Rodhotz
Well-known member
On a main panel, from a 125 amp to a 225 amp with permits and stucco repair. Thinking about going to solar and got quoted 2100 from them, fair or not?
SoCal Sparkeys going price....
- Thread starter Rodhotz
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wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
Its hard to estimate a price site unseen. And why r u upgrading your main service panel?
Speedy Petey
Well-known member
An upgrade to 200A in SoCal from what I have seen on many message boards is quite often in the $3000-$3500 range. It's the whole crazy outdoor panel embedded in stucco thing, besides SoCal being off the charts expensive for any kind of work.
A) Your quote might not be a complete service upgrade.
B) If so then I don't know how they would get away with just replacing a 100A panel with 200A.
A) Your quote might not be a complete service upgrade.
B) If so then I don't know how they would get away with just replacing a 100A panel with 200A.
ddawg16
Well-known member
It's not crazy expensive out here to get things done....
Any anything, it's as cheap if not cheaper....lots of competition for what little work there is.
Not sure what is so crazy about having your panel in the wall with stucco around it....I like stucco....easy to do...easy to fix....
For the OP....when you look at the cost of the raw parts....
Panel $125
Wire $300+
Weather Head and related stuff $150
I did my own....but your price sounds very fair....especially if it includes the stucco work
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
Since the feed from the PoCo is underground, have u checked with the PoCo to make sure the conductors are rated for 200a service?
Zeke
Well-known member
Prices out of L.A. should be a bit softer. It gets cheaper the closer you get to NV. But here in Long Beach I'd expect to pay about 1800 for an upgrade, no stucco. 10 years ago it could be done for 900 around here and was. That's not to say there weren't guys charging 2wice that and still charging 2x what a very competitive bid will be.
Speedy Petey
Well-known member
Compared to a panel surface mounted on a nice plywood back board in an unfinished 8' ceiling basement with all the room in the world and no obstacles and easy access any time in the future (like many of ours are), yes, it IS crazy!
ddawg16
Well-known member
Compared to a panel surface mounted on a nice plywood back board in an unfinished 8' ceiling basement with all the room in the world and no obstacles and easy access any time in the future (like many of ours are), yes, it IS crazy!
Basement? That is the difference....not too many basements here in California.
When I started initially doing my garage...and then the 2-story addition, one of the issues I ran into regarding information was that a lot of it depended on where you lived.
Basements....you just don't get that many here...one of the reasons...it's just as easy to build up vs down....and the 'up' has a lot more windows. You do basements out your way because of the cold weather....you have to get down below the frost line...so hell, might as well go a few feet more and make a basement.
Here? Frost line? Only in the mountains...there you will find basements.
Out here stucco is a great material for walls. Cheap...strong...easy to repair...and it does pretty good in earthquakes.
Out your way? Unless done right, the freezing weather would tear it apart.
At the end of the day....I would love to have a basement...but...no basement....but I do have a second story with a view.
Speedy Petey
Well-known member
Oh, I'm not knocking stucco at all. It's a great material. It's outdoor panels flush mounted I am knocking.
Even flush mounted in a garage is light years better than outdoors and flush. Snaking into one later must be 2 man work every time, huh?
ddawg16
Well-known member
Oh yea....easier to knock out the drywall inside the house.
Which is why I ran a 2" conduit from my load center to the crawl space under the addition. Now it's a one man job.
MrMark
Well-known member
Doesn't matter one bit to the power company. Assuming this is not part of some new neighborhood project, they are not going to upgrade your wires unless you pay for it or your bill shows that you need it based on consumption. I've been through this a couple of times.
So, you can put the biggest service you want in and it is still going to be fed by whatever is existing unless you are willing to pay or are a big consumer of power.
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
Flush mounted panels in stucco are a royal pain in the ****!
MrMark
Well-known member
For sure, but flush panels in lap siding are maybe even harder, especially when you flash them like a window which is the correct way. Flashing stucco retrofits is pretty much impossible to do correctly if the paper crumbles, which it usually does. I've had to bust all the way up and all the way down to get correct flashing. I suppose overall a siding house if you use a fein multimaster is the easier project.
I personally love a use of the flush panel; it is a very clean look. I think the best way to do it though is not to use the huge combi panels but a small flushed in meter base on the outside and come immediately inside to a huge loadcenter. The huge combi panels used in CA do not even have enough spaces to do a modern house with the arc faults reqs so you are going to end up with a garage subpanel anyway.
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ddawg16
Well-known member
Mark....you have been to my house so you know the issues I faced....
As you noted....those combi panels dont' like too many AFCI breakers. In my case, all of them are on one side which has more room....I would be hurting if I had to put them on the right.
I had actually considered doing just as Mark mentioned above....but....I really don't have the wall space available where I could put the panel.
In my case....because of where I had to put my load center....I had to go surface mounted...the wall was a 2C shear wall...so no holes over 4". To 'hide' the panel, I built a soffit around the load center and riser. It actually looks pretty decent. I have a door to cover the box....so, if I ever have to replace it, I really don't have much work to do.
BTW Mark....how are you guys making out on the other place?
As you noted....those combi panels dont' like too many AFCI breakers. In my case, all of them are on one side which has more room....I would be hurting if I had to put them on the right.
I had actually considered doing just as Mark mentioned above....but....I really don't have the wall space available where I could put the panel.
In my case....because of where I had to put my load center....I had to go surface mounted...the wall was a 2C shear wall...so no holes over 4". To 'hide' the panel, I built a soffit around the load center and riser. It actually looks pretty decent. I have a door to cover the box....so, if I ever have to replace it, I really don't have much work to do.
BTW Mark....how are you guys making out on the other place?
MrMark
Well-known member
John, looks good. You put a bunch of nails in that window. It isn't coming out. What is that black stuff over the sill and jamb flashing on that window? I'll PM you on other place.