat pump, a hot tub, a basement suite

Any one of these is worth a look. Warmth, scorching, or a burning smell at the panel is the one that shouldn’t wait.

Service upgrade or service change?

These two terms get used interchangeably and it causes real confusion, so here’s the plain version. A service upgrade increases your service size, most often 100 amps to 200 amps, so the house can carry more load. A service change replaces the equipment at the same amperage, the panel, meter base, or service mast, usually because the existing gear is old, damaged, or a hazard brand. On the day, the two jobs look nearly identical. The difference is whether the amperage goes up or stays the same, and it matters mostly for the load calculation and, occasionally, for what BC Hydro needs on their end. Either way the work is permitted and inspected, and either way we’ll tell you which one you actually need rather than defaulting to the bigger number.

Hazard panels we replace on sight

A few panel brands installed decades ago have documented defect histories, and they come up constantly on inspections and insurance reviews:

• Federal Pacific (FPE) Stab-Lok. The breakers have a history of failing to trip on an overload, which is the one thing a breaker exists to do. Widely flagged by insurers.
• Zinsco / Sylvania-Zinsco. Similar problem: breakers that can fail to trip, and buses that corrode and overheat.
• Pushmatic / Bulldog. Less notorious, but aging, hard to source breakers for, and often due anyway.

If you have one of these, replacing it is rarely a question of if. Several insurers now ask about them by name, and a documented, permitted replacement is usually what settles the file.

How many amps do you actually need

Most single-family homes land on 200 amps, and that’s what we install by default because it leaves headroom for the loads people add later. But it isn’t automatic. A load calculation, run against your actual square footage, heating, and appliances, tells you whether 100 amps still has room or 200 is genuinely needed, and occasionally whether a larger service or a subpanel makes more sense. We do that arithmetic before quoting, not after. If your existing service has room, we’ll say so.

What it costs

In the Lower Mainland, most 100-to-200-amp upgrades run about $4,000 to $6,000. The range is real, and it’s driven by a handful of things:

• Overhead or underground service. An overhead mast replacement is different work than trenched underground conductors.
• Whether the panel has to move. A panel that no longer meets clearance rules and has to relocate adds real hours and wall work.
• The wall between meter and panel. Stucco, a finished basement, or a heritage exterior all make the conductor run harder.
• Old branch wiring. If the circuits arriving at the panel are damaged or undersized, an inspector will want them addressed before passing the job.

Treat any online number, this one included, as a ballpark. A fixed written quote comes after someone has stood in front of your service. And be wary of a quote that’s hundreds below the others: check whether it includes the permit and the BC Hydro coordination, because unpermitted service work is the discount that comes back at insurance renewal, and again when you sell.

How it works

1. Site visit. We look at your existing service, meter base, and panel location, run the load calculation, and give you a fixed written quote.
2. Permits and scheduling. We file the permit through Technical Safety BC and book the BC Hydro disconnect. Most upgrades happen within two to three weeks of approval.
3. Upgrade day. BC Hydro pulls the meter and disconnects in the morning. We swap the panel and service gear, an inspector signs off, and power is reconnected the same afternoon in most cases. You’re rarely without power for more than a working day.

What “up to code” actually means

An upgrade isn’t just a bigger box. Bringing the installation to current BC Electrical Code usually means new grounding and bonding, a meter base and mast that meet today’s standards, and a panel with a labelled directory so the next person who opens it can read it. The permit exists so an independent inspector confirms all of that. That inspection is what makes the work count for your insurer and your future buyer.

Common questions

Do I need a 200-amp service for an EV charger?

Not always. A load calculation often shows a 100-amp service has room for a Level 2 EV charger with a load-management device. If the math says you don’t need the upgrade, we won’t sell you one.

What’s the difference between a service upgrade and a service change?

A service upgrade increases your amperage, usually 100 to 200. A service change replaces the panel and service gear at the same amperage, often because it’s old or a hazard brand. The day’s work looks nearly the same; the difference is whether the service size goes up. We’ll tell you which one your situation calls for.

Will my insurance company care about my old panel?

Often, yes. Several insurers ask about 60-amp services and about panel brands with defect histories, Federal Pacific and Zinsco especially. A documented, permitted upgrade usually settles it.

How long am I without power?

For most upgrades, part of a single day. BC Hydro disconnects in the morning and reconnects the same afternoon once the inspection passes. We schedule it so you’re not left overnight wherever we can avoid it.

Do you handle the permit and BC Hydro?

Always. Every upgrade we do is permitted and inspected through Technical Safety BC, and we book the BC Hydro disconnect and reconnect ourselves. That’s what license #LEL0203630 is for.

I have a Federal Pacific panel. Does it really need replacing?

In almost every case, yes. FPE Stab-Lok breakers have a documented history of not tripping on an overload, and many insurers flag them by name. Replacing one with a modern, inspected panel removes the hazard and the insurance question in one job.

How long does the whole process take?

Usually two to three weeks from approval to upgrade day, most of which is permit processing and BC Hydro scheduling rather than our labour. The physical work is typically a single day.