Main Panel Upgrade Cost in Los Angeles (2026)
A main panel upgrade in Los Angeles typically runs about $3,000–$4,500, whether only the panel is replaced or the meter socket, mast and service conductors are replaced with it, and $6,000–$15,000+ with trenching, underground service or relocation — typical ranges in Cali Energy’s 2026 work, city permit included; your price comes from a written quote. Two outside benchmarks fall inside that first range: a 2025 national survey by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory found a $3,500 median for a single-family main panel replacement, and SCE puts the average panel upgrade at about $4,200.
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- What usually moves the price is whether the job stays where it is, above ground. In Cali Energy’s 2026 work, a panel replacement typically runs about $3,000–$4,500, with or without a new meter socket, mast and service conductors; trenching, underground service or relocation, about $6,000–$15,000+.
- Independent figures agree: Berkeley Lab’s 2025 national survey found a $3,500 median for a single-family main panel replacement, and SCE puts the average panel upgrade at about $4,200.
- The utility’s own work may cost you nothing: LADWP generally charges no installation fee when its existing service can carry the new load, and SCE applies a tariff allowance before billing for service work.
- In the City of Los Angeles, the permit for a home service and panel up to 200 A is about $210, with no plan check below 400 A of load.
- For a single-family home, the panel rebates still open in 2026 are tied to installing an EV charger; the state’s HEEHRA rebates for houses are fully reserved, and the federal $600 panel credit ended with 2025.
Cost by scope
“Panel upgrade” covers three different jobs. In our work the first two usually cost about the same; what tends to push the price up is going underground, trenching or moving the panel. The scope also decides how much the utility is involved and how long the job takes. Whether you need an upgrade at all is a separate question, answered in do you need a main panel upgrade for solar?
| Scope | Typical range | What the job includes | You’re in this row when |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Panel replaced in place | $3,000 – $4,500 | New panel and breakers on the same wall; meter socket, mast and utility service reused; permit and inspection | The service size stays the same, or the meter socket and service conductors are already rated for the new size |
| B. Panel plus meter, mast or service drop | $3,000 – $4,500 | Everything in A, plus a new meter socket or meter-main, heavier service-entrance conductors, often a taller mast and weatherhead, and the utility reconnecting — or replacing — its service drop | You go from 100 A to 200 A and the meter socket or service conductors are rated only 100 A |
| C. Full service upgrade | $6,000 – $15,000+ | Underground service, trenching and conduit, or moving the panel to a new location | The service is underground, the panel has to move, or the job needs major rework |
Typical ranges from Cali Energy’s 2026 work, city permit included — not a published statistic, a quote or a fixed price. A written quote after a site visit sets your price, and it can land outside these ranges for real reasons: a panel buried in a finished wall, aluminum feeders, or grounding that has to be brought up to current code.
How those ranges compare with independent data
The strongest public benchmark is a national survey that Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory ran in summer 2025 and published in August 2026. It collected answers from 140 contractors, engineers, utility staff and building officials in 34 states; California and New York were the most represented. Contractors and engineers reported typical costs for each kind of work.
| Work | Median | Middle half of answers | Mean | Answers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main service panel replacement | $3,500 | $2,100 – $5,000 | $3,931 | 34 |
| Service-size increase: customer-side equipment | $2,800 | $2,000 – $5,000 | $3,409 | 22 |
| Service-size increase: utility-side costs passed to the owner | $3,500 | $1,650 – $7,000 | $5,040 | 19 |
| Subpanel replacement | $1,500 | $775 – $2,500 | $1,879 | 31 |
| Rewiring hazardous or undersized conductors | $5,000 | $1,000 – $7,500 | $7,021 | 21 |
Each row is a separate question with its own respondents, so the rows can’t be added into a project total. Answers are self-reported and national rather than a Los Angeles sample; medians are the better guide because a few very expensive jobs pull the means up. Source: Berkeley Lab, August 2026.
Set against our ranges, the survey’s $3,500 median for a panel replacement sits inside scope A. SCE’s own figure is close: it puts the average panel upgrade at about $4,200 and sized its Charge Ready Home rebate for income-qualified households to cover up to 100% of that. The row that travels worst to Los Angeles is the utility one, because local rules differ from the national picture.
Who pays for the utility side
Nationally, utilities rarely chip in: nearly every utility respondent in the Berkeley Lab survey reported no allowance at all for a service-size increase. The utilities serving Los Angeles publish their own rules.
