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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ OT Upgrading house from 100 to 200 amp service

Posted by: Verruckt May 10 2005, 06:39 PM

Any electricians here know what this might cost? Based on what I need and want to do, I will have to either add a sub box, which stretches my already stretched power. Everyone is suggesting I just upgrade to 200 amp service. Any rough guesstimates what this costs to have the power company come out and do this? I would be buying my own box, and main breaker. I would get the same type (cutler-hammer) so that I could re-use my existing breakers.

Posted by: GWN7 May 10 2005, 06:49 PM

Add the cost of a new mast (100 amp is smaller than the 200 amp one) and new wireing from the panel to several ft past the head of the mast.

Call the power company, they will tell you what it costs for them to disconnect the lines and reattach them after the new panel is in.

Posted by: carambola May 10 2005, 06:51 PM

now i see you're from the midwest, which makes me a little leery ... but... you can take down and reconnect you're electrical supply yourself. just don't touch the electrical utility wires. now if you want to do it on the up and up, my utility just started charging for some standard stuff, but i don't think a cut card is one of them. get it inspected.

Posted by: Verruckt May 10 2005, 06:54 PM

Yeah, I just finally made the decision at about 4:30 so they were closed

from the meter to my box is "maybe" 5 foot. That wire will need to be replaced as well? I know it's hard for me to describe this, cuz I am an electrical "tard".

So they will shut it off at the pole, then I can have the box replaced and main breaker, and all my existing breakers, then they will come back out and inspect it? Then hopefully turn it back on if all is well? Why does the meter need to be replaced? Or does it? I was told it did have to be...

Posted by: Verruckt May 10 2005, 06:57 PM

QUOTE (carambola @ May 10 2005, 06:51 PM)
now i see you're from the midwest, which makes me a little leery ... but... you can take down and reconnect you're electrical supply yourself. just don't touch the electrical utility wires. now if you want to do it on the up and up, my utility just started charging for some standard stuff, but i don't think a cut card is one of them. get it inspected.

My uncle-in-law is a union electrician (retired) said he would do it for me. But he isn't sure what they would charge for it. He just said, that I should get a new box. Will probably have to have the wire from the meter to the main breaker replaced, and would have to call the power company to have them shut it off at the pole. Said then they would need to inspect it. Why does the meter need to be replaced? Shit I wasn't counting on all this. The house is from 79. I guess that's "old"

Posted by: carambola May 10 2005, 07:02 PM

simple one man one day job, if they are organized. unless it's an underground (and they can be done hot, also) your uncle can cut and bug the service himself. the inspector sends in the cut card and then the utility responds. i don't think there is a charge for this.
edit - not the meter itself, unless you are going to a bolt-in 400A socket (not the case) but the box the meter sits in because it's usually corroded after 35 years. don't forget the line and load cable and new grounding and bonding

Posted by: scott thacher May 10 2005, 07:02 PM

dont buy your own box you will pay much more for it than a company will. dont reuse the old breakers it is false economy.

it should cost you between 600 to 1500 bucks, get 3 estimates and go wiht the middle one. i have my own electric company and i charge in that range.

for price comparisons if you go to H D for the panel you will pay about 150 bucks, i can get a square d QO panel ( the best ) for 75. the breakers cost me about 4 bucks vrs 6 or 7 at HD.

a ball park price for everything
75 for panel
80 for breakers
20 for ground stuff
service cable figure about 3 bucks a foot so any where between 20 and 100 bucks
permit about 50 to 100
if they need a new meter can its about 50 bucks

total about 300 ( using middle of about ranges )
then if it is employees that come to do the work the machanic will make about 20 per hour the helper will make 8 to 15 per hour, figure it is about a 8 hour job by the time they drive there and stuff. with benifits, gas, truck wear and tear etc it costs about 55 per hour to run the crew.

now back to totals
300 material
8 * 55 = 440
total cost to do the job will be 750 or so, now if the crew is good they can do it in 4 hours, but then they will be paid more

at this point there is still no profit for the company
so throw 200 in for that

total is 950

now you see why i have my own company ( just me and a part time helper ) if i can do it for the same price and doit in 8 to 10 hours i just made 640 for the day. so if you can find a small guy he will do it for about 750 and make 400 or so for the day and will save you 200

back to reuseing the breakers they will be about 10 % of the cost, but they are what go bad and dont trip and cuase your house to become ashes. i make every customer that tells me to reuse the breakers to sign a release, i have a million dollar ins policy but i dont want to ever need it

sorry for the rant but it is my life and my welfare

Posted by: GWN7 May 10 2005, 07:12 PM

It depends on where you live what will be required. Here only a licenced electrican is supposted to do any wiring on a house. The mast will have to be replaced from the meter to the top (where the wires go inside). Generally power companies supply the wiring from the pole to the mast head and you have to supply any thing down from there (meter socket included, they supply the meter). Here you have to leave 4' or more wire sticking ot of the mast head for the power company to attach their wires to.

