Common Questions
Panel change or service change? They're not the same job
Short answer
A panel change replaces the panel. A service change replaces everything from the meter outside all the way through to the panel. They're different jobs at different prices: roughly $3,000 to $4,000 for a panel change and $7,000 to $10,000 for a service change. Which one you need is usually decided by what's already on the outside of your house, not by preference.
The two jobs, side by side
| Panel change | Service change | |
|---|---|---|
| What gets replaced | The panel itself, and the breakers in it | Meter base, mast, service entrance conductors and the panel |
| Typical cost | $3,000 – $4,000 | $7,000 – $10,000 |
| Hours without power | 4 – 5 hours | 6 – 7 hours |
| When you have no choice | Panel is full, failing, or an obsolete brand, and the service side is sound and matches | Meter is 200 amp and the panel is 150; the service is 100 amp overhead; the service equipment is the same age as the panel |
Ranges are the ones published on what electrical work actually costs in Spokane.
The trap: a 200 amp meter with a 150 amp panel
This is the one that costs people money, because it looks like a panel job right up until somebody checks the meter. If the meter outside is already 200 amp but the panel inside is 150, you cannot do a panel-only change. It has to be a service upgrade.
Nobody finds that out from a phone call. It's the first thing we look at when we're on site, and it's the reason we won't quote a panel change sight unseen.
100 amp service usually means the whole thing
A 100 amp service in this area almost always means an old overhead service: the mast, the meter base and the conductors are the same vintage as the panel. So the whole thing gets upgraded rather than just the box in the basement.
That isn't an upsell. It's that replacing the panel and leaving older service equipment feeding it doesn't fix the part most likely to fail.
When the existing mast can stay
Sometimes it can, and it's worth asking. With an existing 2-inch rigid mast, if getting at the conduit would mean removing framing, siding or sheetrock, it can be kept, provided it's at least an inch and a half.
Panels can't live in closets or bathrooms
If yours is in either, it has to move. Moving it isn't difficult work in itself. What changes the price is the six-foot rule.
Six feet or less: the existing circuits still reach and standard breakers work. More than six feet: the circuits have to be extended, and in Washington extended circuits need arc-fault breakers, which cost considerably more. The extension also has to be marked.
This is why a relocation can cost more than the panel it's replacing, and why the answer isn't obvious until someone measures.
How long your power is off
These are our numbers for the work itself, not Avista's scheduling. A straightforward panel change means 4 to 5 hours without power. A full service change is 6 to 7 hours.
We schedule the disconnect with Avista. You don't have to call them; Avista prefers the contractor to handle it, and it keeps the sequencing in one set of hands.
Sometimes the bigger job is the cheaper one
If the panel has to be relocated, the circuits extended, and the service equipment is already old, a panel change can leave you paying for the meter and service side again in a few years. In that situation a full service change is better value, because you're only opening the wall, pulling the permit and taking the power down once.
The detail on both jobs is on the panel upgrade page, and prices are on the costs page.
Talk it through with a licensed electrician
If you'd rather have someone look at it than guess, book a time or call us. We'll tell you what we actually find.
Related questions
- Do I need a permit for electrical work in Spokane?
- Is knob-and-tube wiring safe, and does it have to be replaced?
- Why do my breakers keep tripping?
- Are Federal Pacific and Zinsco panels dangerous?
- Do I need 200-amp service?
- Is aluminum wiring safe?
- What size generator do I need?
- Where is GFCI protection required?
- Common electrical questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is the difference between a panel change and a service change?+
A panel change replaces the panel. A service change replaces everything from the meter outside all the way through to the panel: meter base, mast, service entrance conductors and the panel. Roughly $3,000 to $4,000 for a panel change, $7,000 to $10,000 for a service change.
My meter says 200 amp but my panel is 150. Can I just change the panel?+
No. That's the trap. When the meter outside is already 200 amp and the panel inside is 150, the two don't match and it has to be done as a service upgrade rather than a panel-only change.
Does 100 amp service always mean a full service change?+
Almost always, yes. A 100 amp service in this area is usually an old overhead service, so the mast, meter base and conductors are the same age as the panel. The whole thing gets upgraded rather than just the box in the basement.
Can my existing service mast be reused?+
Sometimes. With an existing 2-inch rigid mast, if getting at the conduit would mean removing framing, siding or sheetrock, it can be kept, provided it's at least an inch and a half.
My panel is in a closet. Does it have to move?+
Yes. Panels can't be in closets or bathrooms. Moving it is straightforward work, but it triggers the six-foot rule, which is what changes the price.
What is the six-foot rule?+
Six feet or less and the existing circuits still reach, so standard breakers work. More than six feet and the circuits have to be extended: in Washington extended circuits need arc-fault breakers, which cost considerably more, and the extension has to be marked.
Which one is better value if my panel has to be relocated anyway?+
Often the full service change. Once you're relocating the panel and extending circuits, a panel-only change can leave you paying again later for the meter and service side. We'll tell you when doing it once costs less than doing it twice.
How long am I without power for each?+
About four to five hours for a panel change and six to seven for a full service change. Those are our numbers for the work itself. We schedule the disconnect with Avista; you don't have to call them.