Panel Upgrade Cost on Long Island: Real 2026 Numbers

A standard 200-amp panel upgrade on a Long Island home — tearing out an old 100-amp or 150-amp main panel, installing a new 200-amp meter pan and service entrance, coordinating the PSEG cutover, pulling the permit, and passing inspection — runs $3,200 to $5,800 turnkey in 2026.

If your service mast is fine and the utility drop can stay, you are in the lower half of that range. If the mast has to be replaced, the meter needs to move, or you need an outdoor disconnect for a newer PSEG service, you are in the upper half.

Anything under $2,800 quoted turnkey on Long Island in 2026 either skips the permit, skips the PSEG coordination, or the contractor is unlicensed. Walk away.

Panel, meter pan, and breakers — $700 to $1,400

A Square D QO or Eaton CH 200-amp load center with room for 40 circuits, a new meter pan rated for 200A continuous, a main breaker, and a starter set of new breakers for existing circuits. We use Square D QO on most jobs because the parts availability in Nassau and Suffolk supply houses is unbeatable.

Service entrance cable and mast — $300 to $900

4/0-4/0-2/0 aluminum SEU or SER cable from the meter pan to the new panel, plus a galvanized service mast and riser if the existing one is undersized, rusted, or failing the inspector's eye. PSEG on Long Island wants a 2-inch rigid mast for 200-amp service now.

Labor — $1,800 to $2,800

Two licensed electricians, one full day for a clean swap, two days if the cable runs through finished walls or the meter is moving. This includes the PSEG cut-and-reconnect window, which we schedule directly with their outage desk.

Permit — $150 to $350

Nassau County towns and Suffolk County towns each pull their own electrical permit. Nassau villages (Hempstead, Oyster Bay, North Hempstead) run $150-$250. Suffolk towns are usually $200-$350. We pull every permit in our own name.

Inspection — $85 to $185

New York Board of Fire Underwriters (NYBFU) or Commonwealth Electrical Inspection Service handles the final inspection. The fee depends on the inspector and the scope. Included in every quote we write.

PSEG coordination — no direct charge, but it eats a day

PSEG Long Island needs 5-10 business days of notice for a meter pull and reset. They do not charge the homeowner directly, but coordinating the window is labor we absorb.

Moving the meter location. PSEG requires a 4-foot clearance around the meter with no obstructions. If your meter is behind a deck, next to a gas meter, or under a window, we may need to relocate it. Add $600-$1,200.

Replacing the service mast. Older Long Island homes have 1.5-inch masts or no mast at all (side-of-house service). Upgrading to a code-compliant 2-inch rigid mast with a new weatherhead is $400-$800 on top.

Outdoor disconnect (emergency shutoff). NEC 2020, adopted on Long Island, requires an emergency disconnect on the exterior for new services. About half our panel upgrades now include one. Add $250-$450.

Sub-panel for circuits. If your house has a sub-panel in an attached garage, finished basement, or addition, and the feed is undersized or aluminum, we often swap the sub-panel feeder during the same job. Add $500-$1,100.

Grounding upgrade. Homes with a single ground rod or old water-pipe grounding get a supplemental rod and updated grounding electrode conductor to meet 2020 NEC. $150-$300.

AFCI/GFCI breaker additions. Code requires arc-fault breakers on most bedroom and living-space circuits and GFCI protection on kitchen, bath, laundry, outdoor, and garage circuits. Replacing standard breakers with AFCI/GFCI adds $35-$60 per circuit.

Nassau County

Nassau jobs are faster because PSEG Long Island schedules meter work more aggressively in western LI. Permit turnaround is 3-7 business days in Hempstead, Oyster Bay, and North Hempstead town halls. Inspections by NYBFU or Commonwealth usually happen within 48 hours of our call.

Suffolk County

Suffolk permits take 5-12 business days depending on the town. Islip and Brookhaven are the slowest. East End towns (Southold, Southampton) sometimes require additional electrical plan review. PSEG scheduling in central and eastern Suffolk can add 2-3 business days compared to western LI.

1. Does it include the permit? If it does not say "permit included" in writing, assume it is not and add $200-$350 mentally.
2. Is the inspection fee in there? NYBFU or Commonwealth. Should be a line item.
3. Are they PSEG-coordinated? Ask directly: "Who calls PSEG to pull and reset the meter?" If the answer is "you do," walk away.
4. Is the contractor licensed? NY does not have a state electrical license, but Nassau County issues HIC licenses and Suffolk County requires a Master Electrician license. We hold both.
5. Is there a written warranty? We warranty every panel for 2 years on workmanship and forward the manufacturer warranty on parts.
6. Are they using name-brand gear? Square D QO, Eaton CH, Siemens, or Cutler-Hammer. If the quote lists a brand you have never heard of, ask why.

You do not automatically need 200-amp service just because your panel is old. Here is when 100-amp becomes a real problem:

• You are adding central AC, a heat pump, or electric heat. A 3-ton heat pump draws 30-40 amps. A 100-amp panel will trip.
• You want to install an EV charger (Level 2). A Tesla Wall Connector or Grizzl-E pulls 40-60 amps continuous. Very tight on 100-amp service.
• You are adding a pool, hot tub, or detached garage sub-panel. Each adds 30-60 amps of connected load.
• Breakers trip regularly. Especially the dryer, range, or AC circuits.
• You have a Federal Pacific or Zinsco panel. These should be replaced regardless of amperage. They are a known fire hazard and most Long Island insurers will not renew policies on homes with them.
• You want solar or a battery backup. PSEG interconnection standards for solar now expect 200-amp service.

If none of the above applies and your 100-amp panel is a modern Square D or Eaton, you can often skip the upgrade and spend the money elsewhere.

• Day 1 (walk-through): We look at the panel, the meter, the service mast, and the grounding. 30 minutes.
• Day 2-3 (quote): Written quote in your inbox within 48 hours.
• Day 4-9 (permit): We pull the permit. Nassau 3-7 business days, Suffolk 5-12.
• Day 10-14 (PSEG scheduling): We call PSEG Long Island and schedule the meter pull/reset window.
• Day 15 (install day): 6-9 hours on site. PSEG pulls the meter in the morning, we do the swap, PSEG resets the meter by end of day. Your house is without power for most of the working day.
• Day 16-17 (inspection): NYBFU or Commonwealth does the final. Usually passes same visit.

Total: 2-3 weeks from contract signing to finished, inspected job.

PSEG Long Island offers a Home Comfort rebate on panel upgrades when bundled with a qualifying heat pump or heat pump water heater install. The rebate typically covers $300-$600 of the panel cost.

The federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C) covers 30% of the panel cost (up to $600) when the upgrade is tied to a qualifying electrification project, like an EV charger or heat pump.

We also run 0% financing for 12-24 months through Enhancify on panel jobs over $3,500. Pre-qualify takes 60 seconds and does not hit your credit.

A 200-amp panel upgrade is one of the highest-value electrical investments a Long Island homeowner can make. It future-proofs the house for EVs, heat pumps, and solar. It eliminates the insurance problem with old panels. And it usually pays for part of itself through avoided breaker trips, avoided outages, and the rebate programs above.

We charge what we charge because we pull permits, use name-brand gear, coordinate PSEG directly, and stand behind the work. If you get a quote $1,000 cheaper than ours, read it line by line. Usually what is missing is what matters most.

Want a free walk-through and a written quote in 48 hours? Schedule an estimate or call us direct.