Electrical Panel Replacement & Heavy-Ups

A heavy-up is an electrical service upgrade that increases the amps coming into your home, such as 100 to 200 amps or 200 to 400 amps. It includes a new meter base, service entrance cable, main panel and grounding, plus coordination with your utility.

Not always. Many homes with 200-amp service can add a Level 2 charger without one. Homes with 100-amp service, or panels already near capacity, often need a heavy-up first. We check this as part of every EV charger quote.

Most heavy-ups to 200-amp service fall between about $6,000 and $12,000. Upgrades to 400 amps, underground services and jobs that need the meter or mast relocated typically run $12,000 to $20,000 or more. Every heavy-up is quoted at a flat rate after an on-site evaluation.

The work itself usually takes one full day, with power off for most of it. Larger 400-amp or underground jobs can take two days. From signed quote to finished job, plan on about 2 to 6 weeks for the permit, your utility's disconnect and reconnect and the final inspection.

A straightforward panel replacement — swapping breakers in an existing enclosure — can often be completed in a single day. A full service replacement involving the meter, service entrance, disconnects, and full panel is typically a full day or more, depending on complexity. Jobs requiring utility coordination (such as meter relocation or overhead attachment point changes) may require scheduling around your utility company's availability.

Yes, your power will need to be off for the portion of the work involving the panel and service entrance. Ryan Electric plans and schedules the work to minimize the duration of the outage and will coordinate with your utility company when a utility disconnect is required.

Yes. Panel and service replacements require an electrical permit in Maryland. Ryan Electric handles all permitting as part of every project. The permit process also triggers a final inspection by your local jurisdiction, which confirms the work meets current code — a valuable document for your records and for future home sales.

A service disconnect is a switch or breaker that allows power to be shut off to the entire home from a single location outside the panel. Current Maryland electrical code requires service disconnects on new panel and service installations. They provide an important safety feature for utility workers, firefighters, and homeowners.

Arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) breakers detect dangerous electrical arcs — which can occur from damaged wiring, loose connections, or faulty appliances — and cut power before a fire can ignite. Maryland electrical code requires AFCI breakers when a panel is relocated more than 6 feet from its existing location. However, Ryan Electric strongly recommends arc-fault breakers on every panel replacement regardless of whether relocation is involved. The protection they provide against electrical fires is significant, and for most homeowners, the added peace of mind is well worth it.

A whole-home surge protector is installed at the panel and protects every circuit in your home from voltage spikes — from lightning, utility switching, or large appliances cycling on and off. Current code requires surge protection on panel replacements in Maryland. Ryan Electric includes all code-required components in your quote.

Ryan Electric installs Leviton panels exclusively. We've standardized on Leviton for their quality, safety record, and compatibility with modern arc-fault and smart breaker technology.

Yes, in all three cases replacement is strongly recommended. Federal Pacific Stab-Lok and Zinsco panels have well-documented safety concerns, including breakers that may fail to trip during overloads — a leading cause of electrical fires. Split bus panels are an older panel design that lacks a single main breaker to shut off all power at once, which is both a safety limitation and increasingly a code concern. If your home has any of these panel types, Ryan Electric recommends replacement and can provide a flat-rate quote after evaluating your system.

400-amp service is a heavy-up to twice the capacity of a standard 200-amp home, using either two 200-amp panels or one 400-amp panel. It's typical for large homes or homes with several big loads like EV chargers, pools, generators or electric HVAC.

Meter and overhead attachment point relocations require coordination with your utility company, who must disconnect and reconnect service at the utility side. Ryan Electric manages this coordination as part of the project. Relocation adds to the overall project scope and cost, but is sometimes required to meet code clearance requirements or to accommodate changes to the home's structure.

Yes — every Ryan Electric panel and service replacement includes a complete new grounding system. That means new ground rods and proper bonding to the incoming water line as required by code. Grounding is one of the most important safety elements of any electrical system, providing the fault path that allows breakers to trip and protecting against shock and fire. Many older homes have inadequate or deteriorated grounding systems, so installing a new one as part of every panel replacement is something we include as a matter of course — not an optional upgrade.

Call us at 301-453-5797 or request service online. We'll schedule an evaluation of your home's existing electrical service and panel, and provide a detailed flat-rate quote before any work begins.