How Much Does an Electrical Panel Upgrade Cost in Massachusetts?

If your home still has a 60-amp or 100-amp electrical panel, or you're planning renovations, adding an EV charger, or installing central air, you've probably started wondering what a panel upgrade actually costs. The honest answer is: it depends — but there are a handful of factors that consistently drive the price, and knowing them will help you get an accurate estimate instead of guessing.

What Is a Panel Upgrade, Exactly?

A panel upgrade replaces your home's main electrical panel — the metal box, usually in a basement, garage, or utility closet, that distributes power to every circuit in your house — with a larger, modern panel. Most residential upgrades move a home from an older 60-amp or 100-amp fuse box or panel to a 100A–200A breaker panel, giving the house more capacity and better safety protections like AFCI and GFCI breakers.

What Drives the Cost?

• Panel size. Upgrading to 100A costs less than jumping to 150A or 200A, but most homes today are better served by 200A given how much more electronics, EV chargers, and HVAC systems draw compared to a few decades ago.
• Age and condition of your current wiring. If your home still has knob-and-tube wiring or ungrounded circuits, some rewiring is often bundled into the project to bring things up to code.
• Permits and inspection. Massachusetts requires a permit and inspection for panel work — a licensed electrician includes this in the process, but it's a real line item, not an optional extra.
• Utility coordination. Your utility company needs to disconnect and reconnect service during the swap. Scheduling this can affect timeline more than cost, but it's part of the overall project.
• Panel location and accessibility. A panel that's easy to access in a basement is a more straightforward job than one buried behind finished walls or in a tight closet.

Signs You Might Need an Upgrade

• Breakers trip frequently, especially when running multiple appliances at once
• Your panel still uses fuses instead of breakers
• You're planning to add an EV charger, hot tub, or central air system
• Your home inspector flagged the panel during a purchase or refinance
• The panel brand is one that's been recalled or flagged for safety issues (Federal Pacific and Zinsco panels are common examples in older Massachusetts homes)

Why Get a Local, In-Person Estimate

Online panel upgrade calculators can give you a rough range, but the real number depends on what an electrician sees in your specific home — panel location, wiring condition, and what you're planning to add in the next few years. A short in-person visit lets us give you an accurate, honest number instead of a generic estimate that doesn't reflect your actual house.

Homes throughout Lynn, Saugus, and the North Shore often still have older 60A or 100A panels from decades-old construction — if your panel looks similar to what your neighbors had before they upgraded, it's worth a quick evaluation.

Our Process

When you call BH Electrics for a panel upgrade, we start with a free, no-obligation estimate. We evaluate your current panel, discuss what you need it to support now and in the future, and give you clear, upfront pricing before any work begins. We handle the permit and inspection process from start to finish, so you don't have to navigate it yourself.

See our full electrical services or check whether we serve your town on the service areas page.