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200 Amp Service Upgrade · Colorado
A 200 amp service upgrade increases the electricity your home can draw from the utility, replacing the panel and usually the meter base and service entrance cable. It is the common fix when a 60 or 100 amp home adds an EV charger, heat pump or electric range.
A 200 amp upgrade is a common step for Aurora's mid-century ranch homes, where 100 amp panels were sized for a range, a dryer and little else. Today's additions, including central air, a heat pump, a basement apartment, a hot tub and an EV charger, quickly exceed that.
Mid-century homes often have 100 amp panels that are full and may have brands electricians suggest replacing. Newer homes add EV chargers, basement finishes and solar.
Fort Collins' climate goals have many homeowners swapping gas furnaces for heat pumps and adding induction ranges, heat pump water heaters, solar and EV chargers, and older homes in Old Town and Midtown with 60 or 100 amp services often cannot carry all of it. A 200 amp upgrade usually includes a new meter base and service entrance, coordinated with Fort Collins Utilities, which owns the service.
Older homes near Old Town and campus may have knob-and-tube or small services, and many are rentals. Heat pumps, EV chargers and solar are common additions, and often need a panel upgrade.
Boulder has some of the most ambitious electrification goals in the country, and replacing a gas furnace with a heat pump, adding a heat pump water heater, an induction range, an EV charger and rooftop solar often pushes a 100 amp service past its limit. A 200 amp upgrade usually includes a new meter base and service entrance coordinated with Xcel Energy; in some homes, a smart panel or load-management device avoids the upgrade.
Historic homes may have knob-and-tube or small services, and many owners are adding heat pumps, solar, batteries and EV chargers as the city pushes electrification.
Most new single-family homes are built with 200 amp service, while many older homes have 60, 100 or 150 amps. Electrification projects add large loads: a Level 2 EV charger can draw 40 amps or more on its own, and heat pumps and induction ranges add more.
The upgrade involves the utility as well as the electrician, because the meter and service drop must be disconnected and reconnected. A load calculation first confirms whether 200 amps is the right size, or whether load management could avoid the upgrade.
Our local notes cover Aurora, Fort Collins, Boulder. A 200 amp upgrade is a common step for Aurora's mid-century ranch homes, where 100 amp panels were sized for a range, a dryer and little else.
The city or county building department where the home is. Aurora: Electrical permits inside city limits come from the City of Aurora's building division; parts of Aurora lie in Adams and Douglas counties. Fort Collins: Electrical permits inside city limits come from the City of Fort Collins' building services; unincorporated Larimer County has its own. Boulder: Electrical permits come from the City of Boulder's Planning and Development Services; Boulder County handles unincorporated areas.
Not always. A load calculation may show that a 100 or 150 amp service can support a charger, especially with a lower charging setting or a load-management device.
The installation is often one day, but utility scheduling and permits can add days or weeks.
Some utilities charge fees or require their own work on the service drop. Policies vary, so ask your utility.
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