Updated October 2026
Quick answer
An electrical panel upgrade in Oklahoma City usually means going from a 100-amp to a 200-amp service: a new panel with room for every circuit, a new main breaker, and often a new meter base and service conductors, coordinated with OG&E so the meter can be pulled and reset. We run a load calculation first, file the permit, and schedule the work so the power is off for one day.
When a panel has run out of room
What a panel upgrade involves
Panels run out in two ways. Some run out of space: every slot full, tandem breakers already used, no way to add a circuit for a new range or a charger. Others run out of capacity: a 100-amp service that was fine for a house with gas heat and one window unit now carries central air, an electric dryer, a heat pump and an EV. Either way the signs look alike: trips, warm breakers, lights that dim when big loads start.
We start with a load calculation, not a guess, because not every full panel needs a bigger service. Sometimes a subpanel or a load management device is the cheaper answer. When an upgrade is the right call, the new panel goes in with room to spare, every circuit is traced and labeled, and grounding and bonding are brought up to the code Oklahoma City enforces.
Choosing between the options
Upgrade, subpanel or load management
| Option | When it fits | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| 200 amp upgrade | Service is too small for the house as it runs now | Largest project of the three |
| Subpanel | Capacity is fine but slots are full | Does not add capacity |
| Load management device | One big new load such as an EV charger | Limits when that load can run |
| 400 amp service | Very large homes with several major loads | Utility coordination and longer lead time |
What moves the price
What decides the price of a panel upgrade
- Service size 200 amps is the common upgrade; 400 amps is a different project.
- Meter base and mast Replacing the service entrance adds material and labor.
- Circuit count and condition Many circuits, or damaged ones found in the old panel, take longer.
- Grounding and bonding Bringing the electrode system up to code is part of the job.
- Panel location Moving the panel or the meter adds work.
- Brand and breaker type AFCI and GFCI breakers cost more than standard ones.
- Permit and utility coordination Included in every upgrade.
2026 estimates put a 100 to 200 amp upgrade at about $1,800 to $3,500, a 400 amp service at about $3,000 to $8,000, and a mast replacement added to an upgrade at about $500 to $1,200. National planning ranges, not our price.
What is included
What a panel upgrade includes
- Load calculation before anything is recommended
- Permit filed and utility meter pull booked
- New panel with spare capacity and slots
- Every circuit traced, moved and labeled
- Grounding electrode and bonding brought to code
- Double taps and damaged wire corrected
- Inspection passed and every circuit tested after reconnect
Sub-jobs this page covers
Service sizes and the meter question
100 to 200 amp upgrade
This is the upgrade most houses in the metro need. The old panel comes out, a 200-amp panel goes in with space for every existing circuit plus room to add, and the service entrance cable, meter base and grounding are replaced or brought up to current requirements as needed. We move every circuit into the new panel, fix any double taps or undersized wire we find along the way, and write a clear directory. For most homes it is a one-day job once the utility has pulled the meter.
400 amp service
Large homes with two or three HVAC systems, electric heat, a pool, a shop and one or two EVs can outgrow 200 amps. A 400-amp service is usually delivered as two 200-amp panels fed from a meter base rated for it, and it needs the utility to confirm the transformer and drop can carry the load. We run the load calculation, coordinate with the utility early, and plan the split so related loads share a panel. It is a bigger project with longer lead times, and we say so up front.
Meter relocation
Sometimes the meter has to move: the old location is inside a fenced yard the utility cannot reach, behind a new addition, or on a wall being rebuilt. Relocating the meter means a new service entrance at the new spot, new conductors to the panel and coordination with the utility on the drop or the underground feed. We combine it with the panel upgrade when both are needed, so the meter is pulled once rather than twice, and the old entrance is removed and its wall openings sealed.
Oklahoma City conditions
1970s panels and the OG&E meter pull
Local operators consistently name panel capacity in 1970s Oklahoma City subdivisions as one of the most common limits they hit, and those are exactly the homes now adding EV chargers, heat pumps and bigger kitchens. Every panel upgrade here also runs through the utility: OG&E pulls the meter so the service can be worked on and resets it once the inspection passes. We book that coordination at the same time as the permit so the power is off for one day, not several.
Panel full or stuck at 100 amps?
Call for a load calculation. We tell you whether an upgrade, a subpanel or load management is the right answer before any work is quoted.
How long it takes
How long the power is off
For a standard 100 to 200 amp upgrade the house is without power for one day. The utility pulls the meter in the morning, we replace the panel and service parts, the inspector signs off and the meter goes back in. Refrigerators and freezers stay closed and are fine for that window. 400-amp services and meter relocations can take longer and we schedule them accordingly.
Step by step
From the load calculation to power back on
- Load calculation
What the house draws now and what you plan to add.
- Choose the path
Upgrade, subpanel or load management, explained plainly.
- Permit and utility booking
Permit filed, meter pull scheduled with the utility.
- Upgrade day
Power off, old panel out, new panel in, circuits moved and labeled.
- Inspection and reconnect
Inspection passed, meter reset, every circuit tested.
Questions we get about this job
Panel upgrade questions
A full panel, a 100-amp service carrying central air and electric appliances, repeated trips, warm breakers, or a new EV charger or heat pump on the way.
Usually one day, from the meter pull to the reconnect after inspection.
Yes. It is permitted, inspected and coordinated with the utility.
We install Square D, Eaton and Siemens panels, chosen by availability and the breakers you need.
Sometimes. A load calculation or a load management device can avoid an upgrade; we check before recommending one.
Most electricians and many insurers recommend it. See our page on Federal Pacific and fuse box replacement.
Yes. Double taps, undersized wire and missing grounds found during the move are corrected and noted.
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Call first. We run the load calculation, explain the options and schedule a one-day upgrade with the utility if you need one.