Still on a 100-amp panel, a fuse box, or a Federal Pacific box in Schenectady, Rotterdam, Niskayuna, or Glenville? A 200-amp upgrade is the job we quote most in 2026.
Cost is not one number. You pay for:
- the panel and breakers
- the service run
- a new meter socket if the old one cannot take 200 amps
- the permit and inspection
- any National Grid work on their side of the meter
A same-spot 100-amp swap costs less than a 100-to-200 job. The bigger job needs a new mast and a utility disconnect. There is no federal panel upgrade tax credit in 2026. Income-eligible one-family homes should check nyserda.ny.gov for EmPower+ Sustainable Futures help.
Why so many Schenectady County houses are still on 100 amps
The City of Schenectady has a median year built around 1938. Schenectady County sits around 1955. Albany County is around 1964. Saratoga County is around 1984.
In the Stockade, Hamilton Hill, and Mont Pleasant, we still open fuse boxes. The same is true in a lot of Rotterdam and Scotia two-stories. Many of those houses still have a 60- or 100-amp panel. Fine for a gas range and one TV. Not fine for a dryer, a heat pump, and a Level 2 charger. Glenville and Niskayuna have more 150- and 200-amp services. But the original ranch on a 100-amp overhead drop is still common.
We are Choice Electric, family-owned, at 1600 Altamont Ave, Suite 2, Schenectady. Licensed and insured, and an IBEW Local 236 signatory. We work Schenectady, Albany, and Saratoga counties in National Grid territory. One-year parts and labor.
100 amps to 200 amps, and when the utility is in it
We shut the house down. Then National Grid disconnects the service. We pull the old gear, land the new socket and panel, handle grounding and bonding, and call inspection. After a pass, National Grid restores power and sets or reseals the meter.
A garage 100-to-200 with working clearance can be a one-day outage. A failed 200-amp panel swapped in the same spot may not be a capacity upgrade. You still need a permit, inspection, and a disconnect so we work dead.
New York adopted the 2023 NEC through the 2025 Uniform Code. Permits issued on or after December 31, 2025 follow the 2023 NEC outside New York City. That means outdoor emergency disconnects on new services and more GFCI. If your permit was issued under the old code, the inspector tells us which book we are on.
Fuse boxes and Federal Pacific in Rotterdam and the city
If the cover says Federal Pacific, FPE, or Stab-Lok, we replace it. Those breakers have a long record of failing to trip. A new subpanel downstream of an FPE main is not a fix. Same for a fuse box stuffed with pennies or 30-amp fuses on 14-gauge wire. That is common in older Rotterdam stock and city houses.
You can convert a fuse box without raising amperage if the drop, meter, and load calculation support it. Most of the time the honest job is 200 amps.
City of Schenectady vs the towns
Permit everywhere. Paperwork is not the same.
City of Schenectady: city electrical permit, city inspection. State Street, Bellevue, off Altamont Avenue: this path.
Rotterdam, Niskayuna, Glenville, Scotia: a third-party electrical inspector from an approved list. We will take care of it for you!
Guilderland, Colonie, Latham, Delmar: third-party inspection. A Colonie ranch and a Mont Pleasant two-family are not the same job.
National Grid will not energize a new or upgraded service without an approved inspection.
EV-ready, heat-pump-ready, and what is not a rebate
We aim for a 200-amp service if the house might take a heat pump. The same is true for a Level 2 charger. We still run a load calculation. A small bungalow with gas heat and no charger can live on 100 amps. A Guilderland or Clifton Park house adding a 48-amp charger and a whole-home heat pump usually cannot.
NY Clean Heat in 2026 is for existing 1-to-4 family homes. The heat pump rebate goes to the HVAC contractor. Our job is the panel and service. Confirm current rules with your heat pump contractor and NYSERDA.
The federal 25C tax credit for panel upgrades expired December 31, 2025. We will not advertise it. A 2025 install is a tax-preparer question, not a 2026 credit.
For income-eligible one-family households, NYSERDA EmPower+ Sustainable Futures can help. It can cover electrical service and wiring. NYSERDA currently lists up to $5,000 for a panel box and $2,500 for wiring. Those amounts sit on top of core EmPower+ caps, for eligible work. Eligibility is income-based. Do not assume programs stack. Confirm current amounts and household rules at nyserda.ny.gov. If you might qualify, apply there first or in parallel.
Call or text (518) 952-0228. You will hear if you need 200 amps. We can also tell you if the fuse box can wait, or if the next step is a National Grid application.
FAQs
How much do electric service upgrades cost, and how long do they take?
We schedule the disconnect and reconnect with you and National Grid. The electrical work itself is typically one day. Expect to be without power for a good portion of that day.
After we finish, the electrical inspector checks the work. Then the utility returns to restore power.
A complete 200-amp service upgrade usually runs $4,500 to $10,000+. That covers the emergency disconnect, service grounding, a new main panel, and new breakers.
Price moves with the site. Underground service costs more than overhead. A pipe-riser job is different from a mast. Tight workspace, trees, and landscaping all add time. Keeping your family safe is always worth doing. We do not recommend putting it off.
Do I need National Grid if I am only replacing the panel?
Same amperage, and the meter and mast stay put: maybe not a full upgrade application. Going from 100 to 200 amps: yes. The meter still has to come out so we can work dead. With the recent code changes, inspectors treat a panel replacement as a big change. They also expect the whole service to meet the new electrical code.
Can I leave my Federal Pacific panel and add a subpanel?
No. Replace the FPE. Extra circuits belong on a subpanel off a new 200-amp main. Better yet, put them in a new larger 200-amp panel.
Is there a rebate or tax credit for a panel upgrade in 2026?
Not a federal 25C credit for a 2026 install. NY Clean Heat does not pay the electrician for a standalone panel. Income-eligible one-family homes: check EmPower+ / Sustainable Futures at nyserda.ny.gov.
Will the City of Schenectady inspect, or do I need a third-party inspector?
In the city, the city performs inspections. In Rotterdam, Niskayuna, Glenville, and most surrounding towns, a third-party electrical inspector.
Call or text Choice Electric at (518) 952-0228. Family-owned, licensed and insured, IBEW Local 236, 24-hour emergency, one-year parts and labor. 1600 Altamont Ave, Suite 2, Schenectady, NY 12303.
