Choosing your panel electrician, questions worth asking.
Panel upgrades are higher-stakes than most residential electrical work — they touch the service entrance, require PG&E coordination, and need careful permit handling. Here's how to evaluate contractors before you sign.
By Steven Lockhart · Reviewed by Alex Towery, C-10 #989290
Updated 2026-06-16
Panel upgrades require verifiable C-10 license, recent PG&E coordination experience, and proper permit handling — three things that separate qualified contractors from generalists. Beyond those minimums, the questions to ask focus on scheduling discipline, change-order policy, post-install documentation, and how the contractor handles AHJ inspection. Towery Electric is C-10 #989290 and does this work every week across Marin.
01The minimum qualifications.
Three baseline qualifications separate contractors who can do this work from those who shouldn't be doing it.
C-10 California electrical contractor license
Required for any service-side electrical work in California. Verify at cslb.ca.gov by entering the license number — confirms active status, bond, insurance, and any disciplinary history. Towery Electric: C-10 #989290.
Active workers' compensation and general liability insurance
Verify by asking for current certificates. General liability typically $1M-$2M for residential work, workers' comp covers crew injuries on your property. Without these, an injury on your property becomes your problem.
Recent PG&E coordination experience
PG&E's coordination process has specific handoffs and forms. Contractors who don't do this work regularly hit timeline issues — service ticket rejections, transformer sizing questions, scheduling conflicts. Ask: 'How many service-side panel upgrades have you done in Marin in the past year?'
02Questions worth asking before signing.
Beyond minimum qualifications, these questions surface the operational quality differences between contractors.
What's the realistic timeline from quote to closed permit?
Good answer: 2-5 weeks for typical Marin residential 200A scope, with specific dependencies named (PG&E coordination 1-3 weeks, inspection scheduling 1-2 weeks). Vague answer: 'a few weeks.' Specifics show the contractor actually understands the process.
How are change orders handled?
Good answer: written change order required for any scope change, with itemized cost before work proceeds. Vague answer: 'we'll work it out.' Verbal change orders are how budgets get blown.
Who handles permit pulling and inspection scheduling?
Good answer: contractor handles both, you sign permit application but don't otherwise interact with the AHJ. If the contractor wants you to pull the permit yourself, that's a flag — usually means they don't want their license attached or aren't familiar with the local AHJ.
What documentation do I get at the end?
Good answer: closed permit notice, itemized invoice with license number, panel labeled and schedule provided, any product warranties on equipment. If documentation seems like an afterthought, future you will regret it during a resale or insurance event.
What happens if the existing service-side equipment turns out to need replacement?
Good answer: described in the quote as a contingency, with named cost range. Vague answer: 'we'll deal with it.' Service-side surprises are common on older homes; the contractor should have a plan.
03How to read a panel upgrade quote.
A quality panel upgrade quote has line items — not just a single 'panel upgrade' number. Look for: new panel and model, breaker count and type (AFCI/GFCI/dual-function), service entrance work (if any), meter base condition assessment, PG&E coordination fee, permit fee, inspection coordination, and labor. The total may be flat-rate (most common) but the underlying scope should be visible.
Red flags: 'Panel upgrade — $5,500' with no detail. Quotes that don't mention permit. Quotes that don't include PG&E coordination time. Quotes that exclude common contingencies (service mast work, meter base replacement, panel labeling) which then surface as change orders mid-project. Cheap quotes with hidden exclusions are how project costs balloon — careful itemization protects you.
04Why Towery does this work week-in, week-out.
Panel upgrades are roughly 25-30% of our weekly residential work mix across Marin and southern Sonoma. C-10 #989290 (active, verifiable at cslb.ca.gov), current PG&E coordination portal access, and an established relationship with the AHJ inspectors across Marin's nine cities and unincorporated areas. We handle the permit, the PG&E coordination, the install, and the final documentation as a single workflow.
