How long is my power off?

Usually 4 to 8 hours during the swap. We schedule it mid-morning so you're back on well before evening. We'll warn you what to do about the fridge.

Do I need 200 amps or is 100 enough?

If your home is all-gas with no big additions planned, 100 amps can be fine. But most Alexandria homes adding AC, an EV charger, or a basement finish need 200. We do a load calculation — real math, not a guess.

Will the power company need to get involved?

Yes, briefly. They disconnect and reconnect the service drop. We handle the scheduling with them — you don't have to call anyone.

Is a new panel required by code?

Not automatically. But if your panel is a known problem brand, damaged, or can't safely serve your home's load, replacement is the right call. We'll show you exactly what we find.

Electrical Panel Upgrade (100A to 200A) in Alexandria, VA

Name: Alexandria Rewiring Pros
Address: Alexandria, VA
Telephone: +13016799193
Price range: $$

What a panel upgrade is

Your electrical panel is the heart of your home's wiring. Power comes in from the street, and the panel splits it into circuits for every room. Many Alexandria homes still run on 100-amp panels installed decades ago. A panel upgrade swaps that for a modern 200-amp panel with room to grow. Same job, bigger heart.

Signs your panel is maxed out

Your breakers trip when the AC and dryer run together. The panel is full of skinny "tandem" breakers crammed into spaces meant for one. The panel feels warm. Lights dim when big appliances kick on. You're adding an EV charger, a hot tub, or a finished basement and there's no space left. Any of these means your panel can't keep up.

Why 200 amps

A 1960s home ran a fridge, a TV, and some lamps. Today's homes run all that plus central air, dishwashers, microwaves, computers, and soon an EV charger. A 200-amp panel handles modern life with headroom. It also matters at resale — inspectors flag undersized panels, and buyers see a new panel as one less thing to worry about.

What the job involves

We coordinate a brief power shutoff with the utility, swap the panel, upgrade the meter socket and service mast if needed, and label every circuit clearly. The work is permitted and inspected to code. Most upgrades finish in one day. Your power is off for part of it — we schedule it to minimize the hassle.

The honest cost note

Published cost guides typically list panel upgrades in the low thousands, depending on whether the service cable and meter also need work. Your written estimate comes after we see your panel — some are simple swaps, some need more. We'll tell you which yours is before you commit to anything.

What we check before quoting

A panel quote isn't just about the box on the wall. During the free inspection we check five things: the service cable size coming from the street (it must be rated for 200 amps), the meter socket condition, the grounding electrode system (ground rods and water-pipe bond), the panel brand (a few old brands have known safety defects and should go regardless), and your actual load calculation. If the service cable is undersized, the utility run gets upgraded too — we'll tell you that up front, not mid-job. A quote that skips these checks isn't a quote. It's a guess.

Panel running out of room? Call (301) 679-9193 for a free look. We'll tell you if you need more power or just better organization.