TL;DR
Replacing or increasing an electrical service panel, often from 100 amps to 200 amps, usually requiring permit, utility coordination, and inspection.
What it means
Replacing or increasing an electrical service panel, often from 100 amps to 200 amps, usually requiring permit, utility coordination, and inspection.
Where it sits in the glossary
Panel upgrade is part of the Permits group inside the ProFix Directory glossary. Browse every term in this category from the glossary index.
Why Ohio homeowners should know it
A panel upgrade is usually the work that comes up when an older Ohio home reaches its electrical ceiling — finishing a basement, adding central air, installing an EV charger, or moving from a 60- or 100-amp service to 200 amps. It almost always requires a permit, utility coordination to disconnect and reconnect service, and a final inspection.
Pricing varies because the panel itself is only one cost. Service mast, meter base, grounding, breakers, permit, and inspector visit all stack on top. Homeowners should expect a written scope that names each line item and references the NEC edition the city enforces.
ProFix tools that touch this term
Where this term gets mixed up
Panel upgrade vs. sub-panel
A sub-panel adds capacity in a remote location. A panel upgrade replaces the main service. They are not the same scope.
Panel upgrade vs. main breaker swap
Replacing a failed main breaker can be quick and cheap. Increasing the actual service amperage is the full upgrade.
Where this term comes from
Local building department, current adopted NEC edition.
See also
License: CC-BY-4.0 — quote freely with attribution to ProFix Editorial Team / ProFix Directory.