
Complete Guide to Electrical Panel Upgrades in Northern Virginia
Everything Northern Virginia homeowners need to know about electrical panel upgrades, including signs you need one,...

Property-specific electrical panel replacement and service-capacity planning, with load calculations, utility coordination, labeling, and permit-path confirmation. Trusted by homeowners throughout Montgomery County since 1996.
An electrical panel project should start with the condition of the existing equipment and the loads the home needs to support. AJ Long Electric documents the panel, service conductors, grounding and bonding, breaker configuration, available space, and visible signs of heat or damage. A load calculation helps determine whether the project calls for a like-for-like replacement, additional distribution capacity, or a service upgrade. When the scope affects utility-owned equipment, the meter, or service conductors, that coordination is identified before scheduling. The written proposal separates panel work from optional surge protection, branch-circuit corrections, finish work, and other conditions that cannot be confirmed until the system is evaluated. For a Gaithersburg property, the recommendation follows the actual equipment, access, electrical capacity, and project goals documented during the assessment.
Gaithersburg splits its panel work down the middle of a city line. Inside the incorporated city, the City of Gaithersburg runs its own permitting and inspections — electricians even carry a city license. But some of the area's biggest panel-upgrade demand sits just outside the limits, in Montgomery Village, where the permit goes through Montgomery County DPS instead. Knowing which side of that line your address falls on is the first step of every Gaithersburg upgrade.
AJ Long Electric defines the panel replacements & upgrades scope for the individual Gaithersburg address. The written proposal identifies known conditions, access assumptions, included electrical work, exclusions, and any coordination that must be confirmed before scheduling. Before work begins, we confirm whether the defined scope requires coordination with the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services; permit, inspection, and utility responsibilities are stated in the proposal for the address.
Gaithersburg's housing spans more eras than most of the county: 19th-century homes in Olde Towne that still surface fuse panels and ungrounded circuits, the 1960s-80s planned community of Montgomery Village, 1970s-80s subdivisions like Quince Orchard and Shady Grove running original 100-150-amp services, and the 1990s New Urbanist Kentlands and Lakelands, where builder-grade 150-200-amp services are now squeezed by EV chargers and heat-pump conversions. In Montgomery Village's late-1960s-to-early-1970s sections we also stay alert for aluminum branch wiring from that era — where it turns up, we apply CO/ALR-rated terminations rather than re-landing it on the new bus as-is. The 200-amp upgrade runs $3,500-$7,500 across all of it. Permitting follows the address: inside the city limits, permits go through the City of Gaithersburg's own licensing and permitting process, which we navigate as part of the job; Montgomery County DPS handles Montgomery Village and other Gaithersburg-address communities outside the line. The whole area is on the Pepco grid, and we coordinate the meter pull.