LADWP
If the existing LADWP service can handle the new demand, LADWP says there are generally no installation charges. Conduit work in public property, transformer work or street resurfacing can bring charges, which a Service Planning Engineer calculates case by case (LADWP charges and fees).
SCE
Under its tariff Rule 16, SCE replaces its own service facilities as a new service extension and applies an allowance first; you pay SCE’s estimated cost above it. A relocation you ask for — a remodel, aesthetics — is billed at SCE’s full estimated cost (SCE Rule 16).
City-run utilities
Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena run their own electric utilities with their own service rules. Ask the utility before assuming either set above applies.
Either way, the equipment you own — panel, meter socket, mast and service-entrance conductors — is yours to pay for.
The permit, and two code items on every replacement
In the City of Los Angeles, LADBS requires electrical plan check only when total load exceeds 400 A or equipment is rated 600 A or more, so a typical single-family upgrade to 200 A needs no plan check. The city’s online fee estimator returns $209.61 for a one- or two-family dwelling with one service and one panel up to 200 A, and $399.70 in the 201–600 A band (September 2026 estimates; paying by card adds 2.7%). Other cities and unincorporated Los Angeles County set their own fees. Nationally, the Berkeley Lab survey found panel-replacement permit fees clustered near a $100 median — a small share of the job wherever you are.
Two California Electrical Code items apply to new and replacement services alike, and have since January 1, 2023: a Type 1 or Type 2 surge-protective device at the service of any dwelling, and, for one- and two-family homes, an emergency disconnect in a readily accessible outdoor location — on an outdoor meter-main, the main breaker marked as the emergency disconnect (building-department summary of NEC 230.67 and 230.85). When a quote lists them, that’s the code, not padding.
Rebates and credits in 2026
For a single-family home, the money still open in 2026 is tied to installing an EV charger. The state’s federally funded rebates are fully reserved for houses, and the federal credit is gone.
SCE Charge Ready Home
Up to $4,200 for income-qualified households (below 80% of area median income, or enrolled in a listed assistance program) and up to $2,100 in designated disadvantaged communities. It covers single-family homes whose current panel is under 200 A, and requires a new panel of at least 200 A, a 240-volt outlet within 25 feet of off-street parking, and a Level 2 charger within 180 days (SCE program rules).
LADWP EV charger rebate
Up to $1,000 toward buying and installing a qualifying home charger, or $1,500 for Lifeline and EZ-SAVE customers, plus $250 for a dedicated EV meter. LADWP counts panels, breakers and meter sockets as eligible installation costs when they are part of the charger job (LADWP rebate FAQ).
State and federal: closed for houses
California’s federally funded HEEHRA rebates for income-qualified households have been fully reserved for single-family homes since February 24, 2026, with new requests on a waitlist; multifamily properties can still get up to $14,000 per unit, which can include panel upgrades and wiring (California Energy Commission). The federal 25C credit covered 30% of a 200 A-or-larger panel that supported qualifying equipment such as a heat pump, up to $600, for improvements made through December 31, 2025 (IRS); it does not cover 2026 work.
200 A is the usual target; for solar, check the busbar
Many older homes still have panels rated 100 A or less, and the common upgrade is to 200 A — also the minimum SCE requires for its panel rebate. Whether 200 A is enough for your house comes from a load calculation, not a rule of thumb. If solar is in the plan, the busbar rating matters as much as the main breaker. Under the 120% rule — 705.12(B)(2) in the electrical code California uses now — 125% of the inverter’s output current plus the main breaker rating may not exceed 120% of the busbar rating, and the method applies only with the solar breaker at the opposite end of the busbar from the main. A 200 A busbar with a 200 A main leaves 40 A: 32 A of continuous inverter output, about 7.6 kW at 240 V. A 225 A busbar with a 200 A main leaves 70 A: 56 A, about 13.4 kW. The full rule and its exceptions are in do you need a main panel upgrade for solar?
Why two quotes for the same house differ
Usually because they price different scopes. These are the things that move a quote within and between the rows above.
Service size
A 200 A panel fed through a 100 A meter socket and conductors is scope B, not A. Going to 400 A means a larger meter socket and heavier conductors again, and the utility has to be involved.
Utility work
Replacing only the panel stays on your side. A new meter socket, mast or service drop puts LADWP or SCE on the schedule, and transformer or street work can bring the utility’s own charges.
