200 Amp Panel Upgrade in Myrtle Beach, SC
A real assessment before the number, a written price before anything opens, and a permit filed as part of the job.
How much does a 200 amp panel upgrade cost in Myrtle Beach, SC?
A 100-amp to 200-amp panel upgrade typically runs $1,800 to $4,800 in Myrtle Beach, including the new panel, breakers, labor, permit and inspection.
That's a real load calculation deciding the number, not a rule of thumb. If the service line or meter base also needs work, add $500 to $2,200, and expect the utility's own crew schedule, not just the electrician's, to set part of the install date.
What Is a 200 Amp Panel Upgrade?
A 200-amp panel upgrade replaces your main electrical panel with one rated to carry more current, freeing up headroom for everything you plug in, run or add to the house.
A 100-amp panel was standard for decades and still works fine in plenty of homes with gas heat, a modest number of appliances, and no major electric loads. It runs out of room fast the moment you add an EV charger, a hot tub, central air conversion, or a standby generator on top of what's already drawing power.
The number itself comes from a load calculation: adding up your home's actual and near-future electrical demand against NEC rules, not eyeballing the panel and guessing. Two identical-looking 1,800-square-foot houses can land on different amperage recommendations depending on what's actually running inside them.
What's Included
- Load calculationA real calculation of your home's current and near-future electrical demand, not a rule-of-thumb guess at panel size.
- New 200-amp panel and breakersPanel sized to the load calculation, with breakers labeled to match your actual circuits, not left as generic numbers.
- Grounding system checkThe grounding electrode system gets inspected and brought up to current code as part of the swap.
- Permit and inspectionFiled and scheduled as part of the job. A capacity upgrade is never done without one.
- Utility coordination when neededScheduling the temporary disconnect with the utility if the service line or meter is part of the scope.
Signs You Need More Capacity
- Breakers trip when you run more than one major applianceA capacity problem, not a wiring fault. The panel is out of headroom for what's being asked of it.
- You're adding an EV charger, generator or hot tubEach is a significant new load. A 100-amp panel often can't absorb one without shedding something else.
- You're planning a kitchen or laundry remodel with new appliance circuitsNew 240-volt circuits (range, dryer, EV charger) are the most common trigger for discovering there's no room left.
- You're relying on extension cords or power strips as permanent wiringA sign the panel or circuit layout hasn't kept pace with how the house is actually used.
- The panel feels warm or you hear buzzing from itTreat this as urgent, not routine, and call rather than wait for a scheduled visit.
How the Upgrade Works
- 01
Load calculation and site visit
The electrician reviews your current panel, wiring and near-future plans (EV, generator, additions) to size the new panel correctly.
Time on site: 30–60 minutes - 02
Permit filed
Submitted before work begins. Panel capacity changes require a permit in every jurisdiction across this market.
Time on site: before install day - 03
Utility coordinated if needed
If the service line or meter is involved, the utility schedules the temporary disconnect. This step can add days depending on their crew availability, not the electrician's.
Time on site: varies by utility - 04
Panel swap
Power off for the swap itself: old panel out, new panel in, circuits reconnected and labeled.
Time on site: 4–8 hours, most jobs done in one day - 05
Inspection
The local building inspector reviews the completed work before the permit closes out.
Time on site: scheduled after install
Finished stateA panel sized for what your home actually runs today and what you're likely to add in the next few years, with a permit on file.
What About 400 Amps?
400-amp service is the exception, not the default. It usually applies to homes over roughly 3,500 square feet with two or three AC units, or a heat pump, EV chargers, a hot tub and a generator combined on one service. If that's not your house, 200 amps is almost certainly right. See the full 100 vs. 200 amp comparison for the honest version.
Read the full 100 vs. 200 amp comparisonPermits, Inspection and Utility Timing
A capacity upgrade always requires a permit and a post-install inspection, filed with whichever desk covers your address: City of Myrtle Beach, Horry County, or another jurisdiction in this market. If the utility needs to disconnect service, their crew scheduling (not the electrician's calendar) often sets the earliest install date, so book further ahead than a same-day repair.
What This Job Costs in Myrtle Beach, SC
USD
- 100A to 200A panel upgrade$1,800–$4,800per homeIncludes panel, breakers, labor, permit and inspection.
- Service line or meter work (if needed)$500–$2,200add-onAdds utility crew scheduling to the timeline in addition to the electrician's own schedule.
