Does a panel upgrade need a PE stamp?

Some cities accept a load calculation from the contractor. Others require a licensed electrical engineer on service equipment, especially above a certain amperage or on commercial work. Send the city and the new service size and we will match the requirement.

Can you include a car charger or solar in the same calculation?

Yes. Those loads belong in the service calculation. If they are separate permits, they can still be quoted together so the panel is not sized twice.

Will this get the utility to set a new meter?

The sealed drawings are what the building department and, often, the utility reviewer want to see. The utility still has its own application. We note that at intake so it is not confused with the stamp.

How much does a service upgrade stamp cost?

Most house upgrades are a few sheets at $100 per sheet. The live quote uses your page count. Commercial meter stacks cost more because they have more sheets.

Project types / Electrical service upgrade

Service and panel upgrades with a load calculation the utility and the city can use

A heavier panel, a new meter, or a service that has to carry solar, a charger, or a second unit starts with a load calculation. AllPEStamp reviews that package and seals it with an electrical engineer licensed in the project state when the permit requires a PE.

Service and panel upgrades
NEC load calculations that match the one-line
Grounding and meter-main changes
Electrical engineer licensed in the project state

Get a PE stamp quote

What the upgrade package includes

The usual set is a load calculation under the adopted NEC, a one-line from the utility service to the panel, a panel schedule, and the grounding and bonding notes the city asks for. Adding an ADU, a shop, a tankless water heater, or a charger is what pushes a 100-amp service over. The calculation shows that, instead of guessing a 200-amp panel.

The utility’s meter or transformer requirements are their process. We seal the permit drawings. We do not file the utility application unless that coordination is written into the scope.

Houses and small commercial services

A house upgrade is a short set. A commercial service, a multifamily meter stack, or a panel that also backfeeds solar has more sheets and is quoted that way. The solar interconnection and the service upgrade can be one quote when they are the same permit.

Upload the existing panel photo, the utility bill or the current service size if you know it, and a list of the new loads. A single-line someone already drafted is reviewed. It is not sealed unchanged if the calculation does not match it.

Seal and price

The electrical engineer seals the calculation and the sheets that match it. Structural work for a new mast or a wall repair is a different discipline and is only added when the permit includes it.

Pricing runs from $100 per sheet down to $25 per sheet. A residential service change is typically a few sheets and can be done in about one business day. Final pricing is confirmed after plan review.

Disciplines on this project

These are the seals this kind of permit usually asks for. The quote lists only the sheets you upload.

FAQ

Does a panel upgrade need a PE stamp?: Some cities accept a load calculation from the contractor. Others require a licensed electrical engineer on service equipment, especially above a certain amperage or on commercial work. Send the city and the new service size and we will match the requirement.
Can you include a car charger or solar in the same calculation?: Yes. Those loads belong in the service calculation. If they are separate permits, they can still be quoted together so the panel is not sized twice.
Will this get the utility to set a new meter?: The sealed drawings are what the building department and, often, the utility reviewer want to see. The utility still has its own application. We note that at intake so it is not confused with the stamp.
How much does a service upgrade stamp cost?: Most house upgrades are a few sheets at $100 per sheet. The live quote uses your page count. Commercial meter stacks cost more because they have more sheets.