Panel location
A panel on an outside wall or in a garage is quick to reach. One behind finished walls, far from the meter or being moved adds labor and patching.
Overhead or underground
Overhead is the simpler job. Underground service — existing or a new conversion — means trenching, conduit and yard or hardscape repair.
Code items
The surge-protective device, the outdoor emergency disconnect, and grounding and bonding that the inspector checks against current code belong to the replacement, not to a list of extras.
What turns up
Once the panel is open, aluminum feeders, a failing meter socket or undersized branch wiring can surface. Rewiring hazardous or undersized conductors had a $5,000 median per home in the Berkeley Lab survey.
Ask every quote to itemize: which scope it covers; the panel’s busbar and main-breaker ratings and number of spaces; the meter socket, mast and conductors, if they are being replaced; the surge-protective device and emergency disconnect; grounding and bonding work; the permit; utility coordination; and whether stucco, drywall or trench repair is included. If a solar proposal includes a panel upgrade, the same list applies — it should be its own line, not buried in a price per watt.
A 1950s house in Van Nuys adding an EV charger
An illustrative case: 100 A overhead service, meter and panel in one enclosure on an outside wall, LADWP territory, and an owner who wants a Level 2 charger now and room for solar later. The meter socket and service conductors are rated 100 A, so a 200 A upgrade is scope B: plan on roughly $3,000–$4,500, permit included, until a site visit confirms it. The permit itself is about $210, with no plan check. LADWP’s own charge is generally zero if its existing drop and transformer can carry the new load; if they can’t, charges may apply, calculated case by case. Because the upgrade serves a charger, LADWP’s charger rebate — up to $1,000, and it counts panel costs — can offset part of the bill. Choosing a 225 A busbar with a 200 A main leaves room, under the 120% method, for about 13.4 kW of inverter output later instead of 7.6 kW.
How long it takes
The work itself is short: SCE says a typical panel upgrade takes 6–8 hours, with the power off while it happens. The calendar around it is longer. In the Berkeley Lab survey, 70% of contractors said a single-family panel job without a service-size increase is finished within 30 days of the request or permit application, and 64% said the same for one with an increase; 80% of utility respondents put single-family service-size increases within 30 days. Jobs that need utility work take longer, so if the upgrade is paired with solar or a home EV charger, schedule the panel first.
Before you pay for an upgrade: cheaper alternatives
A full service upgrade isn’t always required. Depending on your loads and the code review, one of these may let you add solar, a battery or an EV charger without one.
Supply-side (line-side) connection
Connects solar ahead of the main breaker, so the busbar limit no longer applies; the ampacity of the service conductors becomes the limit instead. It needs a listed connection point, and the AHJ and the utility have a say.
Main-breaker derate
A lower-rated main breaker frees busbar room for backfed solar — only if the load calculation shows the house fits under the new rating.
Load management
A listed smart panel or energy-management device that caps or staggers loads can make room for an EV charger (a load) without a bigger service. It doesn’t lift busbar limits for backfed solar (a source).
Which one fits, if any, comes down to your loads, your panel and a real code review. The options and their limits are in solar without a panel upgrade; the full decision is in do you need a main panel upgrade for solar?
A licensed electrical contractor
A main panel upgrade is service work: disconnecting and reconnecting the service, grounding and bonding, the permit and the utility. Cali Energy holds a California C-10 electrical classification (CSLB #1032379), so the panel, the solar and the EV circuit can be permitted and inspected under one license. Send a photo of your panel and meter, and we’ll tell you which of the three scopes you’re likely in — or whether you need an upgrade at all — before you sign anything; a site visit confirms the price.
Get a panel-upgrade quoteFrequently asked
How much does a main panel upgrade cost in Los Angeles?
In Cali Energy’s 2026 work in the Los Angeles area, a panel replacement typically costs about $3,000–$4,500, city permit included, with or without a new meter socket, mast and service conductors; trenching, underground service or relocation, about $6,000–$15,000+. These are typical ranges, not a quote; a written quote after a site visit sets the price. For comparison, Berkeley Lab’s 2025 national survey found a $3,500 median for a single-family main panel replacement (middle half $2,100–$5,000), and SCE puts the average panel upgrade at about $4,200.
Does LADWP or SCE charge for a service upgrade?
The utility’s own work may cost you nothing. LADWP says that when its existing service can handle the new demand there are generally no installation charges; conduit work in public property, transformer work or street resurfacing can be charged, calculated case by case. SCE’s tariff Rule 16 applies an allowance to its service work and bills only the estimated cost above it, while a relocation you ask for is billed at full estimated cost. The panel, meter socket, mast and service-entrance conductors you own are always yours to pay for.
