Short version: most 200-amp panel upgrades in Missoula land between $2,400 and $4,000. That's a wide range and the spread is real, so here's what actually moves it.
What's in the number
A panel upgrade isn't just the panel. A typical job includes the new panel and breakers, a new meter base, grounding brought up to current code, the permit, the inspection, and coordinating with the utility to cut and reconnect power. Labor is usually most of a day for two people.
What pushes it up
- Where the panel lives. An outside wall with clear access is the easy case. A panel in the back of a finished basement closet is not.
- Overhead versus underground service. If the mast needs replacing, or the service drop has to be redone, that's more.
- What we find when the cover comes off. Aluminum branch wiring, undersized neutrals, or circuits that were double-tapped by somebody years ago all have to be dealt with.
- Circuit count. Moving twenty circuits over takes longer than moving twelve.
- Repairs the inspector will require. Sometimes a grounding electrode or a bonded water line has to be added before it passes.
What keeps it down
An accessible panel, a service that doesn't need touching, and a house where the existing branch circuits are in decent shape. If you're already having drywall open for a remodel, that helps too.
Do you actually need one?
Here's the honest test. A panel upgrade is clearly worth it if:
- You have a fuse box, or a 60-amp or 100-amp service and you're adding real load like an EV charger, a heat pump or a shop
- Your panel is a Federal Pacific Stab-Lok or a Zinsco, which have a documented history of breakers that don't trip when they should
- There is physically no room left and nothing to combine
- Your insurer has flagged it, which happens more every year around here
It is probably not what you need if your only symptom is one breaker tripping when the space heater runs. That's a circuit problem. A dedicated circuit costs a fraction of a panel upgrade and fixes it completely. We'd rather sell you the small job and have you call us again in four years.
One thing worth doing while you're in there
If you're already replacing the panel, add whole-home surge protection. It's a small add-on during an upgrade and it protects the expensive boards in your furnace, range and heat pump. Doing it later as its own trip costs more.
Want a real number for your house? Call (406) 313-6180 and describe your panel. We can usually get you close over the phone.