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Electrical Panel Upgrade · Texas
A panel upgrade replaces your breaker panel, and often the service entrance, so the home can safely carry more load: an EV charger, heat pump, induction range or addition. It always needs a permit, and usually needs the utility to disconnect and reconnect power.
Heat, hail and the 2021 winter storm have made generators, surge protection and panel capacity priorities; electricians are licensed by the state through TDLR.
Across the South Central, homes deal with long, hot summers, severe storms and occasional hard freezes. Permit offices, utilities and housing stock differ by city, which affects how electrical panel upgrade is planned and scheduled. These local guides cover the Texas cities where we have written specific notes.
Houston air conditioners run most of the year, and many homes from the 1960s and 1970s in neighborhoods such as Meyerland, Sharpstown and Spring Branch have 100 or 150 amp panels already near their limit. Adding a larger AC system, a pool, an EV charger or a standby generator often requires an upgrade.
Utility: CenterPoint Energy (lines and meters); retail provider of your choice
Dallas has many 1950s and 1960s ranch homes with 100 amp services and full breaker panels. Adding a pool, a larger AC system or an EV charger often means a panel or service upgrade.
Utility: Oncor (lines and meters); retail provider of your choice
Many San Antonio ranch homes from the 1950s and 1960s still have 100 amp panels, and adding a pool, a larger air conditioner, an EV charger or rooftop solar is often what pushes them over the edge. In older central neighborhoods like Monte Vista and Tobin Hill, panels may be original or a patchwork of later additions.
Utility: CPS Energy (city-owned)
In Austin, panel upgrades usually start with rooftop solar, an EV charger or an accessory dwelling unit. A 100 amp panel in a Hyde Park or Travis Heights bungalow rarely has room for all three, and an ADU at the back of the lot often needs a feeder or its own service.
Utility: Austin Energy (city-owned)
Mid-century ranch homes around Fort Worth often have 100 amp panels that are already full, and adding a pool, a larger AC system, an EV charger or a backyard shop usually means a panel or service upgrade. Historic homes in Fairmount and Ryan Place may have equipment from several renovations.
Utility: Oncor (lines and meters); retail provider of your choice
Many El Paso homes were built for evaporative coolers, which use far less power than refrigerated air. When owners switch to central AC, add rooftop solar or install an EV charger, the existing 100 amp panel is often not enough.
Utility: El Paso Electric (not on the ERCOT grid; no retail choice)
Older Denton homes near the universities often have 100 amp or smaller services, and adding a larger AC system, an EV charger or more circuits for a rental usually requires an upgrade. Hail regularly damages service masts and meter bases, so they are often replaced at the same time.
Utility: Denton Municipal Electric (city-owned)
Older homes along Ocean Drive and in Del Mar and the Southside often have 100 amp panels, and salt air corrodes meter bases and panels faster than inland. Adding a larger AC system, a standby generator or an EV charger usually requires an upgrade, and corroded equipment often needs replacing anyway.
Utility: AEP Texas (lines and meters); retail provider of your choice
Older Waco homes near Baylor and in Castle Heights often have 60 or 100 amp services, and many renovated homes add modern kitchens, larger AC systems and EV chargers that need more capacity. Rentals near campus may have panels that are full.
Utility: Oncor (lines and meters); retail provider of your choice
Most Plano homes were built from the 1970s through the 1990s, and their original panels are now 30 to 50 years old, some of them brands electricians suggest replacing. Adding a pool, a larger AC system, an EV charger or a standby generator often requires a new panel or a service upgrade.
Utility: Oncor (lines and meters); retail provider of your choice
1. Load calculation
The electrician sizes the service from your existing and planned loads.
2. Permit and utility coordination
The permit is pulled and the utility schedules disconnect and reconnect.
3. Install the panel and service parts
New panel, breakers, grounding and bonding, and service conductors or meter base if needed.
4. Inspection
The local inspector checks the work before or after power is restored, depending on the jurisdiction.
Electricians set their own prices; local permit fees and utility requirements add to these factors.
Permits come from the city or county where the home is. For example: Houston: Inside city limits, electrical permits come from the City of Houston's permitting center; unincorporated Harris County and suburban cities have their own rules. Dallas: Electrical permits in Dallas come from the city's Development Services department; suburbs such as Plano, Garland and Irving issue their own. San Antonio: Inside city limits, electrical permits come from the City of San Antonio Development Services Department; suburban cities issue their own. Austin: Electrical permits inside the city come from the City of Austin Development Services Department; surrounding cities and Travis County have their own processes. Fort Worth: Inside city limits, electrical permits come from the City of Fort Worth Development Services Department, and Fairmount and other historic districts review exterior changes. El Paso: Electrical permits inside city limits come from the City of El Paso's development services; unincorporated areas and nearby towns have their own process. Denton: Electrical permits inside city limits come from the City of Denton's development services. Corpus Christi: Electrical permits inside city limits come from the City of Corpus Christi's development services. Waco: Electrical permits inside city limits come from the City of Waco's inspection services. Plano: Electrical permits come from the City of Plano's building inspections department.
Houston: CenterPoint Energy (lines and meters); retail provider of your choice. Dallas: Oncor (lines and meters); retail provider of your choice. San Antonio: CPS Energy (city-owned). Austin: Austin Energy (city-owned). Fort Worth: Oncor (lines and meters); retail provider of your choice. El Paso: El Paso Electric (not on the ERCOT grid; no retail choice). Denton: Denton Municipal Electric (city-owned). Corpus Christi: AEP Texas (lines and meters); retail provider of your choice. Waco: Oncor (lines and meters); retail provider of your choice. Plano: Oncor (lines and meters); retail provider of your choice.
If you have 100 amps or less and are adding an EV charger, heat pump or electric range, or your panel is a Federal Pacific, Zinsco or fuse box, ask an electrician for a load calculation.
Usually most of one working day, depending on the scope and how quickly the utility reconnects.
Yes, in essentially every US jurisdiction. The electrician pulls it and schedules the inspection.
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