Email: info@denverhomeevcharger.com
Call: (720) 674-8970
Electrical panel upgrades in Denver, CO, for homes that need more capacity before an EV charger can be installed.
A load calculation sometimes comes back with an answer nobody wants: the panel doesn’t have the spare capacity for a new 240V EV circuit without exceeding its rated total load. This is especially common in older Denver-metro homes still running a 100A panel — a size that was standard decades ago but leaves little room once you account for a furnace, water heater, range, and other major loads already on it. Newer construction more often has 200A service with capacity to spare.
A panel upgrade means replacing the panel (and often the main breaker and service entrance) with a higher-capacity unit — commonly 200A — which not only clears the way for an EV circuit but adds headroom for future additions.
A panel that’s already full of breakers with no open slots, a panel rated 100A or less, or a load calculation that comes back showing insufficient spare capacity are the three most common triggers. Your electrician will confirm with an actual calculation rather than guessing from the panel’s age or brand.
Confirms whether an upgrade is actually needed, and to what capacity.
New panel, breakers, and (if required) updated service entrance conductors.
Panel upgrades require permitting in every Denver-metro jurisdiction; often a utility coordination step with Xcel Energy as well.
Once the panel is upgraded, your dedicated EV circuit is installed in the same project.
A panel upgrade typically adds $1,500-$4,000 to a project: upgrading from 100A to 200A service runs $1,500-$3,500, while a full new panel installation runs $3,000-$5,000. This is in addition to the EV charger installation itself. See our full cost breakdown for how this fits into a complete project.
Panel upgrades are more involved than a standard charger install — permitting, utility coordination, and sometimes a temporary power shutoff. Our network electricians handle this routinely, not as an occasional add-on to charger work.
Request a free quote and we’ll match you with a licensed local electrician.
Request a free quote and mention your panel’s age or amperage if you know it.
We match you with a licensed local electrician.
A load calculation confirms whether an upgrade is needed and to what size.
The panel is upgraded, permitted, and inspected.
Your EV circuit is installed as part of the same project.
Your electrician can confirm during the load calculation — it’s often marked on the main breaker, but confirming capacity requires more than reading a label.
Typically a full day, sometimes requiring a brief power shutoff coordinated with Xcel Energy, plus a separate inspection visit depending on your city’s process.
Not necessarily — many homes have enough spare capacity already. A load calculation is the only reliable way to know before committing to an upgrade.