Portland Metro Electric
Electrical Service Upgrades in Portland, OR
More power to your home: 200 amp and larger service upgrades, utility coordination and permits handled, price quoted before work starts.
Oregon
Licensed
Washington
Licensed
CCB#
249412
Customer Testimonials
When the Whole House Needs More Power, Not Just a New Panel
Your electrical service is the supply line itself: the wires coming from the utility, the meter that measures your usage, and the mast and weatherhead (the pipe and fitting where those wires attach to your house). A service upgrade replaces that supply chain with a larger one, so your home can safely draw more power. It’s different from a panel upgrade, which replaces the breaker box the service feeds; the two are often done together, and we’ll tell you plainly which one your home actually needs.
You’re adding a heat pump, an EV charger, or a hot tub, and the load calculation says your home’s supply can’t carry it. Your lights dim when the dryer starts. Your house still runs on the 60 or 100 amp service it was built with in the 1950s. Or you’re planning a remodel or an ADU, and the first bid came back with a line item you didn’t expect: the service feeding the house has to be upgraded before any of the new work can be powered.
What a Service Upgrade Costs in Portland
Most residential service upgrades run [$1,000-$2,500+]. Every estimate is written, itemized, and free estimates. Most projects get a min-max range on the first call; on-site inspection for complex ones; financing available.
Factors Affecting Electrical Service Upgrades
-
Target amperage:
100 to 200 amps is the most common upgrade; 400 amp services cost more in conductor, meter equipment, and labor. -
Overhead vs. underground:
Homes fed by overhead lines need mast and weatherhead work; underground services can involve trenching and conduit. -
Whether the panel comes with it:
If the breaker box is also outdated, replacing it during the same visit is cheaper than doing it later. -
Utility coordination:
Disconnect and reconnect are scheduled with your utility, and we handle that scheduling and the permit as part of the job.
A Recent Upgrade: One Property, Two Homes, Two Meters
A recent client was adding an ADU (an accessory dwelling unit, a self-contained second home on the same property) and ran into the problem every ADU project eventually hits: the existing electrical service. The property had a 200 amp single-meter service, which meant two dwellings would be sharing one supply and, just as important, one electric bill.
We upgraded them to a 400 amp dual-meter service. That's a rebuilt service entrance with double the capacity and two utility meters instead of one, so the main house and the ADU are metered separately. The capacity side means both homes can run heat, cooking, and laundry at once without competing. The dual-meter side is what makes the ADU work as a rental: the tenant opens their own utility account and pays their own bill, there's no splitting costs or estimating usage, and at resale the property shows two properly served, independently metered dwellings. We handled the utility coordination and permitting that a meter change requires, and both homes came online on their own accounts.
If you're planning an ADU, this is the conversation to have before the architect finishes drawings, because the service design shapes where everything else goes.
"He was careful to disturb as little of the original house as possible, and the finished work is excellent. I'd trust him with any rewiring this house needs next."
Service Levels, Explained in Plain Terms
Amperage is the total capacity of your home’s supply, like the width of the pipe feeding every faucet in the house. Here’s what each level means and who it fits:
Sub-100 Amp Service
Many older Portland homes still run 60 amp service, installed when a house powered lights, a fridge, and little else. It's usually the first thing a modern load calculation flags, and often the first thing insurers and buyers ask about. Upgrading from here is less an improvement than a requirement for modern living.
100 Amp Service
The minimum recommended level for a modern home. It handles everyday appliances, but it fills up fast: add electric heat, an EV, or a large kitchen and you're at the ceiling. If you're at 100 amps and planning any of those, we run the numbers before you buy the equipment.
200 Amp Service
The modern standard and the most common upgrade we perform. 200 amps comfortably carries a household plus the big loads: a Level 2 EV charger, a heat pump, a hot tub, or a serious shop, running at the same time without brownouts or nuisance trips.
300 & 400 Amp Service
For large homes with multiple HVAC systems, accessory dwelling units, extensive shops, or small commercial settings. At this level we design the service around your specific loads rather than a standard package.
Licensed, bonded & insured in Oregon CCB# 249412
What the Upgrade Itself Involves
We replace the service entrance conductors (the heavy wires from the utility connection to your panel), upgrade the meter base (the enclosure your utility's meter sits in), rebuild the mast and weatherhead on overhead services or the conduit run on underground ones, and verify grounding meets current code. Power is disconnected by the utility during the changeover and reconnected the same day in most cases. The work is permitted and inspected, and you finish with a labeled system rated for the capacity you're actually going to use. If we find a complication (a full panel, deteriorated conductors, an obstructed route), you hear about it with a price before it changes anything.
What You Actually Get Out of It
A service upgrade removes the ceiling on your home. Concretely: the EV charger, heat pump, or addition you were told you couldn’t have becomes possible; breakers stop tripping when large loads overlap; the fire risk of chronically overloaded equipment goes away; and your home appraises and sells as one that’s ready for modern loads instead of one carrying a known deferred cost
How a Service Upgrade Works, Start to Finish
An electrician asks what you're adding and what you're starting from, and gives a min-max price for most projects on that call.
Written within 24 hours for straightforward upgrades; in-person inspection for complex services.
We pull the permit, schedule the utility disconnect and reconnect, and order materials. Everything is itemized in the estimate.
Courtesy call before arrival, power off during the changeover (usually one day), inspection under permit, and a walkthrough of the finished system before we leave.
Electrical Service Upgrade FAQs
Replacing your home’s supply chain from the utility (service conductors, meter base, mast or underground feed) with a higher-capacity version, so the home can safely draw more power. It’s often paired with, but distinct from, replacing the breaker panel.
Frequent breaker trips across many circuits, dimming when large appliances start, a 60 or 100 amp service in a home adding electric heat or an EV, or a load calculation that comes up short. We can run that calculation for you and show the math.
Capacity. 100 amps handles standard appliances; 200 amps is the modern standard that carries big loads like EV chargers, heat pumps, and hot tubs simultaneously; 400 amps serves very large homes and light commercial buildings.
Most upgrades are completed in one day, with power off during the changeover. Utility scheduling and permitting happen beforehand and we handle both.
If your plans require it, it’s not optional, and doing it once, correctly, is cheaper than working around an undersized service for years. It also removes a known red flag at resale.
Clear access to your panel and meter, and plan for the scheduled power interruption. We handle everything else, including permits and utility coordination.
For any other questions or to schedule an upgrade consultation, contact Portland Metro Electric. We’re here to ensure your electrical system is safe, efficient, and tailored to your needs.
Find Out What Your Home Can Handle, Free
Call or send the form. An electrician will ask what you’re planning, tell you whether it points to a service upgrade, a panel upgrade, or neither, and give you a price range for most projects on the spot. Written remote estimates within 24 hours. Free, no obligation, financing available.
Monday – Friday: 8:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday – Sunday By appointment only
24/7 Emergency Services avalible
Portland-metro SERVICE AREA
Serving Portland, Happy Valley, Milwaukie, Clackamas, Gladstone, West Linn, Oregon City, Lake Oswego, Wilsonville, Tigard, Tualatin, Gresham, Damascus, Sandy, and surrounding areas, plus Vancouver, WA and Southwest Washington.
OFFICE
Head Office
Portland Metro Electric
8415 SE Hinkley Ave, Happy Valley, OR 97086
Ready to Restore Power or Upgrade Your Electrical?
Call us now, or fill out our contact form and one of our electrical experts will get in tough with you shorty. We will listen to your project needs or concerns and help guide you in the right direction. If the project is can be remotely estimated we can send you a personalized estimate within the next 24 hours.