How much is a panel upgrade permit in Los Angeles?
In the City of Los Angeles, the LADBS fee estimator returns $209.61 for a one- or two-family dwelling with one service and one panel up to 200 A, and $399.70 in the 201–600 A band (September 2026 estimates; card payments add 2.7%). Plan check is needed only when total load exceeds 400 A or equipment is rated 600 A or more. Other cities and unincorporated Los Angeles County set their own fees.
Are there rebates or tax credits for a panel upgrade in 2026?
Only in narrow cases. For single-family homes, the open programs are tied to EV charging: SCE’s Charge Ready Home pays up to $4,200 for income-qualified households or up to $2,100 in designated disadvantaged communities; it covers single-family homes with a panel under 200 A that upgrade to at least 200 A with a 240-volt outlet near off-street parking and add a Level 2 charger within 180 days. LADWP’s EV charger rebate (up to $1,000, or $1,500 for Lifeline and EZ-SAVE customers) counts panels, breakers and meter sockets as eligible installation costs. California’s HEEHRA rebates for single-family homes have been fully reserved since February 24, 2026. The federal 25C credit, which covered up to $600 of a qualifying panel, applied only to improvements made through December 31, 2025.
What amperage should I upgrade to?
The common target is 200 A; whether that is enough comes from a load calculation. If solar is in the plan, look at the busbar too: under the 120% rule, with the solar breaker at the opposite end of the busbar, a 200 A busbar with a 200 A main allows 32 A of continuous inverter output (about 7.6 kW at 240 V), while a 225 A busbar with a 200 A main allows 56 A (about 13.4 kW). See do you need a main panel upgrade for solar?
How long does a panel upgrade take?
The work itself typically takes 6–8 hours with the power off, according to SCE. From request or permit application to finish, 70% of contractors in Berkeley Lab’s national survey said a single-family panel job without a service-size increase is done within 30 days, and 64% said so for one with an increase. Jobs that need utility work take longer.
Why is one panel-upgrade quote so much higher than another?
Usually because the quotes cover different scopes. The price usually jumps when underground service needs trenching or the panel has to move; a new meter socket, mast or service drop brings in the utility and its schedule. Panel location, grounding corrections, the surge-protective device and outdoor emergency disconnect the code requires, and problems found once the panel is open also move the number. Ask each contractor which scope they are quoting and to itemize it.
Related reading
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page come from the primary sources below and, where noted, from Cali Energy calculations using the stated assumptions. Rates, incentives, and program terms change; each was verified September 28, 2026.
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory — Understanding the Costs and Barriers of Residential Electrical Panel and Service Upgrades (August 2026)
- SCE Charge Ready Home — rebate levels and eligibility
- SCE Charge Ready Home — how to apply (program requirements)
- SCE Charge Ready Home — FAQs (average panel-upgrade cost, typical duration)
- SCE Rule 16 — Service Extensions (CPUC tariff)
- LADWP — charges and fees for electric service requests
- LADWP — Residential EV Charger Rebate Program
- LADWP — Residential EV Charger Rebate Program FAQs (eligible installation costs)
- LADBS — electrical permits (plan check thresholds)
- LADBS — permit fee calculator
- California Energy Commission — Inflation Reduction Act residential energy rebate programs (HEEHRA status)
- IRS — Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C)
- City of Patterson Building Department — 2022 California Electrical Code: surge-protective device and emergency disconnect (January 2023)
- NFPA 70 (National Electrical Code) — free read-only access
Not sure which scope your panel is?
Send a photo of your panel and meter, and we'll tell you which scope you're likely in — or whether you need an upgrade at all — with an itemized price after a site visit. Cali Energy is a licensed C-10 electrical contractor.
Get a free estimatePrepared by Cali Energy, September 28, 2026. This article is for general educational purposes only and is not legal, tax, financial, engineering, or utility advice. Rates, incentives, codes, permit requirements, equipment specifications, prices, and program terms may change; figures and timelines are estimates, not guarantees. Confirm current requirements with the applicable utility, AHJ, program administrator, manufacturer, or a licensed professional. See our Content Disclaimer. Cali Energy · 19201 Parthenia St, Unit E, Northridge, CA 91324 · CSLB #1032379 (B, C-10, C-39)