Electrical Panel Upgrades — What Bryan and College Station Homeowners Need to Know
If your home was built before the 1990s, there's a reasonable chance your electrical panel wasn't designed for the way you live today. Panels from that era were sized for a fraction of the electrical load that a modern household puts on them — no EV chargers, no home offices, no whole-home smart systems, no high-draw appliances on every circuit. If you're regularly tripping breakers, if you can't run multiple appliances at once without issues, or if an inspector has flagged your panel, it's worth understanding what a panel upgrade actually involves and why it matters.
A panel upgrade — sometimes called a service upgrade — replaces your existing breaker box with a new one that has more capacity, more slots for circuits, and modern safety features. In most cases in this area, that means going from a 100-amp service to a 200-amp service. For larger homes or homes with high electrical demand, 200 to 400-amp upgrades are also common. The work involves coordinating with the utility company (Oncor or your local provider), pulling the appropriate permits, and passing a city or county inspection. This is not a DIY project under any circumstances — working in a panel that's connected to live utility power is one of the most dangerous things an untrained person can do, and it's also illegal to do without a license in Texas.
What does it cost? In the Bryan-College Station area, a standard 200-amp panel upgrade typically runs somewhere in the range of $1,500 to $3,500 depending on the complexity of the job, whether the meter base needs to be moved, and whether any additional wiring work is needed. Every job is different, which is why we don't post flat rates — we'd rather look at your specific situation and give you an accurate number.
Common reasons we see homeowners in Bryan and College Station getting panel upgrades: adding an EV charger, finishing a garage or shop, preparing a home for sale after an inspection, or simply dealing with an older Federal Pacific or Zinsco panel that poses a known safety risk. If any of that sounds familiar, contact Solid Ground Electrical for an assessment and we'll give you a straight answer about what your home actually needs.
