Did your inspector flag the electrical panel?
Home inspectors often call out older panels and wiring — Federal Pacific Stab-Lok, Zinsco, fuse boxes, knob-and-tube. Find out what yours means, how urgent it is, and what a licensed electrician typically charges to fix it.
Start the Panel Risk Check6 questions · about two minutes · nothing to install or open
Where are you starting?
The report names a panel brand
Federal Pacific (Stab-Lok), Zinsco, Challenger, Pushmatic, split-bus: what is documented about each one and what to ask an electrician. The house has old wiring
Knob-and-tube and aluminum branch wiring: the risks, insurance questions, and what replacement involves. You're planning an upgrade
An EV charger, heat pump or addition may need more capacity: when 200 amp service makes sense and what it costs.
Federal Pacific (Stab-Lok), Zinsco, Challenger, Pushmatic, split-bus: what is documented about each one and what to ask an electrician. The house has old wiring
Knob-and-tube and aluminum branch wiring: the risks, insurance questions, and what replacement involves. You're planning an upgrade
An EV charger, heat pump or addition may need more capacity: when 200 amp service makes sense and what it costs.
What panel work typically costs
Replacing or upgrading a panel typically costs $800–$4,000 with installation. Most homeowners pay $1,300–$3,000 for a 200 amp upgrade, about $2,150 on average. Work on the meter, the service cable or the panel's location adds to that.
Source: This Old House, “What Is the Cost to Upgrade an Electrical Panel?” (updated Mar 31, 2026). See the full breakdown, with a second cost guide side by side →
How PanelRisk works
- We are an independent publisher, not an electrician. We never explain how to do electrical work yourself: panel and wiring work belongs to a licensed electrician with a permit.
- Prices and facts come from sources we name and link next to them.
- The Panel Risk Check helps you judge how urgent a visit is and what to ask; it doesn't replace an on-site evaluation.
- When a page offers a phone number, calls are answered by independent, licensed service providers, not by us.
Guides
200 Amp Panel Upgrade Cost (2026)
What upgrading to a 200 amp panel costs in 2026, from three sources side by side, what the price includes, and what the electrician and utility each handle.Aluminum Wiring: Is It Safe?
Is aluminum wiring safe? What the CPSC found about older aluminum branch wiring, how to spot it without opening anything, and the repairs it recognizes.Challenger Panels and Recalled Breakers
What the 1988 CPSC recall of Challenger GFCI breakers covered, how to recognize a Challenger panel, and when to have an electrician evaluate it.Do I Need a 200 Amp Service? (EV, heat pump)
How to tell whether your home needs 200 amp service before adding an EV charger, heat pump or electric range, and what to try before a full upgrade.Electrical Panel Replacement Cost (2026)
What replacing or upgrading an electrical panel typically costs in 2026, by panel size, from two cost guides side by side, plus what a quote should list.Electrical Panel Upgrade Permits
Why a panel upgrade needs a permit, who pulls it, what the inspector checks, what it costs, and what unpermitted panel work can mean when you sell or insure.Federal Pacific (Stab-Lok) Panels: Are They Dangerous?
What testing and the CPSC record show about Federal Pacific Stab-Lok panels, how to recognize one without removing any covers, and what to do if your house has one.Fuse Box to Breaker Panel: Cost and Process
Replacing a fuse box with a breaker panel costs $1,500–$4,500 (Fixr). A second guide's figure, what adds to the price, and how the job runs.GFCI Outlet Keeps Tripping
Why a GFCI outlet keeps tripping — moisture, a faulty appliance, wiring or a worn device — what you can safely check, and when to call a licensed electrician.House Rewiring Cost Calculator
Enter your home's square footage to see rewiring cost ranges from two published guides side by side, plus what adds to the total and how to compare quotes.How Much Does an Electrician Cost per Hour?
