Electrical Panel Upgrades: LA vs Burbank vs Glendale

Three different city-owned utilities serve the Burbank–Glendale–Los Angeles area, and they do not run panel upgrades the same way. The panel swap itself is nearly identical on any street — the paperwork, the meter appointments, and the rebates are not. Here is what changes when you cross a city line.

Why the panel is where remodels stall

The postwar housing stock across the Valley was built around 100-amp service — sometimes 60. That was plenty in 1952. It is not plenty for a remodel that adds a dual-oven induction range, central heat-pump HVAC, and a Level 2 EV charger. Kitchen remodels are the classic trigger: code requires multiple dedicated circuits that an original panel physically has no slots for. ADUs are the other one — a second dwelling on the same service almost always forces the load calculation past what 100 amps supports. (Panel capacity is one of the first things we check in a garage-to-ADU feasibility walk.)

A like-for-like 100-to-200-amp upgrade in this market typically runs $2,500–$4,000 installed — typical Los Angeles market ranges, not a quote. Older brands with known failure histories (Zinsco, Federal Pacific) are worth replacing even without a remodel; many insurers now ask about them directly.

LADWP territory (City of Los Angeles)

If the house is in the City of LA, the utility is LADWP, and the key step is the meter spot: an Electric Service Representative visits — scheduled within 3–5 working days of the request — to confirm where the new meter panel may go. Don't skip it: safety and clearance rules sometimes force the new panel to a different spot on the wall than the old one, and finding that out after the stucco is open is expensive.

If the upgrade also means a bigger service (the line from the street), LADWP has to upsize its own equipment, and that coordination typically adds 2–4 weeks to the schedule. Permits go through LADBS, and the inspection sequence has to line up with LADWP's re-energize appointment.

Burbank Water & Power

Burbank runs the most homeowner-friendly version of this process. A panel upgrade means two visits from a BWP field agent — one to unlock the meter before your electrician replaces the panel, one to re-lock it after — so those appointments bracket your electrician's work day. Standard electrification upgrades qualify for Tier 1 permits with no plan check at Burbank Building & Safety.

Burbank also pays you to do it: panel-upgrade rebates up to $1,250, and up to $1,500 in the city's designated disadvantaged-community areas. Where BWP infrastructure itself needs work, small residential aid-in-construction charges run roughly $500–$4,000 — but a standard 200-amp single-meter residential service is currently exempt from capacity charges. If a new main panel has to move due to space constraints, BWP wants a meter spot approved before the permit application.

Glendale Water & Power

Glendale sizes things differently: residential meter panels come in 125, 225, or 400-amp ratings, so the common upgrade lands at 225 rather than 200. On a standard upgrade with a meter change, GWP charges nothing for the new meter — the homeowner's cost is the electrician, the panel, and the city permit. Approval runs through both Glendale Building & Safety and a GWP construction inspector before the meter is set, which is one more sign-off to schedule than Burbank's unlock/re-lock rhythm.

The part that's the same everywhere

In all three cities the sequence is: load calculation → permit → utility meter appointment → panel swap → inspection → re-energize. The swap is a day; the calendar is the coordination. Budget 2–6 weeks end to end, longer if the utility has to touch its own line. And in all three cities, the smart move is deciding the panel question at design time, not mid-construction — it's a line item that changes the electrical plan for a kitchen remodel and can decide whether a whole-home renovation needs a temporary power plan.

If your remodel is in one of these three cities and the panel door says 100 amps — or worse, Zinsco — put the upgrade in the budget now. It is far cheaper as a planned first step than as a mid-project surprise.

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DN Builders Group Inc is a licensed, bonded general contractor based in Burbank (CA Lic. #1139710). Figures are typical 2026 Los Angeles market ranges, not a quote — utility fees and rebate amounts change; confirm current numbers with LADWP, BWP, or GWP. See also our guide to what's behind the walls of a 1950s Valley house.

Questions

Why do so many Valley homes still have 100-amp panels?

Most of the housing stock in Burbank, Glendale, and the San Fernando Valley went up in the 1940s–60s, when a 100-amp service comfortably ran a house with a gas range, gas furnace, and one window AC. Add central air, an induction range, a heat pump water heater, and an EV charger, and that same panel is out of room and out of capacity. It's the single most common hidden cost we find in postwar remodels.

Does a panel upgrade require a permit?

Yes, in all three cities — an electrical permit from LADBS, Burbank Building & Safety, or Glendale Building & Safety, plus utility coordination for the meter. In Burbank, standard electrification upgrades qualify for Tier 1 permits with no plan check, which keeps it fast and cheap. Unpermitted panel work is a classic escrow problem when the house sells.

How long does the whole process take?

The physical swap is usually one day, with power off for most of it. The calendar time is in the coordination — permit, utility meter appointment, inspection, and re-energizing. Plan on 2–6 weeks end to end, and longer in LADWP territory if the service drop or transformer also needs upsizing, which can add 2–4 weeks of utility scheduling.

Do I need 200 amps for a kitchen remodel or ADU?

Very often, yes. Modern kitchens need multiple dedicated circuits, and an ADU adds an entire dwelling's load to the service. Whether the existing panel can carry it is a load-calculation question your contractor runs early — finding out at rough-in that the panel is maxed out is a schedule-killer.