- Subpanel added at the same time$1,200–$3,500add-onCheaper to add during a main-panel job than as a separate visit later.
- Whole-house surge protection$250–$650add-onThe panel's already open, so the incremental labor to add a surge device is low. Commonly bundled with this job, not a separate visit.
These are typical ranges for Grand Strand; your exact price is confirmed in writing after the load calculation and site visit. Coastal jobs and those needing utility coordination often land toward the higher end.
See the full panel upgrade cost guide for how this compares to the other seven services in this pack.
100 Amps vs. 200 Amps: The Short Version
Compared onHeadroom for new loadsCostResale expectations
Stay at 100 amps
Best forSmaller homes with gas heat, no EV, no generator and no major addition planned in the next several years
- Lower cost if replacement is only needed for safety reasons, not capacity
- Genuinely sufficient for a lot of homes as-is
- Little to no headroom for an EV charger, generator or major appliance addition later
- Some buyers, lenders and insurers treat it as dated regardless of actual performance
Upgrade to 200 amps
Best forHomes adding an EV charger, generator, central air, or planning any of those in the next few years
- Real headroom for multiple additions without a second panel change later
- The standard expectation for most home sales in this size range
- Higher upfront cost than a like-for-like 100-amp swap
- More capacity than a home with genuinely stable, modest loads may ever use
If an EV charger, generator, or major appliance addition is realistically on the horizon, go to 200 amps now rather than paying for two panel jobs. If your loads are modest and staying that way, a smaller replacement for safety reasons alone is a legitimate, less expensive choice — don't upgrade to 200 amps just because it sounds like the safe default.
200 Amp Panel Upgrade in Myrtle Beach, SC — questions
Most panel swaps take 4 to 8 hours with the power off, and most jobs finish in a single day. If the utility has to disconnect the service line first, their scheduling can push the actual install date out, but the outage on install day itself is still typically a matter of hours.
It depends on what you're running now and what you're likely to add: an EV charger, a generator, central air, a hot tub. If none of those are realistic in the next several years, a smaller like-for-like upgrade may be the right call. The load calculation is what actually answers this, not a rule of thumb.
Mostly for larger homes (roughly 3,500 square feet and up) running multiple AC units, or a combination of a heat pump, several EV chargers, a hot tub and a standby generator on one service. It's the exception in this market, not the starting recommendation.
The electrician files it as part of the job, with whichever authority covers your address: the City of Myrtle Beach, Horry County, or one of the market's other separate permit desks depending on jurisdiction.
A 100-amp to 200-amp upgrade typically runs $1,800 to $4,800 in Myrtle Beach, including the panel, breakers, labor, permit and inspection. Utility or meter work on top of that adds $500 to $2,200.
It's worth considering. The panel's already open, so the incremental labor to add a surge device is low ($250–$650 installed) compared to scheduling it as a separate visit later. It's not required, but it's the cheapest time to do it.
In most cases, yes. An outdated or capacity-strained panel is a common finding on a pre-sale inspection, and buyers or their lenders sometimes flag it. A recent, permitted upgrade is a documented answer to that question instead of an open one.
Related services
- L-100all panel services/services
- L-105sub panel installation/services/sub-panel-installation
- N-02the full panel upgrade cost breakdown/guides/panel-upgrade-cost
- N-01the full 100 vs. 200 amp comparison/guides/100-amp-vs-200-amp
- A-MAR200 amp service in Market Common new construction/service-areas/market-common
- W-001book a panel upgrade survey/contact
Licensed, insured panel upgrades, breaker box replacement and meter base work for Myrtle Beach and Horry County.
- 01Licensed & insuredEvery job is performed by a licensed, insured electrician working to South Carolina electrical code.
- 02Fixed written pricingThe number you see after the load calculation is the number you pay. It doesn't move once the panel's open.
- 03Permits handledThe permit gets filed and the inspection gets scheduled as part of the job, not left for you to arrange.
- 04One focused serviceThis is a panel-focused practice, not a full-service electrical shop. That means less guessing on this one job type, not more upsell.
Request a quote
Tell us what your panel looks like now (age, brand if you know it, any breaker trouble) and we'll call back with next steps.
Ready for a written price?
The load calculation is what actually sets your price and your amperage. Get that done before you budget off a number you saw online.