How Much Does It Cost to Replace an Electrical Panel? (2026)

How Much Does It Cost to Replace an Electrical Panel?

As of 2026, replacing an electrical panel usually costs $1,300 to $4,500, and most San Angelo homeowners land near $2,000 to $3,000. A like-for-like 100-amp swap sits at the low end. A full 200-amp service upgrade with a new meter, mast, and grounding runs higher, and relocating the panel or replacing an old service line can push past $5,000.

The range is wide because “replacing the panel” means two different jobs.

Swapping a healthy panel for a new one of the same size is mostly labor plus a new panelboard. Upgrading your service to more amperage touches the meter, the mast, the grounding, and the utility connection.

That second job means more parts, more hours, and a permit with an inspection before the power comes back on. The sections below let you read any quote and know exactly what you are paying for.

What Does Each Type of Panel Replacement Cost in 2026?

Costs sort cleanly by the kind of work involved. These are realistic 2026 ranges for the San Angelo area, drawn from national cost data and set near the middle, where Texas labor tends to price.

• A like-for-like 100-amp panel swap runs about $1,200 to $2,500.
• A 200-amp panel replacement or upgrade runs about $1,800 to $4,000.
• A full 200-amp service upgrade with a new meter, mast, and grounding runs about $2,500 to $6,000.
• Adding a subpanel for more breaker slots runs about $500 to $1,500.
• Replacing a Federal Pacific or Zinsco panel runs about $2,000 to $4,500.

The swap is cheapest because the amperage and service equipment stay the same. Moving to 200-amp service costs more because the panel, main breaker, feeders, and grounding all get sized up, and the utility often sets a new meter.

A subpanel is not a replacement at all. It is the right fix when your main panel is healthy and you have simply run out of breaker space.

A full electrical panel upgrade becomes a fixed-scope job once an electrician sees your service.

What Drives the Price of a Panel Replacement?

Six factors move the final number more than anything else.

Amperage. A 200-amp panel needs larger conductors, a larger main breaker, and heavier grounding, so it costs more in parts. The labor is similar, which is why upgrading while the crew is already there is often good value.

Swap vs. full service upgrade. Reusing the existing meter, mast, and service entrance keeps the job small. Upgrading the service means new equipment from the weatherhead down.

Meter, mast, and AEP Texas coordination. A corroded or undersized mast or meter riser adds roughly $500 to $1,700, and a new weatherhead adds a few hundred more. AEP Texas has to cut power to start and restore it after inspection, so their scheduling is part of the timeline.

Permits and inspection. A permit is required, and fees typically run $50 to $500 depending on the jurisdiction. Not optional, not negotiable.

Panel location. Moving the panel to a new wall, or from inside to outside, adds labor and often new wiring. Relocation commonly runs $1,500 to $4,000 on top of the panel itself.

Hazardous removal and code corrections. Pulling an obsolete panel, correcting undersized grounding, or fixing brittle branch wiring all add time. If the wiring behind the panel is failing too, the job can shift toward a partial or whole-home rewire.

What Are the Signs You Need a New Electrical Panel?

The clearest signs are an obsolete panel brand, a fuse box, or a panel that can no longer keep up with your home. Watch for these.

• A Federal Pacific, Stab-Lok, or Zinsco panel. Known failure risks, covered below.
• A fuse box instead of breakers. Usually 60 to 100 amps, decades old, and undersized for a modern all-electric household.
• Breakers that trip often. Repeated trips can mean the panel is maxed out. A single tripping circuit usually has a specific cause, so read why a circuit breaker keeps tripping before blaming the whole panel.
• No open breaker slots. A full panel forces either a subpanel or a replacement.
• You are adding a big load. An EV charger, a generator, a hot tub, or central electric heat can push an older panel past safe capacity.
• Rust, scorch marks, a burning smell, or a warm panel cover. These point to overheating or moisture. Treat them as urgent and contact an emergency electrician in San Angelo rather than waiting.

