100 Amp vs 200 Amp: Sizing the New Panel
The biggest decision in a panel replacement is the service size. Older Fort Worth homes were often built with 100-amp service, which was plenty when the major loads were a furnace, a water heater, and a few appliances. A modern home with central air, electric appliances, and the loads people add today, a car charger in the garage, a generator, a shop, asks for more. That is why most replacements in this area move up to 200-amp service.
The right answer is not automatic, though. We run a load calculation: we add up the home's existing demand and the loads you plan to add, then recommend a service size that carries all of it with headroom to spare. Sometimes 100-amp service is still fine and the real fix is a new panel of the same size with room for more circuits. Often, especially when an EV charger or generator is on the wish list, 200-amp service is the better long-term call because it leaves capacity for the next addition. We would rather size the panel once, correctly, than have you back for a second upgrade in two years.
When a Panel Replacement Unlocks Other Upgrades
A lot of panel work in this area is the first step in a bigger project. Adding a home EV charger or a standby generator usually starts with confirming the panel can carry the new draw. When it cannot, we fold the panel replacement and the new circuit into one project. It is also the natural time to add whole-home surge protection, since the electrician is already working at the panel.
Permits, Oncor, and the Replacement Process
A panel replacement in Fort Worth is permitted work, and a service upgrade involves the utility, not just your home's wiring. Here is how the job actually runs:
- Load calculation and estimate. We assess the existing panel and the loads you want to support, recommend a service size, and give you a written estimate.
- Permit. We pull the electrical permit with the local jurisdiction so the work is inspected and on record.
- Oncor coordination. Oncor is the utility that owns the service drop and meter in this area. A service upgrade or a panel swap on the meter side requires coordinating a disconnect and reconnect with Oncor, which we schedule as part of the job.
- Replacement. We install the new panel, label the circuits, and tie everything back in. A straightforward residential swap is typically completed in a day.
- Inspection. The jurisdiction inspects the finished work, and Oncor restores permanent power. You end up with a documented, code-compliant panel.
Because we hold both the electrical and HVAC licenses, a panel job that ties into a heating or cooling upgrade, say a new outdoor unit that needs its own circuit, stays with one contractor instead of two.
What Drives the Cost of a Panel Replacement
Panel replacement cost depends on the specifics of your home, so the honest answer is that it is quoted after we see the job. The main factors are the service size (a 200-amp upgrade involves more than a like-for-like 100-amp swap), whether the panel is being relocated, the condition of the existing service entrance and grounding, whether the meter base and weatherhead also need work, and the permit and Oncor coordination the upgrade requires. We give you a written, itemized estimate up front. For a fuller breakdown of what drives the price, see our guide on electrical panel replacement cost in Fort Worth.
The Safety Case for Replacing an Old Panel
Capacity is only half the reason to replace a panel; the other half is safety. A panel is the home's first line of defense against an electrical fault, and an old or damaged one cannot do that job reliably. Breakers wear out and stop tripping when they should, bus bars and connections corrode and overheat, and a panel that runs warm or shows scorching is telling you something is wrong inside it. An old fuse box has no modern grounding or breaker protection at all. Replacing the panel restores that protection with current breakers and proper grounding and bonding, which is why a panel that smells of burning or feels warm to the touch should be looked at promptly rather than nursed along. We never recommend a replacement you do not need, but we will be direct when a panel is a genuine safety concern.
One Contractor for Panel and HVAC Work
A lot of panel replacements in this area are tied to a heating or cooling project, a new outdoor unit that needs its own circuit, a heat pump conversion, or a mini-split that adds load. When the panel work and the HVAC work are handled by two different companies, the homeowner ends up coordinating schedules and hoping the two trades agree on the load. Because Breeze holds both licenses, the same company runs the load calculation, sizes the panel, and installs the equipment, so the electrical and mechanical sides are planned together from the start.
Serving Fort Worth and the Mid-Cities
We replace panels across Fort Worth and the northeast Tarrant mid-cities, including North Richland Hills, Hurst, Watauga, and Southlake. For panel work and the rest of the electrical side in those areas, see our pages on the electrician in Watauga, TX and the electrician in North Richland Hills, TX.
