wrote in message
oups.com...
Thanks Nate...that makes perfect sense. 200 amp it is. Have an
electrician coming out soon... he's a friend of a friend and is highly
recommended. I'm stopping by walmart on the way home for a fire
extinguisher, good to have around regardless of my service panel. ;-)

How can I tell if mine is a "stab-loc" type? From what I've read,
it's best to replace it no matter what kind it is, but stab-loc's are
the electrical version of napalm.

Also, has anyone had this type of work done? How much should I expect
to pay? I'd hate to pay too much just because I didn't want to wait an
extra few days for a better quote.

You will pay $800 to $1400 depending on labor costs in your neighborhood,
inspection fees, and cost of permits. The parts cost the same: ~$250 retail
for the basic "kit" (200-amp box plus an assortment of 16 or so common
breakers). You can price the "kit" at HD or Loews.

My son and I replaced a 200-amp service at my place and, a week later,
repeated the process at his home.

We were quoted $1200 (each) by a commercial electrical contractor. In our
jurisdiction (Houston) neither a permit nor inspection is required, so we
were able to save about $900 apiece by spending Saturday afternoon on the
project. [In addition to the "kit" expense, there's always something piddly
that the contractor will have on his truck: a bit of wire, a funny coupling,
an extra ground lug, something.]

It takes two people about five hours to do the job.