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Electrical Panel Upgrades in Quantico & Northern Virginia

A panel upgrade replaces your old breaker box with a new one, and often raises your home's power from 100 to 200 amps. Most panel swaps take one day, plus the county or city inspection.

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Electric Sandro electrician smiling next to a breaker panel

Signs you need it

When to call

Breakers trip often, or you reset the same one again and again
The panel feels warm, buzzes, or has scorch marks or rust
You still have a fuse box, or only 60 or 100 amp service
There is no room for new breakers
You plan to add an EV charger, a heat pump, a hot tub or a new room
The panel is a brand with known problems, such as Federal Pacific Stab-Lok or Zinsco

What we do

Step by step

We look at your panel, your meter and what you want to add, and do a load calculation.
We agree on the price and a date.
The electrical permit is issued, and the power shut-off is set up with the utility if it is needed.
On install day, the power is off for most of the day. We mount the new panel and move every circuit to it.
We label every breaker, test every circuit, and turn the power back on.
The county or city inspector checks the work.

Price

What it costs

Typical Northern Virginia market range (not a quote)

Job	Market range
Panel replacement, same size (for example 200 amp to 200 amp)	$1,500 to $4,000
Service upgrade, 100 amp to 200 amp (panel, meter base, service entrance)	$2,500 to $6,000

Market data for Northern Virginia, not a quote from Electric Sandro. Checked November 2026. Sources: Homewyse, ZIP 22134, Angi, Washington DC, Fixr, HomeGuide, ConsumerAffairs, Manassas VA guide, and prices published by one Northern Virginia electrician. Your price depends on your home, the parts and the permit fee.

Try the Panel Load Calculator

Permit and inspection

Done to code

In Virginia, a panel replacement or service upgrade needs an electrical permit and an inspection from your county or city building office.

Check the rule for your town in our Northern Virginia electrical permit checker.

Photos

Electrical Panel Upgrades: our work and ideas

Photos marked "by Electric Sandro" are real jobs. Others show the kind of work we do.

Electrician working inside a home breaker panel next to the electric meter

Close-up of breakers and new feeder cable in a panel wired by Electric Sandro — Panel breakers and new feeders by Electric Sandro

Open breaker panel with new wiring during a Electric Sandro panel job — Breaker panel wiring by Electric Sandro

Electrician inspecting an open home breaker panel in a garage

Electric Sandro electrician in front of an open main electrical panel — Main panel service by Electric Sandro

Electric meters and service disconnects on a white brick building

Electrical Panel Upgrades questions

Straight answers to what Northern Virginia homeowners ask most.

How much does it cost to replace an electrical panel?

It depends on the amp size, whether the meter and service cable also change, and the permit fee. The exact price comes after an electrician sees your panel.

How long does a panel upgrade take?

Most panel swaps take one day. A full service upgrade with a new meter base can take longer, because the utility must disconnect and reconnect the power.

Do I need 200 amps?

Many homes with gas heat do fine on 100 amps. If you add an EV charger, a heat pump, an electric range or a hot tub, 200 amps is common. A load calculation tells you for sure.

How can I tell if a breaker is bad?

A bad breaker may not reset, may trip with almost nothing on, may feel hot, or may smell burnt. Do not keep resetting it. Have an electrician test it.