What a Panel Upgrade Costs in Metro Vancouver (2025-2026)
$3,500 to $7,000 for a typical 100A to 200A upgrade
Metro Vancouver figures, reviewed 2026-09-26. How these ranges are set
Get Quotes for This JobA 100 amp to 200 amp service upgrade in Metro Vancouver typically costs $3,500 to $7,000 all in, and $7,000 to $10,000 when the service is underground, the mast has to move to meet BC Hydro clearances, or the panel is being relocated out of a closet or bathroom. A like-for-like panel replacement without changing the service size runs $1,800 to $3,500, and a sub-panel for a suite, garage or workshop $1,200 to $2,500.
Panel work is the job that unlocks most other electrical work in the region: heat pumps installed under CleanBC rebates, Level 2 EV chargers, induction ranges and secondary suites all land on the panel, and a 60A or 100A service that was fine in 1975 has no room for them.
What you will actually pay
The figures below are typical Metro Vancouver ranges for 2025-2026. The service size, whether the drop is overhead or underground, and the state of the existing panel move a job from the bottom of a band to the top.
| Job | Typical range | What sets it |
|---|---|---|
| 100A to 200A service upgrade, overhead drop, panel stays put | $3,500 to $6,000 | Includes panel, breakers, meter base, mast, permit and inspection |
| 100A to 200A upgrade with underground service, mast relocation or panel move | $7,000 to $10,000 | Trenching, exterior structural work or drywall repair drive the top of the band |
| Panel replacement, same service size (Federal Pioneer Stab-Lok, fuse box) | $1,800 to $3,500 | Higher when many circuits need AFCI or GFCI breakers under current code |
| Sub-panel for a suite, detached garage or workshop | $1,200 to $2,500 | Feeder length and trenching are the variables |
| Meter base replacement, when required | $400 to $1,200 | Often bundled into a service upgrade |
| BC Hydro disconnect and reconnect | Usually no charge for a like-for-like reconnect | A larger service may need a new drop or transformer, quoted by BC Hydro |
What moves the price
Service type is the first driver. An overhead drop on a flat lot is a few hundred dollars of mast and weatherhead; an underground service means excavation and conduit, and a hillside lot on the North Shore can mean a longer, taller mast and sometimes a lift. Panel location is the second: current code does not allow a panel in a clothes closet or bathroom, so an upgrade can force a relocation that adds drywall and feeder work. The third is the existing panel. Federal Pioneer Stab-Lok panels, common in BC homes from the 1960s to the 1980s, have a documented failure-to-trip history and most insurers want them gone; replacing one during an upgrade adds breaker cost, and bedroom circuits picked up during the work need AFCI protection under the BC Electrical Code.
BC Hydro owns the drop, the meter and the transformer. Its disconnect and reconnect for a like-for-like service is normally free, but a bigger service can require Hydro to change its own equipment, which it quotes separately and which adds one to three weeks to the timeline.
Do you need the upgrade at all
Not always. The BC Electrical Code requires a load calculation before load is added, and many 100A homes can carry a heat pump or a 32A charger once the range, dryer and water heater are accounted for. Where the numbers do not work, a load-management device that pauses the charger while the range runs, or a smaller charger, can avoid the upgrade for a fraction of the price. A sub-panel is the answer when the service has capacity but the panel is out of breaker spaces. Ask for the load calculation in writing; it is the document that tells you which of these you are buying.
Permits and inspections in Metro Vancouver
Seven Metro Vancouver local governments run their own electrical permit and inspection programs: the City of Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, the City of North Vancouver, the District of North Vancouver, West Vancouver and Maple Ridge. Everywhere else in Metro Vancouver, including Richmond, Delta, Langley, White Rock, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, New Westminster and Pitt Meadows, the electrical permit is issued by Technical Safety BC. Residential electrical permit fees typically run $150 to $300 and belong inside the quote, not as a surprise on the invoice.
What a fair quote includes
- The new 200A panel with main and branch breakers, including any AFCI or GFCI breakers current code requires on picked-up circuits
- Meter base, mast and weatherhead, with any extension needed to meet BC Hydro clearances
- The electrical permit and inspection fee for your municipality or Technical Safety BC
- BC Hydro coordination for the disconnect and reconnect, and a note on whether Hydro has flagged its own equipment
- Labour for the day or day-and-a-half a standard upgrade takes, and drywall repair if the panel moves
Ask before you hire
- The contractor's Technical Safety BC licence number, which you can verify online, and proof of current WorkSafeBC coverage
- Whether the permit, the inspection and any BC Hydro coordination are inside the price
- What changes the price if they open a wall or a panel and find aluminum wiring, knob-and-tube or a full panel
- Whether drywall or exterior repair is included or quoted separately
- How long the quote is valid, and whether a deposit is required before materials are ordered
Want this done at your place?
Tell us what is wrong or what you want installed and we'll get you a real quote from a local Metro Vancouver electrician. We send it out to local contractors for you. Free, no pressure.
Common questions
How long is the power off during a service upgrade?
Typically four to eight hours on the day, once the inspection has passed and BC Hydro has scheduled the reconnect. The whole project, including the permit and Hydro scheduling, usually runs two to six weeks.
Can I buy the panel myself and have an electrician install it?
You can, but most contractors will not warranty a homeowner-supplied panel, and the saving is small against the labour, permit and Hydro coordination that make up most of the price.