Service Changes and Upgrades in the Denver Metro Area

This page is for general education only. Every panel, wiring configuration, and home is different. Nothing here should replace a hands-on evaluation by a licensed electrician who can see your specific equipment. If you have questions about your panel, talk to a qualified professional before making any decisions.

What's the Difference? (Panel Swap vs. Service Change)

Two different jobs. Two different price points. Contractors use these terms loosely, and that's where most of the confusion starts.

Panel swap

The interior breaker panel gets replaced. Everything outside the house stays. Same meter, same mast, same wires coming in from the street. This is the right job when the panel itself is the problem (Federal Pacific, Zinsco, corroded bus bars, out of circuit spaces) but the service entrance is in good shape and the amperage is sufficient.

Your home stays at whatever capacity it has now. A 100-amp service with a new panel is still a 100-amp service.

Service change

Everything from the weather head down gets replaced. New mast or conduit, new meter base, new service entrance cables, new grounding system, new panel. Top to bottom.

You'll hear "service change" and "service upgrade" used separately. Technically, a change replaces the equipment and an upgrade increases the amperage. In practice, they're often the same job. Once you're pulling a permit and replacing everything, the load calculation determines what amperage your home actually needs. We'll walk you through the numbers so you understand what you're getting and why.

If you've gotten quotes and they look nothing alike, this is usually why. One contractor quoted a panel swap. Another quoted a full service change. They're not pricing the same work.

Why You Might Need a Service Change

Your home has a 100-amp service and you're adding load. EV charger, heat pump, home addition, finished basement. Adding major appliances to an older 100-amp service can push it past what it was designed to handle. A load calculation tells you whether your current service can support what you're planning or whether an upgrade is needed.

The service entrance is physically deteriorated. The mast is leaning, the weatherhead is cracked, the service entrance cables are sun-damaged with crumbling insulation. These problems don't fix themselves, and a new panel inside the house doesn't address what's failing outside.

Xcel says so. If your existing meter base doesn't meet Xcel's current Heavy-Duty Lever Bypass (HDLB) standard, they can require a new one. If your weatherhead doesn't maintain the required overhead clearances, that triggers a change too. When Xcel says it needs to be replaced, it needs to be replaced.

Your insurance company sent a letter. FPE, Zinsco, or fuse box identified during underwriting. Some carriers require replacement within a set timeframe as a condition of continued coverage. Sometimes a panel swap handles this. Other times the inspector also flags the service entrance, and now it's a full change.

You're selling the house. The buyer's inspector flags the panel, the buyer's lender won't close without insurance, and the insurance company won't write a policy until the panel is replaced. If the service entrance is also outdated, you're looking at a service change to close the deal.

What the Job Actually Involves

A standard 200-amp service change from overhead lines, start to finish:

Before work starts

• Load calculation. Not a guess. An actual calculation based on your home's square footage, appliances, and what you're planning to add. NEC Article 220. This determines whether you need a service change or if a panel swap would actually solve the problem.
• Permit. We pull the electrical permit with your local jurisdiction. Lakewood, Golden, Jeffco, Denver. Required by law.
• Xcel coordination. Disconnect request submitted through Xcel's builder portal. Takes 5-10 business days typically.

Day of installation (full day, power off)

Xcel pulls your meter first thing in the morning. Then:

1. Old weatherhead, mast, and service entrance cables come down
2. New 2-inch galvanized rigid metal conduit mast goes up (sized to handle the tension from the utility's overhead drop, especially during Colorado wind and ice)
3. New 2/0 AWG copper or 4/0 AWG aluminum service entrance conductors pulled through the mast
4. New meter base installed. Must be Xcel-approved Heavy-Duty Lever Bypass (HDLB). This lets utility workers safely disconnect power without risk of arc flash.
5. New main breaker panel installed inside. 30-80 circuit spaces. Square D.
6. Every circuit reconnected, labeled, and torqued to manufacturer spec
7. New grounding electrode system: two 8-foot copper-clad ground rods driven at least 6 feet apart, bonded together and back to the panel. In the foothills (Golden, Morrison, Evergreen), granite bedrock sometimes makes vertical driving impossible. NEC 250.53(G) allows angled or horizontal installation in a trench at least 30 inches deep.
8. Ground connection to the main water pipe within the first 5 feet of where it enters the foundation
9. Intersystem bonding termination for cable, phone, and data lines
10. Whole-home surge protection device installed (required per NEC 230.67 on all new panel installations)
11. AFCI breakers where NEC 210.12 requires them. GFCI protection in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, and outdoors.
12. Exterior emergency disconnect (NEC 230.85) so first responders can cut power from outside

After the work

A municipal electrical inspector visits. Checks connections, grounding, bonding, breaker sizing, labeling, code compliance. The inspector submits a meter release to Xcel. Xcel returns to install the meter and reconnect. Power comes back on.