What this means for you as a customer: 2-5 week timeline is realistic; we share it in writing at quote signing and update at each milestone. Quotes are itemized with named contingencies for common surprises. Change orders are written and pre-approved. Documentation at closeout includes closed permit, invoice with license number, panel labeled, and any product warranties. Compare other quotes against the same baseline and judge accordingly.
Common questions.
How do I verify a contractor's C-10 license?
Go to cslb.ca.gov, click 'Check a License,' enter the license number. The result shows active/inactive status, bond status, workers' comp status, classification (C-10 for electrical), and any disciplinary history. A contractor who can't or won't give you their license number is not a contractor you should hire for service-side electrical work. Towery Electric: C-10 #989290.
What questions should I ask when comparing panel upgrade quotes?
Five high-value questions: (1) What's the realistic timeline from quote to closed permit, with specific milestones? (2) How are change orders handled — written or verbal? (3) Who handles permit pulling and PG&E coordination? (4) What documentation do I get at project close? (5) What happens if service-side equipment needs replacement during the work? Vague answers on any of these surface contractors who haven't done this work often enough.
Should I get multiple quotes for a panel upgrade?
Yes — 2-3 quotes is typical for residential panel work. The goal isn't necessarily the lowest price; it's understanding the range of approaches and identifying contractors who quote carefully vs. those who quote loosely. The lowest quote is sometimes the right answer; sometimes it's the contractor who's missing scope that will become change orders.
Is it cheaper to use a generalist electrician instead of a panel specialist?
Usually not, after accounting for risk. Generalist contractors often quote lower because they're not familiar with the full PG&E coordination process and the AHJ permit requirements. The savings get eaten by timeline delays, change orders for issues they didn't anticipate, or post-install problems that show up during resale or insurance review.
What's a fair price for a 200A panel upgrade in Marin?
For typical Marin residential 200A panel upgrades in 2026: $4,800-$8,500 all-in including permit, PG&E coordination, install, and inspection. Lower-end pricing usually correlates with simpler scope (clean existing service entrance, accessible panel location). Higher-end pricing correlates with service-side complications. Quotes meaningfully below $4,800 deserve careful scope review — something is usually missing or wrong.
Can I get references from past panel upgrade clients?
Yes — any reputable contractor will provide 3-5 references on similar scope. For panel work, ask references specifically about: timeline adherence, change order handling, post-install documentation completeness, and any issues that came up during AHJ inspection. References who skip the specifics or only give general positive feedback are less useful than ones who can speak to specific project challenges and how the contractor handled them.
How do you handle pricing — flat fee or hourly?
Both, depending on scope. Routine service calls and predictable scope (panel replacement, EV charger install, transfer switch install, fixture replacement) are flat-fee quoted up front. Diagnostic visits and emergency scope are hourly because we don't know what we'll find. Either way, you get a written quote before work starts on anything significant, and we don't proceed beyond the quote without your sign-off.
How quickly can you schedule?
Depends on scope and season. Emergency dispatch: same-day across Marin County (1-3 hours business hours, 1-4 hours after-hours). Same-day standard service: 3-6 hours from call when capacity allows; otherwise next business day. Scheduled service work: 1-3 weeks typical. Larger projects requiring permits and PG&E coordination: 4-12 weeks depending on scope. We're upfront about timeline at the quote stage.
What warranty do you offer on work?
Our standard residential warranty: 2 years on labor, manufacturer warranty on parts (varies by product — typically 1-10 years). Major installs (panels, generators, EV chargers) often have longer manufacturer warranties (5-10 years). If there's an issue with our work in the warranty period, we come back and fix it at no cost. We also stand behind work past warranty — repeat customers and referrals matter more than a transactional fix.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. California State License Board C-10 Electrical Contractor #989290, in good standing. Carry general liability insurance and workers' compensation insurance as required by California law. Bondable on projects requiring it. Happy to provide proof of insurance to clients or property managers on request. License lookup: cslb.ca.gov.
Talk to a licensed electrician in Marin.
Family-run, C-10 #989290, 20+ years in the trade. Honest scoping, fair pricing, work that lasts.