Going all-electric: what to do first, and when the panel comes in

There is no single right order. The wrong way is to buy each appliance as it comes up and find out on the fourth one that the panel is full. The better way is to plan once, then buy slowly.

Step zero: decide where the house ends up

Write down what you expect in five to ten years. A typical list for a SoCal house:

• one or two EVs
• a heat pump for heating and cooling
• a heat pump water heater
• an induction or electric range
• an electric dryer
• maybe solar and a battery
• maybe a spa or ADU

Then have an electrician run a load calculation for the full list. That one number tells you if the current service can ever carry the plan. It is the most useful paperwork in this process, and it costs far less than a surprise.

Fix unsafe equipment first

If the panel is a Zinsco or Federal Pacific, or shows heat damage, replace it first. A new charger or heat pump on a risky panel makes the risk worse. See Zinsco and Federal Pacific panels. The same goes for aluminum wiring or knob and tube wiring that will feed a new load.

When the panel should come first

Upgrade the panel early when:

• the end-state calculation fails, and the house has 100 amps or less
• there are no free spaces and a subpanel does not fit
• you want a rebate that pays for the panel (see below)
• you plan solar and battery, which need a service that can take backfeed
• the meter or mast needs work, which can take utility time

Panel and service work can take weeks because of the utility. See panel upgrade timeline. Starting early avoids a stall later.

When it can wait

If the calculation passes for the next two or three items, hold off. A 200 amp panel with gas heat, gas range and gas water heater usually has room for an EV charger and a heat pump water heater. You can add those on the existing service and decide on the upgrade later. The EV charger and panel guide shows how to read this.

The usual order

This order follows what tends to fail or pay off first. Adjust it for your house.

1. Safety and panel condition. Replace unsafe panels. Count free spaces.
2. EV charger. The car is the load that grows fastest, and a circuit is a small job. A typical SoCal install is $1,000 to $2,000 as of October 2026 when the panel has room.
3. Heat pump water heater. Do it when the old tank fails. Needs a 240-volt, 30-amp circuit in most layouts, or a 120-volt outlet on some models.
4. Heat pump heating and cooling. Do it when the furnace or A/C fails. See heat pump electrical requirements.
5. Cooking and dryer. Induction ranges and electric dryers use 240-volt circuits, 50 amp and 30 amp in the state’s electric-ready rules for new homes.
6. Solar and battery. Often last, since they depend on the service size. See solar and battery tie-in.

Run the extra circuits, or empty conduit, while walls and slab are open. A conduit costs little. A second trip to open a wall costs more.

Where a load manager skips the upgrade

A load manager caps total use so the house stays within the service. Many chargers have one built in, and smart panels do it for the whole house. It works when:

• the biggest loads are flexible, like an EV that charges overnight
• the calculation shows the base house load is modest
• the city and the utility accept the design at inspection

It does not work well when a family regularly cooks, dries clothes, heats and charges at dinner time on a 100 amp service. In that case the cap just slows everything down. See EV charger load management and smart electrical panels.

Cost snapshot

Typical SoCal ranges as of October 2026:

Item	Range
200 amp panel upgrade	$2,500 to $4,500
400 amp service	$8,000 to $12,000
EV charger circuit, room in panel	$1,000 to $2,000
EV charger plus panel work	$3,600 to $7,500
Heat pump or 240-volt appliance circuit	$1,500 to $6,000 (desk estimate)
Home battery, electrical side	$1,500 to $4,000 (desk estimate)

Rebates can set the order

Some programs pay for the panel only when a new load comes with it. Pasadena’s electric panel rebate pays $1,000 for an upgrade to 200 amps with dedicated 240-volt, 30-amp circuits for a Level 2 charger and an electric water heater, and requires a newly installed charger or water heater. SCE’s Charge Ready Home pays up to $4,200 for a panel upgrade to 200 amps plus a 240-volt charger circuit, for eligible income-qualified households (check current tiers), and SCE takes applications while you plan, during the work or up to six months after. Starting panel work before you apply can cost you the rebate. Read the program page first, or use the city utility rebates guide.

The full planning page is the whole-home electrification hub.