The Electrical Safety Foundation International lists an overloaded, aging, or malfunctioning panel among the leading residential electrical hazards. Many at-risk homes are the older houses common across San Angelo and Tom Green County, built when 100-amp service was the norm.

Do You Have a Federal Pacific or Zinsco Panel?

If your panel is labeled Federal Pacific Electric, Stab-Lok, or Zinsco, treat replacement as a safety priority, not a someday project. The danger is not nuisance tripping. It is a breaker that never trips at all while a wire overheats behind it.

CPSC-funded testing of FPE Stab-Lok breakers found high failure-to-trip rates under overload, and in 2005 a New Jersey court ruled that Federal Pacific had fraudulently labeled Stab-Lok breakers as meeting UL standards. Zinsco panels have a different flaw: the breakers can fuse to the bus bar, so they cannot shut off power when a fault occurs.

Both brands were installed widely from the 1950s through the 1980s, so plenty of older San Angelo homes still have them. Replacement typically runs $2,000 to $4,500 depending on amperage. Some insurers now refuse to write or renew policies on these homes, and buyers routinely ask for them to be replaced before closing.

To get connected with a local electrician in San Angelo who can identify your panel and quote the replacement, call (877) 473-1995.

Does an EV Charger or Generator Require a Panel Upgrade?

Sometimes, and a load calculation is what settles it. A Level 2 EV charger needs a dedicated 240-volt circuit rated 40 to 60 amps.

On a home with 200-amp service and open slots, an electrician can often add that circuit without touching the panel. On a full or 100-amp panel already running central air, an electric water heater, and an electric range, there may not be enough spare capacity, and an upgrade comes first.

The math, not the square footage, decides. If a charger is your goal, see what it costs to install an EV charger at home.

A standby generator raises the same question. The automatic transfer switch usually needs to match the service, so a whole-home setup pairs naturally with a 200-amp panel. Sizing it to your actual loads is its own step, covered in what size generator you need.

In both cases, the panel upgrade is often bundled into the same project, so you pay for one round of permits and one inspection.

What Is the Permit and Inspection Process in San Angelo?

Panel work in San Angelo follows a set sequence, and the utility connection is the last step, not the first. Inside the city limits, an electrical permit is required, and the City of San Angelo will not release your service until a city inspection passes.

The job runs like this:

1. The electrician pulls the permit for the panel or service upgrade.
2. AEP Texas disconnects power so the work can be done safely at the meter and service entrance.
3. The panel is replaced or upgraded, including grounding and any mast or meter work.
4. The city inspects the work and, on a pass, issues the service release.
5. AEP Texas reconnects power to the new service.

Because two organizations are involved, a panel upgrade is rarely a same-hour job. Plan for the power to be off for part of a day. This sequence verifies that the grounding, bonding, and clearances are correct before your home is re-energized.

Is Replacing an Electrical Panel a DIY Job?

No. A panel replacement is one of the few electrical jobs genuinely off-limits to homeowners. The service conductors feeding the panel stay energized even with the main breaker off, so the line side is live until AEP Texas disconnects it.

A mistake in the grounding, the bonding, or the main breaker can leave a fault path that never trips. That is the same hidden danger that makes obsolete panels so risky.

Texas law also reserves service and panel work for contractors licensed through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, and San Angelo requires a permit and a passing inspection before power is restored. Unpermitted panel work surfaces later during a home sale or an insurance claim and costs far more to correct than it saved.

Routine issues short of a full replacement often fall under standard electrical repair and troubleshooting instead.

Talk to a Local San Angelo Electrician

A panel replacement is a real investment, and the right number depends on your amperage, your meter and mast, your panel location, and whether an old brand needs to come out. The way to turn these ranges into a firm price is to have a licensed electrician look at your actual service.

Call (877) 473-1995 and we will connect you with a local electrician in San Angelo who can assess your panel, handle the permit and AEP Texas coordination, and give you an upfront quote. No pressure and no obligation.