Main Service Panel Upgrades: What Every Homeowner Needs to Know
Your home's electrical panel is the hub that distributes power to every outlet, appliance, and system in your house. When that hub can no longer keep up with demand, breakers trip, lights flicker, and your ability to add modern equipment, such as solar panels, EV chargers, or backup generators, is limited. A main service panel upgrade solves these problems by increasing your home's electrical capacity, improving safety, and preparing your property for today's energy demands and tomorrow's.
At Helio GreenTech, our licensed electricians perform main service panel upgrades across the Kansas City metro. Whether you need a 100-amp to 200-amp upgrade or a 200-amp to 400-amp upgrade, we provide transparent pricing, professional installation, and the kind of expertise that comes from over 15 years in the energy industry.
What Is a Main Service Panel Upgrade?
A main service panel upgrade replaces your home’s existing electrical panel (sometimes called a breaker box or load center) with a new panel rated for higher amperage. This increases the total amount of electrical current your home can safely receive and distribute. Think of your electrical service like a water main: the panel determines the pipe size. A 100-amp panel is like a smaller pipe, while a 200-amp or 400-amp panel allows significantly more capacity to flow into your home.
The upgrade involves replacing the panel box, installing a new meter base, upgrading the service entrance cable, ensuring proper grounding, and installing new breakers that meet current electrical codes. In most cases, the work is completed in a single day.
100 Amp to 200 Amp Upgrades
Homes built before the early 2000s across the Kansas City area commonly still operate on 100-amp service. While adequate for that era, today's homeowners run central air conditioning, large appliances, home office equipment, and high-draw additions like EV chargers and solar inverters. Upgrading to 200 amps is now the modern residential standard, providing enough capacity to safely support all of these systems along with solar energy installations, battery storage, and generators. As ENERGY STAR notes, making your home "electric ready" is one of the smartest long-term investments a homeowner can make, and a 200-amp panel is the baseline for that readiness.
200 Amp to 400 Amp Upgrades
For larger homes, properties with accessory dwelling units (ADUs), or homeowners with high electrical demands, such as heated pools, workshops, multiple EV chargers, or extensive solar and battery storage, a 400-amp service upgrade may be necessary. This upgrade is also common for homeowners planning to fully electrify their homes by replacing gas appliances with electric alternatives. A 400-amp service is typically achieved by installing dual 200-amp panels fed from a common meter base, allowing electricians to use standard equipment while providing the increased capacity.
Why Would You Need a Panel Upgrade?
There are several clear reasons Kansas City homeowners pursue a main service panel upgrade. Understanding whether your situation calls for one starts with recognizing these common scenarios:
Your Home Has an Outdated or Undersized Panel: If your home still uses its original electrical panel from the 1990s or earlier, it is likely rated at 100 amps or less. Some older Kansas City homes may even have 60-amp fuse panels. These systems were not designed for today's electrical loads. According to the National Fire Protection Association, electrical distribution and lighting equipment cause an average of over 30,000 home fires annually in the United States, with outdated panels and overloaded circuits as significant contributing factors.
You Are Adding Solar Panels or Battery Storage: Installing a solar energy system requires dedicated breaker space and adequate panel capacity to safely backfeed electricity from your solar inverter into your home's electrical system. The National Electrical Code's "120% rule" governs how much total capacity your panel busbar can handle when solar is connected. For homes with 100-amp panels, this rule often means there is not enough room to safely add solar without first upgrading to a 200-amp panel. If you are considering going solar with Helio GreenTech, our team evaluates your panel during the initial consultation and can handle the entire process under one roof.
You want to install an EV Charger: Level 2 EV chargers, the recommended option for home charging, typically require a dedicated 240-volt circuit pulling 40 to 60 amps. According to EnergySage, approximately 20% of homes require some level of electrical upgrade before installing a home EV charger. If your panel is already near capacity, upgrading to 200 amps (or beyond) is the safe and smart path forward.
You Are Installing a Whole-Home Generator: Backup generators, especially whole-home standby models, require a transfer switch and sufficient panel capacity to support the circuits they serve. If your existing panel does not have room for the transfer switch or the capacity to handle the generator's output alongside your normal household load, a panel upgrade becomes necessary.
You Experience Frequent Breaker Trips or Flickering Lights: These are telltale signs that your electrical system is straining under the current load. Frequent breaker trips indicate that circuits are drawing more current than they can safely handle. Flickering lights when large appliances kick on often signal insufficient panel capacity. Both are safety concerns that warrant professional evaluation.
Not Sure If Your Panel Needs an Upgrade?
