Service Panel Upgrade estimates in So Cal

[subdriver97]

I'm in San Diego, but I would think prices in most of So Cal would be about the same. I have a home built in the mid-1980s with a street pulled 100A center feed service panel. This will require an upgrade to an end feed breaker to install solar. I got quotes from three solar vendors. All are 20+ years in electrical contracting. Came in like this:

Vendor A: $1800 (PV System - $3.83/W)
Vendor B: $1500 (PV System - $3.55/W)
Vendor C: $2500 (PV System - $3.60/W)

I'm not willing to go with Vendor B based on workmanship on a previous installation that I viewed. The overall cost for Vendor C is lower even with the much higher priced panel upgrade. I'm sure I will end up going with Vendor C.

I'm just wondering what to think with regards to Vendor's $700 premium on the service panel upgrade cost. The sales guy for Vendor C insists there is zero cost to be cut from the service panel upgrade. I can't imagine that their materials cost $700 more. Anyone know how much a service panel w/associated breakers costs?

I've heard that service panel upgrades are a source of mis-quotes / increases in overall system cost as the job moves on and "something new" gets discovered. Any experience with this?

[CA_Tom]

I'm in San Diego, but I would think prices in most of So Cal would be about the same. I have a home built in the mid-1980s with a street pulled 100A center feed service panel. This will require an upgrade to an end feed breaker to install solar. I got quotes from three solar vendors. All are 20+ years in electrical contracting. Came in like this:

Vendor A: $1800 (PV System - $3.83/W)
Vendor B: $1500 (PV System - $3.55/W)
Vendor C: $2500 (PV System - $3.60/W)

I'm not willing to go with Vendor B based on workmanship on a previous installation that I viewed. The overall cost for Vendor C is lower even with the much higher priced panel upgrade. I'm sure I will end up going with Vendor C.

I'm just wondering what to think with regards to Vendor's $700 premium on the service panel upgrade cost. The sales guy for Vendor C insists there is zero cost to be cut from the service panel upgrade. I can't imagine that their materials cost $700 more. Anyone know how much a service panel w/associated breakers costs?

I've heard that service panel upgrades are a source of mis-quotes / increases in overall system cost as the job moves on and "something new" gets discovered. Any experience with this?

700 isn't unreasonable for a panel replacement IMO.
It is more about the labor than the panel.
You can price out the panel and breakers pretty easy yourself.
I would guess at that low of a price you have overhead service there, and it's close from the weatherhead to the panel and it will be relatively easy to do a replacement. (Ex. No major stucco repairs.)

Are your dollar amounts wrong? @3.60 a $2500 system would only be 695watts...

[subdriver97]

700 isn't unreasonable for a panel replacement IMO.
It is more about the labor than the panel.
You can price out the panel and breakers pretty easy yourself.
I would guess at that low of a price you have overhead service there, and it's close from the weatherhead to the panel and it will be relatively easy to do a replacement. (Ex. No major stucco repairs.)

Are your dollar amounts wrong? @3.60 a $2500 system would only be 695watts...

Vendor A: $1800 (PV System - $3.83/W)
Vendor B: $1500 (PV System - $3.55/W)
Vendor C: $2500 (PV System - $3.60/W)

I tried googling up panel and breaker costs but its pretty confusing to me....

Apologies if my number were cryptic. The prices listed are just for the panel upgrade. The cost of the PV System (panels and inverter) is listed in $/W. (In case anyone is wondering, I'm intending on 4.5kW LG300/SolarEdge).

[russ]

Forget google for this - use an electric supply house site.

[thejq]

Do you need to get permit to replace the panel? If so, do both vendors include the permit cost in the quote?

[subdriver97]

Do you need to get permit to replace the panel? If so, do both vendors include the permit cost in the quote?

Don't know but i'll find out. Thanks for the suggestion!

[CA_Tom]

Don't know but i'll find out. Thanks for the suggestion!

