Electrical Service Upgrades in New York
When the panel is full and the meter is too small, a bigger breaker box alone will not help. We plan the service upgrade from the utility connection to the panel, file the work and coordinate the utility's part of it.
- Calls answered 24/7
- Load calculation first
- Utility coordination handled
- Load calculation and service size chosen
- Utility request and permit filed
- Service entrance, meter base and panel
An electrical service upgrade in New York replaces the service entrance, meter base and main panel to raise capacity, commonly from 100 amps to 200, and requires both a permit and the utility's involvement to disconnect and reconnect. National 2026 cost guides put 100 to 200 amp upgrades at about $1,500 to $4,000, with coastal markets running higher.
Rather ask a person?(929) 755-0293What a service upgrade involves
A service upgrade is more than a panel swap. It changes how much power the building can draw from the utility: the service conductors, the meter base, the main disconnect and usually the panel. That is why it starts with a load calculation and ends with the utility reconnecting the meter.
We size the service to what the home or building will carry over the next decade, not just this year: heat pumps, induction, EV charging. The utility request and the permit are filed together, the work is scheduled around the utility's disconnect, and the new service is inspected before power is restored. If only the panel is failing, panel replacement may be enough.
Updated September 2026
What drives the cost of a service upgrade
The utility side and the building type move the price most.
- Service size200 amps is common; 400 amps costs considerably more.
- Utility requirementsMeter location, conductor size and scheduling come from the utility.
- Building typeRiser and switchgear work in multi-family buildings is larger in scope.
- Overhead or undergroundTrenching and conduit add to underground conversions.
- Existing wiringOld branch circuits may need work once the panel changes.
200 amps or 400 amps
| Factor | 200 amp service | 400 amp service |
|---|---|---|
| Suits | Most houses and larger apartments | Large homes, full electrification |
| Typical loads | Heat pump or EV, not everything at once | Heat pumps, induction, EVs, hot tub |
| Equipment | Single meter main and panel | Larger meter base, often two panels |
| Planning range | About $1,500 to $4,000 nationally | About $3,000 to $6,000 or more |
The load calculation decides. Oversizing costs money now; undersizing costs a second upgrade later.
Three kinds of service upgrade
Con Edison Service Request and Meter Work
In the city, any change to the service means working with Con Edison: a request for the new capacity, their review of what the street and transformer can supply, and a scheduled disconnect and reconnect. We prepare the load information, file the request alongside the permit, and have the new meter base and service equipment ready for their visit. Utility timelines are outside our control, so we build the schedule around them and keep you informed at each step of the review.
Planning range (national sources, 2026): $1,500 to $4,000. Coastal-market pricing and building access change the figure; this is a planning band, never a quote.
Riser and Service Entrance Replacement
In multi-family buildings, a unit's capacity is limited by the riser that feeds it from the meter room. Upgrading one apartment may mean replacing its feeder in the riser, and upgrading the building means the service entrance and main switchgear. This is coordinated with the managing agent, scheduled around building-wide shutdowns, and filed as one job. Older risers are often the reason an apartment cannot take a heat pump or induction range, even when its own panel looks fine.
Planning range (national sources, 2026): $3,000 to $6,000 or more. Coastal-market pricing and building access change the figure; this is a planning band, never a quote.
Overhead to Underground Service
Houses in Orange County often have overhead service drops that ice and falling limbs bring down. Moving the service underground replaces the drop with conduit from the utility pole or pad to a new meter base. It involves trenching, the utility's approval of the route and the conduit size, and coordination for their side of the connection. The payoff is a service that storms cannot tear off the house, and a cleaner roofline once the old mast and drop are removed.
Service size in city buildings and older houses
Sixty-two percent of city homes are in buildings of six or more units, so in Manhattan a service upgrade is usually a riser and meter-room question shared with the building. Out in Orange County, houses built before 1960 sometimes still run on 60 amp service, which is the costliest starting point because the whole entrance has to be modernized. Either way, the load calculation comes first and the service size follows from it.
What sets the upgrade timeline
The electrical work itself is scheduled around one disconnect window, so the home or building is without power only for that stretch. Getting to that day depends on the permit and on the utility's review and scheduling, which we cannot speed up. We give you the sequence once both requests are filed and confirm the outage window with you well ahead of time.
How a service upgrade runs
Load calculation
Existing and planned loads totaled.
Filings
Utility request and permit submitted together.
Prepare
New meter base, conductors and panel staged.
Cutover
Utility disconnects, service replaced, inspected.
Reconnect
Utility restores power; circuits tested and labeled.
Adding a heat pump, EV or new kitchen?
Check the service before the equipment is ordered. Call to set it up.
Signs the service is too small
- Main breaker trips under heavy use
The whole service is at its limit.
- Lights dim across the house
Voltage drop when big loads start.
- 60 amp fuses or a fuse main
An older service sized for another era.
- No room for new breakers
Panel full with no capacity to add.
- Planning a heat pump or EV
New loads the service may not carry.
- Warm meter base or main
Overheated connections at the service. Call.
Service upgrade questions
Only for the scheduled cutover window, confirmed with you ahead of time.
The load calculation answers that.
We file the service request with the load data.
Sometimes, if the riser and building service allow it.
Yes, service work is filed and inspected.
Only when the planned loads need it.
Often, with the utility's approval of the route.
Related work in the same system
100 to 200 amp panel upgrades
DetailsWhole-House Surge Protection
DetailsInduction Range & Cooktop Wiring
DetailsFuse Box to Breaker Conversion
DetailsGuides: Panel upgrade costs in New York and Local Law 97 and building capacity
Plan the service upgrade
Call any hour. We start with the load calculation and take it from there.