They might not charge you to disconnect and reconnect, but it depends on their policies. What they will charge depends on if they have to replace the lines from the pole to the house. They are in the business of selling power and like people to use more. You might use that line when you ask how much. They also might have to upgrade the transformer which supplies your group. A transformer was $1750 for my farm house, but I was the only one on the feed from it.

The meter isn't replaced, but the meter box and the wiring that runs thru it is.

Posted by: Twystd1 May 10 2005, 07:16 PM

What Thatcher said... Those are about the same numbers I used as a contractor for the last ten years.

Scott is spot on......

Twystd1

Posted by: Verruckt May 10 2005, 07:36 PM

ok, so im not against replacing the breakers, especially in the name of safety (most are original circa 79), should I not go with the proprietary cutler hammer then? The 200 amp box i looked at at home despot was 199. Had LOTS of room in it.

Posted by: scott thacher May 10 2005, 08:08 PM

square d or cutler hammer either is fine as long as you dont get the chutler hammer br type. the br type breakers are fine it just the cans are junk. either sqaure d QO or homeline or the cutler hammer brown handles. i think the square d ones give better contractors prices, and i perfer the square d stuff but either is fine.

if you got the pm i can answer all of your questions much faster

edit: also either type is availible in a 40 circuit size

Posted by: elwood-914 May 10 2005, 10:33 PM

Square D is the best IMHO. Here in Calif, we cut it over while hot (Unless it is under ground) Down trime is about 4 hours or less. Permit costs vary but I think it is less than $50

Posted by: MecGen May 10 2005, 10:57 PM

Word up Scotty
My house, estimate :
replace entrance from 100amp to 200amp
move pipe entrance over 2 feet, no added wires.
new box and breakers
Hydro service informed, recieved permition/ confirmation.
licence company with Construction #licence
2200$ I touch nothing, thats about 1500$ USD
I have been wiring the shop for over 10 years, and for this I payed someone for a "turn key" solution.
Sleeping nites - PRICELESS
Great Off Topic, I bet we have a lot pf tradesmen here.

Later
Joe

Posted by: campbellcj May 11 2005, 12:45 AM

Whoa; this whole thread looks like Greek to me! I gladly leave this kinda stuff up to the pros; however, our electrical service was upgraded approx. 10 years ago for a pool/spa and backyard lighting setup and now I'm curious what the heck they did and whether the equipment and installation is decent. I'll look closer when I get a moment...

Posted by: Series9 May 11 2005, 01:13 AM

Just so you guys know, my house has utterly failed to burn down after my 100 amp welder mods.

Maybe it will soon.......just so you know.....

Posted by: elwood-914 May 11 2005, 06:37 AM

QUOTE (914RS @ May 10 2005, 11:13 PM)
Just so you guys know, my house has utterly failed to burn down after my 100 amp welder mods.

Maybe it will soon.......just so you know.....

Ha! You won't see those flames under your welding helmet until it's too late!

Posted by: 736conver May 11 2005, 08:10 AM

I just did this to my house.
Upgraded from 100 amp to 200 amp.
Put a 100 amp box out to the garage. Which kicks ass.
And buried the overhead line to the house.
Also had to install a new meter.
My house was built in the early 70's and alot of things were not up to code. Original meter was under the deck, had to be moved 10 ft. Old 100 amp box didnt have the 36 inch clearance. Had to move that 4 feet to the right for clearance.
Total cost was around $1800, which included the WE energy charges.

Posted by: J P Stein May 11 2005, 08:12 AM

It cost me about 1200 bucks to have a new 200 amp service, breakers & service disconnect put it in the house + a 100 amp
service into the shop....including the 70 ft of cable to it and the trench. They did it hot & it is underground.

Money well spent, me thinks.