You almost certainly need a permit to replace the panel.
But it's probably going to be just part of the permit that you need for the solar system.

SO - really you're wondering if $2500 to replace the panel is reasonable vs. $1800 that the first guy said.

Depending on the circumstances, either of those could be reasonable - could even be cheap.

It depends on:
* location of wires to provide your service (overhead? underground?)
* distance from the power company connection point to your meter ($ for wire + time to pull the wire)
* Is a new meter required?
* What will it take to get wires from power company connection to your meter.
* From meter to main panel?
* Or is it a main panel + meter combination?
* What size for the new main panel (probably 200A, maybe 200A main breaker with 225A bus)
* How many circuits have to be moved into the new panel
* How easily can the circuits be moved

And lastly the cost of the physical panel and breakers itself - those are fairly low $ though - you can price that out by looking at HD or Lowes.
(my experience is they're a cheap supplier for panels - probably they have the bulk purchase power to hold over the heads of the suppliers compared to the littler electrical houses)

It is very likely that breakers and panels are very very similar in cost between the two.
The difference is going to be almost entirely labor / profit margin.

At $2500 I think you might be able to get an electrician to do a panel replacement for you as a stand-alone job. Depends *a lot* on the specifics of the job...
But since you're doing PV anyhow, I'd just lump it in with the total cost for the system. If the "$3.60/watt" doesn't include the breaker panel, recalculate it so that it does.

[dband]

I had my service panel upgraded last year. $1500 included the new panel and breakers, new riser and drop (We have overhead power lines).

That was a fairly reasonable quote and others quoted me the same. The $700 premium, sounds a bit high, but it doesn't sound like they are willing to negotiate at this point?

I did my service panel upgrade separate to my solar installation. You may want to look into that if you want to save some $$$.

[MGE]

Materials only for a panel upgrade (100a-200a) surface of flush mount exterior panel is less than $700.00. Was a Union Contractor here in SD for 16 yrs (retired in 2012). Permit will cost extra also.

[subdriver97]

Materials only for a panel upgrade (100a-200a) surface of flush mount exterior panel is less than $700.00. Was a Union Contractor here in SD for 16 yrs (retired in 2012). Permit will cost extra also.

The vendor is taunting that they only use "Square D". Is this unusual because of the cost? How much can be saved by using lesser grade materials and does it matter as long as the materials meet code?

[subdriver97]

You almost certainly need a permit to replace the panel.
Depending on the circumstances, either of those could be reasonable - could even be cheap.

It depends on:
* location of wires to provide your service (overhead? underground?)
* distance from the power company connection point to your meter ($ for wire + time to pull the wire)
* Is a new meter required?
* What will it take to get wires from power company connection to your meter.
* From meter to main panel?
* Or is it a main panel + meter combination?
* What size for the new main panel (probably 200A, maybe 200A main breaker with 225A bus)
* How many circuits have to be moved into the new panel
* How easily can the circuits be moved

Thanks for the list of variables. The vendor plainly stated that they had a $2500 fixed price for any service panel upgrade on his "solar estimate workup sheet". I also can't find a way to reconcile this with the above.

[russ]

Thanks for the list of variables. The vendor plainly stated that they had a $2500 fixed price for any service panel upgrade on his "solar estimate workup sheet". I also can't find a way to reconcile this with the above.

Wrong vendor.

[subdriver97]

Wrong vendor.

Can you re-state? I don't understand your meaning...

[russ]

Can you re-state? I don't understand your meaning...

Any time a vendor starts to be a wise guy and dictate it is the worng vendor - there are too many out there to choose from.

[CA_Tom]

Thanks for the list of variables. The vendor plainly stated that they had a $2500 fixed price for any service panel upgrade on his "solar estimate workup sheet". I also can't find a way to reconcile this with the above.

My guess?

"We don't trust our sales guys to accurately estimate actual cost for a panel upgrade, as they would probably low-ball it so they can make a sale. So we use a price that should work out OK for us 75% of the time and don't let the sales guy deviate from that"