200A · 320A · 400A — sized for your home, not a sales quota
Your panel decides what your house can do. We size it right the first time, coordinate with Xcel and the city inspector, and hand you a written quote during the visit. The price we quote is the price you pay.
Why Twin Cities homeowners hire us for panel work
Three reasons our panel quotes look different from the ones you get elsewhere.
We’ll tell you when you DON’T need an upgrade
Panel upgrades are one of our specialties, but we don’t invent them. If your existing 200A panel handles your loads, we say so and walk away with a free-quote bill of zero. We’d rather earn next year’s repair than oversell today.
The price we quote is the price you pay
No diagnostic fee. No after-hours surcharge. No surprise add-ons. Written quote in your hands during the visit, valid 30 days. If something changes scope, we tell you the cost before we touch it.
Explicit amperage tiers, not vague “panel upgrade”
Most electricians quote one number. We quote 200A vs 320A vs 400A side by side, run a real load calculation against NEC Article 220, and tell you what the math says — not what the salesman wants.
Pick the right amperage
Three standard tiers cover almost every Twin Cities home. Here’s how to think about which one fits.
The right answer for most upgrades we quote. Adequate for a typical 2,000–3,000 sq ft home with one EV charger, central A/C, electric range, and dryer.
- Most ranch / split-level homes
- One Level 2 EV charger
- Standard kitchen + laundry loads
- Gas furnace + central A/C
The right answer when you’re adding multiple major loads at once: EV charger plus heat pump plus electric range, or a primary service plus a detached-garage subpanel.
- EV + heat pump + workshop
- Detached garage / ADU subpanel
- Mid-size solar + battery
- 3,000–5,000 sq ft homes
Built for dual EV chargers, whole-home electrification (no gas), large-format solar plus battery, or homes over ~5,000 sq ft with multiple HVAC zones.
- Dual EV chargers
- Full electrification (no gas)
- Large solar + battery
- 5,000+ sq ft / multi-zone HVAC
Signs you need an upgrade
If any of these apply, the panel is probably the limiting factor on your house.
What’s included in every panel upgrade
Here’s exactly what’s in the quote — so you can compare apples to apples against the cheap-looking competitor bid.
How a panel upgrade actually goes
Two to four weeks from “yes, do the upgrade” to “signed permit in your file.” Here’s what each day looks like.
Free quote visit
A licensed electrician comes to your house, evaluates the existing service, runs the load calculation, and gives you a written proposal during the visit. Three options where applicable (good / better / best). No diagnostic fee. Quote valid 30 days.
Permit + Xcel coordination
We pull the electrical permit and submit the service-upgrade request to Xcel. This is the longest-pole step — typically 1–3 weeks for residential service upgrades. We handle the paperwork; you get an install date.
Power off for the working window
4–8 hours of no power for a 200A swap; 6–10 hours for a 320A or 400A with service entrance. Refrigerator and freezer hold fine; we tell you the morning of when to expect the lineman.
City inspection
The municipal electrical inspector walks the work. We meet them. You don’t have to take time off. Inspector signs the permit card.
Signed permit + your warranty docs
You get the signed permit, the inspection card, and our workmanship warranty. We file the Xcel rebate paperwork. You’re done.
Common reasons people upgrade
Most panel upgrades start with one of these triggers.
Adding an EV charger
Level 2 chargers pull 30–60A continuous. On a fully-loaded 200A panel, the load calc usually requires a 200A → 320A upgrade. We pair the panel work with the EV install on one quote, one project, one inspector visit.
EV charger installation →Going solar or adding battery
Solar PV interconnection requires panel headroom. Through our parent company iSolar Minnesota, we’ve done hundreds of solar interconnections — so we size for the array you want today plus the battery you’ll add later.
Battery backup →Replacing a Federal Pacific or Zinsco
Documented failure modes (bus-bar arcing, breakers that don’t trip). Most homeowner-insurance policies in MN surcharge or non-renew on these — which often makes the replacement economic on its own.
Upgrading from a fuse box
Pre-1965 service. Usually combined with a service upgrade and selective branch-circuit work. We assess the whole system, not just the panel.
Buyer / seller inspection flag
Quick turnaround on a written proposal so you can put it in front of the buyer or seller during the negotiation window. Tell us the inspection date and we’ll prioritize.
Adding a heat pump or workshop
Heat pumps with electric backup pull serious continuous current. A 200-amp panel that handled gas + A/C may not have headroom. We run the math and quote the right tier.
Pricing — what to expect
We don’t publish flat-rate pricing — here’s why
Service entrance condition, panel location, branch-circuit count, and whether you’re adding capacity (200A → 320A) or replacing in-kind all change the number meaningfully. Two houses with “the same job” can vary 30–50%.
What we can tell you up front:
- Free in-home quote with written proposal valid 30 days
- Three options where applicable — good / better / best side by side
- Xcel rebate-eligible — up to $1,500 on qualifying service upgrades. We file the paperwork.
- $150 service-upgrade discount applied at the quote, not after the fact
- The price we quote is the price you pay
Panel upgrade FAQ
How much does a panel upgrade cost in Minnesota?
How long does a panel upgrade take?
Do I need a permit?
Will my power be off during the upgrade?
Do you replace Federal Pacific or Zinsco panels?
Can I get the Xcel rebate if I do the upgrade myself?
What’s the difference between 200A, 320A, and 400A residential service?
Do you serve my city?
Ready for a free panel-upgrade quote?
We’ll come to your house, run the load calc, walk you through the amperage options, and hand you a written proposal during the visit. Valid 30 days, no diagnostic fee, no obligation.
