It's the first question almost everyone asks, and most articles dodge it. We can't give you a real number without seeing your panel — anyone who quotes you over the phone is guessing — but you deserve to understand what you're actually paying for, and why two quotes for "the same job" can differ by thousands.
What you're actually buying
A main panel upgrade is not just a new box on the wall. It's a new service: panel, breakers, grounding and bonding brought up to current code, usually a new meter socket, the service conductors, and the coordination to get power shut off and turned back on. The box itself is a small fraction of the cost.
The five things that move the price
Service size. Going from 100 to 200 amp is the common upgrade. Going to 400 amp, which some larger homes with two EVs and a heat pump now need, is a substantially bigger job.
Where the panel lives. A panel on an exterior wall with clear access is straightforward. One in a garage behind storage, in a hallway closet, or on a hillside property with a long service run is not. Access is real labour.
Whether the meter moves. Sometimes the existing meter location no longer meets clearance requirements, and relocating it adds trenching or conduit work.
What's behind the wall. Older homes frequently need grounding electrode work — a proper ground rod and water bond — that was never there. That's not an upsell; it's the part that makes the new panel safe.
Permit and utility coordination. In the City of Los Angeles the permit goes through LADBS and the disconnect and reconnect goes through LADWP. Burbank has its own building division and its own utility. Both take calendar time, and any quote that ignores them isn't a real quote.
Why the cheapest bid is often the most expensive
The low quote usually achieves it by leaving something out: the permit, the grounding work, the meter socket, or the utility coordination. You find out later, when the inspector fails it or when the work surfaces during escrow. Compare quotes on what's included, line by line, not on the total.
What to ask any electrician
Is the permit included, and who pulls it? Is the utility disconnect and reconnect handled? Does the price include bringing grounding and bonding to code? Is the quote flat, or an estimate that can move? Get the answers in writing before anyone starts.
We quote panel upgrades at a flat written price after looking at the actual work, with the permit and the utility coordination included. If your service doesn't need upgrading, we'll tell you that too.