If you live in a house that was built before about 2000, there’s a good chance your electrical panel was sized for a different era of power use. A 100-amp service was perfectly reasonable when the largest loads in the house were a stove and a clothes dryer. It’s not so reasonable when you want to add an EV charger, a heat pump, a whole-home battery, or all three.
Signs your panel is ready for an upgrade
- You’re planning to add a Level-2 EV charger.
- You’re swapping a gas furnace or water heater for an electric or heat-pump version.
- You’ve added a hot tub, ADU, or shop with its own dedicated loads.
- The panel is a federal Pacific, Zinsco, or similar known-to-be-problematic brand.
- You’re running out of physical breaker slots.
When 100 amps is still fine
Not every house needs 200A. If you’re not planning EV charging, electric heat, or major additions, and your panel is from a reputable manufacturer with room to spare, you’re probably fine. The honest answer to “do I need 200A?” is usually about what you’re adding next, not what you have now.
What an upgrade actually involves
A typical residential service upgrade is a one-day install: new meter base, new service entrance conductors, new 200A panel, and coordination with the utility for a brief power disconnect. We pull permits, schedule inspections, and tie it all in clean. If the existing service mast or grounding is undersized, that’s part of the scope too.
If you’re not sure where your house stands, we’ll come look at the panel and tell you the honest answer — no pressure either way.