Total timeline from first call to power restored: typically 2-3 weeks. Most of that is Xcel scheduling and permit processing, not the physical work.

The Xcel Energy Process

Every service change in the Denver metro requires coordination with Xcel Energy. They own the power lines and the meter. Here's how that works and what it means for your timeline.

Overhead services (most common in Lakewood, Littleton, Golden)

Xcel uses a "temporary disconnect/reconnect" process. We submit the request. On the scheduled day, Xcel's line crew physically disconnects the service drop from the weatherhead. That starts the clock. Power is off while the work gets done.

Xcel won't reconnect until the city or county inspector has visited, passed the installation, and transmitted a clearance to Xcel's dispatch. If the inspector finds something that needs correction, the house stays dark until it's fixed and re-inspected. That rarely happens when the work is done right the first time.

Underground services (common in newer subdivisions, Highlands Ranch, Centennial)

Underground is a different animal. Going from 100A to 200A underground often means new, larger conduit has to be trenched between the transformer and your meter. Xcel's engineering department has to review the project, verify the transformer has capacity, and design the route.

That engineering review adds 4-6 weeks before anyone touches a shovel. If the existing transformer can't handle the upgraded load (common when multiple homes on the same transformer are all upgrading), Xcel may require a transformer upgrade. The cost of that can land on the homeowner.

We handle all Xcel coordination. You don't call Xcel. You don't fill out their forms. You don't schedule crews. That's part of the job.

What Xcel requires on every service change

• HDLB (Heavy-Duty Lever Bypass) meter socket. Specific models only.
• Minimum 3-foot clearance between the electric meter and any gas meter or relief valve
• Slip sleeves or expansion joints on underground PVC conduit entering the meter socket (Colorado's freeze/thaw cycles shift the soil and can rip the meter off the wall without these)
• Proper overhead clearances: 12 feet over driveways, 10 feet over walkways

200 Amps vs. 400 Amps: Honest Guidance

There's a pitch going around that every home needs 400 amps now. Two EVs, a heat pump, an induction range, a hot tub. The future is electric. Better go big.

Here's the math.

Whether 200 amps is enough for your home depends on what you have now and what you're planning to add. That's what the load calculation answers. We run one on every job, and it tells you exactly what capacity your home needs based on your actual electrical load, not rules of thumb or guesswork.

Smart EV chargers with load management can also help by throttling charging speed when other appliances are running. That's worth discussing during the estimate, because it can affect whether an upgrade is needed at all.

When 400 amps actually makes sense

• Estate homes over 5,000 square feet with multiple HVAC zones
• Two high-amperage (80A) EV chargers running simultaneously without load management
• Commercial-grade workshop equipment
• Homes with extensive legacy resistive heating (baseboard heaters in every room)

When 400 amps doesn't make sense but someone's pushing it

• A single EV charger and a heat pump. 200A handles this easily.
• "Future-proofing." Most future loads will be managed by smart devices, not brute-force amperage.
• Your contractor's commission structure incentivizes bigger jobs.

The cost difference is significant. A 400A service costs substantially more than 200A. The equipment is larger, the conductors are heavier, and if Xcel determines the neighborhood transformer needs upgrading to support your 400A service, that cost falls on you. That transformer upgrade alone can run into five figures.

We do a load calculation on every job. NEC Article 220. It tells you exactly what your home needs based on what's actually drawing power. If 200 amps covers it, we'll tell you, even though a 400-amp job pays more. If you genuinely need 400, we'll explain why and quote it accordingly.

When Your Service Needs to Move (Relocation)

Most contractors don't even mention this work. Relocations are complicated, and most shops would rather not deal with the Xcel paperwork. But sometimes the panel has to move.

Common situations

Home addition that blocks the panel. You're adding a room or extending the house, and the new construction puts a wall where the meter used to be. NEC requires 36 inches of clear working space in front of the panel, 30 inches wide. Build over that, and the panel has to go somewhere else.

Garage conversion. Converting a garage to living space can force the panel out. A panel that was fine in a utility space may violate code in a habitable room, depending on local amendments.

Panel in a bathroom or above stairs. Older homes sometimes have panels in locations that current code prohibits (NEC 240.24). Bathrooms have moisture. Stairwells are a physical hazard for anyone servicing the panel. These get flagged during inspections and insurance reviews.

Roofline changes. Adding a second story or changing the roof pitch can drop the service mast below Xcel's required overhead clearances. The service has to move to a higher point on the building.