Electrician hourly rates in 2026 from two cost guides, apprentice vs journeyman vs master, minimums and after-hours charges, and how panel jobs are priced.Knob-and-Tube Replacement Cost
Replacing knob-and-tube is priced as a rewire: $6–$10 per sq ft at This Old House. Costs by house size, add-ons, partial jobs and insurance questions.Knob-and-Tube Wiring: Risks, Insurance, Replacement
What knob-and-tube wiring is, when it becomes a fire risk, what insurers say about it, and how to plan an evaluation and replacement with an electrician.Pushmatic Panels
What Pushmatic (Bulldog, ITE) panels are, how to recognize the push-button breakers, what the known concerns are, and what to ask an electrician.Split-Bus Panels Explained
What a split-bus electrical panel is, why it has several main breakers instead of one, what the rule of six means, and what to ask an electrician.Why Does My Breaker Keep Tripping?
Why a breaker keeps tripping: overload, short circuit, ground fault or a faulty appliance, which signs mean danger, and when to stop resetting it.Zinsco Panels: How to Identify and What to Do
How to spot a Zinsco or Sylvania-Zinsco panel from its label, what insurers say about its breakers and bus bars, and what to do next.
What upgrading to a 200 amp panel costs in 2026, from three sources side by side, what the price includes, and what the electrician and utility each handle.Aluminum Wiring: Is It Safe?
Is aluminum wiring safe? What the CPSC found about older aluminum branch wiring, how to spot it without opening anything, and the repairs it recognizes.Challenger Panels and Recalled Breakers
What the 1988 CPSC recall of Challenger GFCI breakers covered, how to recognize a Challenger panel, and when to have an electrician evaluate it.Do I Need a 200 Amp Service? (EV, heat pump)
How to tell whether your home needs 200 amp service before adding an EV charger, heat pump or electric range, and what to try before a full upgrade.Electrical Panel Replacement Cost (2026)
What replacing or upgrading an electrical panel typically costs in 2026, by panel size, from two cost guides side by side, plus what a quote should list.Electrical Panel Upgrade Permits
Why a panel upgrade needs a permit, who pulls it, what the inspector checks, what it costs, and what unpermitted panel work can mean when you sell or insure.Federal Pacific (Stab-Lok) Panels: Are They Dangerous?
What testing and the CPSC record show about Federal Pacific Stab-Lok panels, how to recognize one without removing any covers, and what to do if your house has one.Fuse Box to Breaker Panel: Cost and Process
Replacing a fuse box with a breaker panel costs $1,500–$4,500 (Fixr). A second guide's figure, what adds to the price, and how the job runs.GFCI Outlet Keeps Tripping
Why a GFCI outlet keeps tripping — moisture, a faulty appliance, wiring or a worn device — what you can safely check, and when to call a licensed electrician.House Rewiring Cost Calculator
Enter your home's square footage to see rewiring cost ranges from two published guides side by side, plus what adds to the total and how to compare quotes.How Much Does an Electrician Cost per Hour?
Electrician hourly rates in 2026 from two cost guides, apprentice vs journeyman vs master, minimums and after-hours charges, and how panel jobs are priced.Knob-and-Tube Replacement Cost
Replacing knob-and-tube is priced as a rewire: $6–$10 per sq ft at This Old House. Costs by house size, add-ons, partial jobs and insurance questions.Knob-and-Tube Wiring: Risks, Insurance, Replacement
What knob-and-tube wiring is, when it becomes a fire risk, what insurers say about it, and how to plan an evaluation and replacement with an electrician.Pushmatic Panels
What Pushmatic (Bulldog, ITE) panels are, how to recognize the push-button breakers, what the known concerns are, and what to ask an electrician.Split-Bus Panels Explained
What a split-bus electrical panel is, why it has several main breakers instead of one, what the rule of six means, and what to ask an electrician.Why Does My Breaker Keep Tripping?
Why a breaker keeps tripping: overload, short circuit, ground fault or a faulty appliance, which signs mean danger, and when to stop resetting it.Zinsco Panels: How to Identify and What to Do
How to spot a Zinsco or Sylvania-Zinsco panel from its label, what insurers say about its breakers and bus bars, and what to do next.
Illustrations on this page are AI-generated to help you picture the situation. They are not photos of real homes, jobs or people.