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A lot of the service calls we get in Fort Worth and the surrounding DFW area start with the same question: is 100-amp service still enough, or is it time to upgrade to 200 amps? The short answer is that it depends on what’s already running in your home and what you’re planning to add. Here’s how to think through it.

What 100-Amp Service Typically Supports

100-amp panels were standard in a lot of homes built through the 1970s and into the 80s, and for a house with gas heat, a gas range, and a modest number of appliances, 100 amps can still be enough. It’s not automatically a problem just because it’s the older standard. The issue shows up when a home’s electrical demand has grown past what the panel was designed for.

What Tends to Push a Home Past 100 Amps

• Central air conditioning added after the home was originally wired
• An electric range, electric water heater, or electric dryer in a home that was built around gas versions
• A home addition, finished garage, or converted space with its own circuits
• An EV charger, which by itself can draw a significant share of a 100-amp panel’s capacity
• A hot tub, pool equipment, or a workshop with power tools
• A whole-house generator transfer switch, which needs to be sized against your existing service

If two or three of these apply to your home, or you’re planning to add one soon, that’s usually the point where a licensed electrician will recommend at least evaluating a move to 200 amps.

What 200-Amp Service Typically Supports

200-amp panels are the current standard for new construction in most of Texas, and for good reason — they give you enough headroom for central AC, an electric kitchen, an EV charger, and future additions without maxing out the panel. If you’re building an addition, adding a generator, or planning for an EV in the next few years, 200 amps is usually the more future-proof choice, even if 100 amps is technically getting the job done today.

A Simple Way to Think About It

If you’re only weighing whether to upgrade, ask two questions: is your current panel already tripping breakers or running out of open slots for new circuits, and are you planning any major additions in the next few years — an EV charger, a workshop, a pool, a generator? If the answer to either is yes, 200 amps is worth pricing out now. If your home runs comfortably with room to spare and nothing major is planned, there’s less urgency, though it’s still worth having a licensed electrician confirm that with an actual look at your panel rather than guessing from the amperage alone.

Can You Mix and Match — Partial Upgrades

Some homeowners ask about a middle option: keeping 100-amp service but adding a sub-panel for a specific new circuit, like a garage workshop or an EV charger. This can work in some cases and is usually cheaper than a full service upgrade, but it only makes sense if your main panel has room and your total household load still fits comfortably within 100 amps. An electrician can tell you quickly whether that’s realistic for your home or whether you’re better off just going to 200 amps and being done with it.

Signs Your Current Panel Isn’t Keeping Up

Amperage isn’t the only issue — an older panel can also be failing on its own, separate from whether it has enough capacity. Breakers that trip often, warm panel covers, or a panel that’s simply worn out are different problems than being undersized. We cover those specific warning signs in how do I know if my electrical panel is bad.

Is Your Panel a Federal Pacific or Zinsco?

Before any amperage conversation matters, it’s worth checking the brand of your existing panel. Federal Pacific (FPE Stab-Lok) and Zinsco panels have a documented history of breakers that may fail to trip when they should, and that’s a safety issue independent of how many amps the panel is rated for. Read more in Federal Pacific and Zinsco panels: why they’re dangerous.

What a 200-Amp Upgrade Typically Costs

Cost depends on your home’s current setup, but most 100-amp to 200-amp upgrades in the Fort Worth area typically run in the $2,200 to $4,500 range, sometimes more if meter or service entrance work is involved. For a full breakdown of what drives that price, see our electrical panel upgrade cost guide, or the short version at how much does it cost to upgrade to 200-amp service.

Planning Ahead for a Generator or EV Charger

If a whole-house generator is part of your plans, your panel’s amperage affects how it gets installed and sized. It’s usually cheaper to plan for that capacity during a panel upgrade than to revisit the panel again later. See our whole-house generator cost guide for details.

How to Decide

The reliable way to answer “do I need to upgrade” is to have a licensed electrician look at your panel, your existing circuits, and what you want to add over the next several years. Neighbors Electric is licensed in Texas (TECL #41555) and handles electrical panel upgrades throughout Fort Worth and the DFW area from our base in Crowley. Call (817) 533-0943 or reach out online for an assessment of your specific panel.

Related electrical services

Need this handled? Neighbors Electric provides these services across Fort Worth and DFW:

• Electrical Panel Upgrades
• Dedicated Circuit Installation
• Whole-House Rewiring