What relocation involves beyond a standard service change

Every circuit in the old panel has to reach the new location. That means either extending every wire (the old panel becomes a massive junction box) or a partial rewire. Outside, new conduit gets routed, new wall penetrations bored, and the old holes patched. Xcel treats relocations as new service installations, which means an engineering review, site plans, and a longer approval timeline (4-6 weeks before work starts).

Relocations cost more than a standard service change. The premium covers the circuit extensions, the additional Xcel coordination, and the wall repair work. We'll quote exact pricing after seeing the setup.

Overhead to Underground Conversion

Some homeowners want to get rid of the overhead lines entirely. Move the service entrance underground. Cleaner look, no mast on the roof, no worry about ice or fallen branches taking out the drop.

It's doable, but it's a bigger project than most people expect.

Xcel has to trench a new underground lateral from the transformer to your meter location. That means excavating your yard, possibly cutting through a driveway or sidewalk. The conduit, routing, and transformer connection all go through Xcel's engineering review. If mature landscaping or hardscape is in the path, the homeowner is responsible for clearing it before Xcel will schedule crews.

This is a legitimate upgrade for homes in areas prone to storm damage (Evergreen, Genesee, Morrison). Whether it makes sense for your home depends on your location, exposure, and service history. We'll tell you honestly whether it's worth the investment.

Equipment: What Goes Into Your New Panel

We install Square D panels. Every job. Here's why.

Proven reliability. Square D has been manufacturing residential panels for decades. The breaker mechanisms are solid, the fit and finish is consistent, and the parts availability is excellent. When a homeowner needs a breaker replaced ten years from now, their electrician can find it on the shelf.

Full code compliance. Every panel we install comes with AFCI breakers where NEC 210.12 requires them, GFCI protection in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, and outdoors, and a whole-home surge protector (NEC 230.67). These aren't add-ons. They're standard on every job.

One brand, every job. We chose a lane. When someone asks what we install, the answer is always the same. No substitutions based on what's cheapest at the supply house that week.

Code-required components in every new panel

• AFCI breakers in bedrooms, living rooms, and most other living spaces (NEC 210.12). These cost significantly more than standard breakers. A typical panel needs 8-12 of them, and that adds up.
• GFCI protection in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, laundry, and outdoors (NEC 210.8)
• Whole-home surge protection (NEC 230.67). Protects every appliance and electronic from voltage spikes.
• Exterior emergency disconnect (NEC 230.85). Lets firefighters cut power from outside.
• Dual-function breakers (combined AFCI/GFCI) where both protections are required. These cost even more.

A fully built-out modern panel costs significantly more in materials than what went into your house in 1975. That's not markup. That's code.

What It Costs

Straight answer, then the explanation.

These are typical ranges for Jesse's work. Every home is different. Panel location, overhead vs. underground, number of circuits, condition of existing wiring, and jurisdiction all affect the final number.

Why the range is wide: A 1965 ranch in Lakewood with an overhead service and 20 circuits is a different job than a 1985 two-story in Highlands Ranch with underground service and 40 circuits. Quoting both the same number would be dishonest.

What's always included: Load calculation, permit, Xcel coordination, code-compliant breakers (AFCI/GFCI where required), surge protection, inspection, and the master electrician doing the work himself. Not a crew. Not a subcontractor. The master electrician who quoted the job is the one who does the work.

$2,000 minimum project size. We focus on panel and service work. If you need an outlet replaced or a ceiling fan hung, we'll refer you to someone who handles that.

Every home is different. Call or text for a free estimate with exact pricing for your situation.

Permits and Inspections

Every panel replacement and service change requires an electrical permit. Every one. If a contractor tells you otherwise, find a different contractor.

We pull the permit, schedules the inspection, and handles the paperwork. You don't go to the building department. You don't fill out forms. That's included.

Why this matters beyond the obvious

Most jurisdictions impose additional fees and penalties when unpermitted work is discovered. The money you thought you saved by skipping the permit can disappear fast.

Unpermitted electrical work can complicate insurance claims. If something goes wrong and the work wasn't permitted or inspected, your carrier may have grounds to question coverage.

When you sell the house, the buyer's inspector or title company may pull permit records. Unpermitted panel work shows up as a red flag that can delay or kill a closing.

Permit fees vary by jurisdiction. Lakewood charges a 3% Use Tax calculated on 50% of the contract value (on top of the permit fee). Unincorporated Jefferson County doesn't have that Use Tax, so the identical job costs less in permit fees just by being outside city limits. Littleton uses a sliding scale. Centennial adds a 65% plan review surcharge. These differences are real. We know the process in every jurisdiction we work in.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page is for informational purposes. Electrical service assessment and installation should only be performed by a licensed electrician. Jesse Dunlap is a Colorado Licensed Master Electrician, in the trade since 1998.