Eigenvector wrote:
My next door neighbor had an electrician upgrade his panel to 200 A without
1) a permit, and 2) telling the power company.

I'm curious how that was accomplished, or at least I'm wondering what the
power company is going to say when the values on his meter changes
overnight, not to mention his meter won't have a seal on it either.

It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that insurance companies will
do what they can to weasel out of paying claims in the event of a fire.
For purposes of insurance, I personally would make sure that I have a
receipt for the work with a letterhead showing the company name, an
indication that they are licensed and an exact description of the work
performed. My bet is that would satisfy any insurance company
inspector. I doubt if the insurance inspector would go so far as to
look for a permit or inspection report, etc.

Another possible situation that comes to mind is if you happened to
rent the house 20 or 30 years later and had a fire and got sued by the
rentors. If you had a receipt from a licensed electrician you would
probably be OK. Otherwise, I suppose you could be in trouble.

One thing that one needs to keep in mind when doing any electrical
upgrades is that even if the work is done absolutely correctly, you are
not necessarily shielded from potential problems in the future unless
you have the proper paperwork.