If you are planning to add solar, install an EV charger, or set up a backup generator, our team starts by checking your current panel's capacity. Helio GreenTech's licensed electricians will evaluate your existing system, calculate your electrical load, and tell you exactly where you stand. Main service panel upgrades start at $3,200 with transparent, upfront pricing.
What Does a Main Service Panel Upgrade Cost?
Helio GreenTech offers main service panel upgrades starting at $3,200 for both 100A-to-200A and 200A-to-400A upgrades. This is one of the questions we hear most often, and we believe in giving homeowners clear, upfront answers.
Why the Starting Price Is the Same for Both Upgrade Types
This often surprises homeowners, but the labor and process involved in both types of upgrades are largely the same. Both require disconnecting the existing service, replacing the meter base, installing new service entrance cables, mounting and wiring the new panel, ensuring proper grounding, installing breakers, and coordinating with the utility company.
The physical work, permitting, and inspection steps are essentially identical regardless of the final amperage. The main differences are the panel hardware and cable gauge, but these material cost differences are modest compared to the labor and expertise involved.
Can Anything Increase the Final Cost?
Every Helio GreenTech panel upgrade begins with a thorough on-site evaluation. While $3,200 is the starting point, some homes require additional work. We then provide a detailed written quote so you know exactly what is included before any work begins. Common factors that can affect your price include:
Power Company Wire Upgrades: In some cases, the utility (such as Evergy) may need to upgrade the wiring from the transformer to your home. This is common with underground service or in older neighborhoods. Helio GreenTech identifies this during the on-site evaluation, and any additional cost is quoted transparently before work begins.
Panel Relocation: Moving your current panel to a different location requires additional wiring and labor.
Code Compliance Updates: The inspector may require updates such as new grounding rods, bonding connections, or other modifications to meet current National Electrical Code standards.
Interior Circuit Work: A standard panel upgrade does not include rewiring interior circuits, but if existing circuits are in poor condition or do not meet code, additional work may be recommended.
The Helio GreenTech Difference: Why Expertise Matters for Electrical Work
Not all electrical contractors bring the same level of training, experience, and accountability to a main service panel upgrade. This is safety-critical work that directly affects your home's electrical integrity and the performance of every system connected to your electrical infrastructure.
Licensed, Certified Professionals
Helio GreenTech employs licensed electricians with extensive experience in residential and commercial electrical systems. Our team holds NABCEP certification, the gold standard in the solar and clean energy industry, reflecting advanced training that goes well beyond basic electrical licensing. This matters because panel upgrades for solar, EV, and generator installations require an understanding of how these systems interact with your home's electrical infrastructure.
A Company Built on Accountability
Voted Best Solar Company in Kansas City four years running and inducted into the Kansas City Hall of Fame, Helio GreenTech is BBB A-rated, an EnergySage Elite Partner, and a member of MOSEIA. We are a local company with deep roots in this community, and we will be here for decades to come. Whether it is your electrical panel, your roof, or your solar installation, we stand behind the work.
One Team for Everything
One of the biggest advantages of working with Helio GreenTech is that we handle your panel upgrades alongside the larger project it supports. If you need a panel upgrade for a solar installation, an EV charger, or a generator, you do not need to coordinate with multiple contractors. Our team manages the entire scope from electrical infrastructure to final system installation, ensuring everything is designed, permitted, and installed as a cohesive system.
Main Service Panel Upgrade Questions
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Most residential panel upgrades are completed in one day, typically within 6 to 10 hours. The exact timeline depends on the complexity of your installation, including whether the panel needs to be relocated or additional code work is required.
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Yes. Electrical panel upgrades require a permit from your local building department. Helio GreenTech handles the permitting process as part of every project.
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Yes, power must be temporarily disconnected during installation. Our team coordinates with the utility to minimize downtime, and power is typically restored the same day.
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It depends on your current panel's capacity and available breaker space. During your free consultation, our team evaluates your panel. Many homes with 200 amp panels have sufficient capacity, while homes with 100 amp panels almost always require an upgrade.
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Absolutely. By handling both the electrical infrastructure upgrade and the solar, EV, or generator installation, we ensure a seamless process with a single point of accountability from start to finish.
One Call Fixes It All
From new solar installations and orphaned system rescues to storm damage repairs and complete roof replacements, Helio GreenTech is Kansas City’s premier, fully certified solar and roofing team. Our rapid response, skilled crews, and unwavering commitment mean we treat your home or business as if it were our own.
Choose Helio GreenTech with complete confidence for all your solar and roofing needs.
