On this page 5 sections
A 200-amp service upgrade is the increase after the house needs more capacity
This job is the job after the house has already been shown to need more capacity. It is not the question of whether you need it — that decision lives on the panel upgrade page. If that answer is yes, a 200-amp service upgrade increases the capacity of the service itself: the panel, the service-entrance conductors, the meter equipment, the disconnecting means, and on most jobs a scheduled disconnect with the power company.
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What changes
The service rating goes to 200 amps. That is not a like-for-like panel swap. The new equipment, the conductors that feed it, and usually the meter assembly all have to match the new rating — work on your side of the meter, coordinated with the utility.
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What usually got you here
Several large loads on a 100-amp service that is already close — a charger, a heat pump, an electric range — after a load calculation said the existing service cannot carry them.
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What this is not
A full panel on a service that still has headroom is a subpanel. A failing panel that does not need more capacity is a panel replacement. Still deciding whether you need more capacity at all is the panel upgrade page.
If the need is established, we plan the increase — not a smaller job dressed up as 200 amps, and not a 200-amp job you did not need.
A service upgrade is two jobs in one
Unlike a panel replacement, this job increases service capacity to 200A. That usually means the panel, the service-entrance conductors, the meter equipment, and coordinating the utility so both sides of the meter get scheduled together.
Your side of the meter
The main panel, the service-entrance conductors, the mast or riser, the meter socket, the grounding and bonding, and the service-level surge device the code requires when this service equipment is replaced. This is the work we do and the permit covers.
The utility side
The service drop or lateral belongs to the power company. On most upgrades they disconnect at the start and reconnect once the inspection clears — which is why the coordination, as much as the wiring, sets the day.
A 200-amp service upgrade waits on the utility’s schedule
Our service area has three different power companies, and each runs its own process. We pull the city or county permit, file the utility application, and schedule the disconnect — the part homeowners underestimate.
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SMUD
Most of Sacramento County. We file the service application; they assign and schedule the disconnect, and the local inspector signs off before they reconnect. Well-coordinated, the power is off for part of one day rather than several.
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PG&E
Parts of Yolo and Placer — Davis, Woodland, West Sacramento, Rocklin — and some Folsom addresses. Their process and their crew set the timing; we confirm who serves the meter and build the schedule around it.
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Roseville Electric
The city of Roseville runs its own municipal utility, with its own application and an advance-notice requirement for the disconnect. Different paperwork, same outcome — planned around a single day.
When a service upgrade is the wrong answer
Increasing the service to 200 amps is a real job. When a smaller fix carries the load, we say so — a capacity increase you did not need is the expensive mistake.
You are still deciding whether you need it
If the question is still “will my panel handle a charger, a heat pump, an ADU,” that is the panel upgrade page. This job is the job after that answer is yes.
Out of spaces, not out of capacity
If the service has headroom and the panel is simply full, more breaker spaces or a subpanel answers it without touching the utility.
One big load, tight service
An EV charger on a service that is close can often run on managed charging that backs off when the house is busy — no upgrade required.
The panel is the problem, capacity is not
If the existing panel itself warrants replacement and the project is not primarily about more capacity, that is a panel replacement, not a 200-amp service upgrade.
The hardware failed, the size is fine
If the meter socket or main disconnect is corroded, cracked, or flagged and the amperage is staying put, that is a meter-main replacement — same service size, different equipment.
200-amp service upgrade: what changes the cost
A service upgrade cannot be priced from a description. These are what move the scope once we read the service and the site.
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Overhead or underground service
A mast-and-weatherhead overhead service and an underground lateral are different jobs to re-terminate.
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Where the meter and main sit
Whether the equipment stays put, or the meter-main has to move or become an outdoor combination unit, changes the work.
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Grounding and bonding corrections
The upgrade is inspected against current code. The earth connection is grounding; metal-to-metal is bonding — brought up as part of approval when they predate it.
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Panel condition and existing circuits
Old conductors, combined circuits, or connections that cannot be reused add work beyond the enclosure.
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Which utility, and its schedule
Coordination effort differs across SMUD, PG&E, and Roseville Electric, and the disconnect window is theirs to set.
Not sure this is the right job?
Tell us what you are seeing — what is tripping, what changed, or what you are planning — and we will tell you what the work actually is before anyone drives out.
200-amp service questions
Do I actually need 200 amps for an EV charger?
If you are still asking that, start on the panel upgrade page. This job is the increase after the need is established. A Level 2 charger often does not force 200 amps — managed charging can fit one onto a service that is close.
How long is the power off?
For a well-coordinated upgrade, part of a single day. The service cannot be transferred in stages, so it goes off when the utility disconnects and comes back once the inspection clears and they reconnect. You get the window before the day.
Is this the same as replacing my panel?
No. A panel replacement is for when the existing panel itself warrants replacement, and the project is not primarily about more capacity. A 200-amp service upgrade is the increase after that need is established — panel, service entrance, meter equipment, and usually the utility. If the panel is the problem and capacity is not, that is the page you want.
Who deals with SMUD or PG&E — me or you?
We do. We pull the permit, file the utility application, and schedule the disconnect and reconnect. You give access and know the window.
Will 100 amps still pass, or do I have to upgrade?
A 100-amp service is not automatically a problem. Whether it can carry what you are adding is the panel upgrade question. This job is what happens after that calculation says the service is short.
Is a 100 amp panel up to code?
A 100 amp service can still be legal for the load it was sized for. If the load calculation no longer fits, the next step is a 200 amp service upgrade.
Can I upgrade to 200-amp service myself?
A service change is permitted work and it coordinates with the utility. We pull the permit and handle the meter disconnect for the duration of the work.
Do you need a permit to upgrade to 200-amp service?
Yes. The building department inspects the new service, and the utility has to be on the meter. We pull the permit.
Still not sure it is the right job? Call (279) 972-9272 — available 24 hours.Want the detail? 100A vs 200A service
Helpful guides
100A vs 200A service
A 200-amp service is not automatically better, and 100 amps is not automatically too small. The right size is a load calculation, not square footage.
Read guideLevel 2 EV charger
Start with parking, charging needs, panel capacity, and the circuit route. The charger itself is only one part of the installation.
Read guide
Serving 19 communities across the Sacramento area
Litel Electric serves homeowners throughout all 19 communities in our service area — from Davis and Woodland to Roseville, Folsom, and Elk Grove.
Get estimate
Tell us what is happening, or what you are planning. We read the details, tell you what else we need to know, and explain the next step before anything is scheduled.
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You send the problem or the plan, with the address if you have it.
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We reply with what it involves and what has to be seen in person.
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Nothing is scheduled, and nothing is priced, until the equipment has been looked at.
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