Our licensed electricians serving Montgomery County
AJ Long Electric documents the existing system before recommending panel capacity or equipment. The written scope distinguishes confirmed work from conditions that require access, utility input, or authority review, giving the homeowner a clearer basis for the decision.
Licensed & Insured
Since 1996
5-Star Rated
The proposed panel and service size follow a load calculation and the home's planned electrical use.
Circuit organization and labeling make the system easier to operate and maintain.
Visible damage, incompatible components, crowded wiring, grounding, and service-equipment conditions are addressed in the proposal.
Utility, permit, inspection, and outage requirements are confirmed for the address and defined work.
Future EV charging, HVAC, kitchen, or addition loads can be considered during design.
For panel replacements & upgrades at this Gaithersburg property, AJ Long Electric begins by reviewing the requested outcome, relevant equipment, safe access, and observed electrical conditions. The written proposal identifies the defined work, sequencing, coordination responsibilities, and exclusions. Authorized work is tested and documented to the completed scope; newly exposed conditions are discussed before the scope changes.
| Typical cost in Gaithersburg | $3,500-$7,500 (200A); 400A quoted per projectThe written estimate follows the defined equipment, access, routing, and coordination scope. |
|---|---|
| Typical timeline | 1 day on site |
| Permit authority | Montgomery County Department of Permitting ServicesAJ Long Electric confirms the permit and inspection path for the address and states the included coordination in the written proposal. |
| Applicable code standard | NEC Article 408 & 250service equipment, panelboards, grounding & bonding (National Electrical Code, NFPA 70). |
| Most common local condition | Property-specific equipment, access, and electrical conditions are confirmed during the assessment. |
Permit fees, scope, and existing-condition surprises affect final pricing. Verify current requirements with the Montgomery County Department of Permitting Services and review the NFPA 70 (National Electrical Code).
We document the panel, service equipment, loads, grounding, breaker configuration, and visible conditions.
The recommended capacity and equipment follow the existing and planned electrical demand.
The estimate identifies included equipment, corrections, coordination, access, and exclusions.
Permit, inspection, outage, and utility requirements are confirmed for the address.
The approved equipment is installed, terminated, grounded, bonded, and labeled to the defined scope.
Connections and operation are checked, the directory is reviewed, and applicable closeout steps are completed.
The exact scope depends on the existing service and the load calculation. It may include the panel enclosure, breakers, grounding and bonding corrections, service conductors or meter equipment, labeling, utility coordination, and required inspection work.
We use the home's existing and planned loads, equipment ratings, service configuration, and the applicable calculation method. A larger rating is not automatically the correct answer for every property.
Brand and age alone do not describe the complete condition. A licensed electrician should identify the exact equipment and evaluate damage, breaker compatibility, service capacity, grounding, and the homeowner's planned loads before recommending a scope.
That depends on the service configuration and work boundary. When utility disconnect, meter, or service-entrance coordination is needed, it is identified and scheduled as part of the project plan.
Permit and inspection requirements depend on the address and defined scope. AJ Long Electric confirms the authority and coordination path before work begins.
The equipment, electrical capacity, access, property layout, and local authority can change the scope from one Gaithersburg address to another. AJ Long Electric confirms those conditions and the applicable coordination path before finalizing the proposal.
Cost depends on the equipment, electrical capacity, access, route, corrective work, and local coordination required at the property. AJ Long Electric provides a written estimate after the relevant conditions and project boundary are assessed.
Permit and inspection requirements depend on the address and the defined electrical scope. AJ Long Electric confirms the applicable path with the authority serving the property and states the included coordination in the written proposal.
Timing depends on the defined scope, safe access, equipment and material availability, property conditions, and any permit, inspection, utility, or other-trade coordination. AJ Long Electric confirms the anticipated sequence after the assessment.
AJ Long Electric has served the region since 1996. We are a licensed, insured electrical contractor led by a master electrician, and we define the scope, access assumptions, exclusions, and project-specific coordination before authorized work begins.
Scheduling depends on the current workload and the project scope. Call (571) 444-6886 or request an appointment online and we will confirm the earliest available time for your Gaithersburg address.
It depends on your address. Inside the incorporated City of Gaithersburg, permits go through the city's own licensing and permitting process — a step we navigate as part of the job. Montgomery Village and several other communities with Gaithersburg mailing addresses sit outside the city limits, so their permits go through Montgomery County DPS. We confirm which applies to your address and pull the correct permit for the 200-amp upgrade ($3,500-$7,500).
Load, not age. Kentlands and Lakelands homes were built with 150-200-amp services sized for 1990s living — before a Level 2 EV charger, a heat-pump conversion, and a finished basement all competed for capacity. AJ Long Electric runs a documented load calculation to show whether a service upgrade or a properly sized sub-panel solves it, then handles the City of Gaithersburg permit and the Pepco meter pull. A full 200-amp service upgrade runs $3,500-$7,500.
Typical Price Range: $3,500-$7,500 (200A); 400A quoted per project
Contact AJ Long Electric to request a written estimate for the defined Gaithersburg scope.
We also provide professional panel replacements & upgrades services in these nearby communities.
Expert Resources
Guides our licensed electricians point panel replacements & upgrades customers to most often.

Everything Northern Virginia homeowners need to know about electrical panel upgrades, including signs you need one,...

AJ Long Electric installs solar. The array, the interconnection, and the electrical system behind it are one project —...

A solar-ready panel is an electrical condition — documented capacity and backfeed space — not a roof full of modules....

A leftover breaker slot does not mean the panel can take a solar backfeed. The 120% busbar rule is the math that...

A load-management device can keep a charger legal on a tight service. It cannot invent busbar for solar and a battery....
Guides
Expert electrical guides to help you make informed decisions.
A comprehensive guide to electrical panel upgrades covering signs you need an upgrade, the process, costs, and what to expect.
A solar-ready panel is documented busbar capacity, backfeed space, and grounding — not modules on the roof. Plan it with EV and battery loads so you do not replace the panel twice.
Essential tips for maintaining your electrical panel, including what homeowners can safely inspect and when professional service is needed.
Navigate the electrical permit process in Northern Virginia with confidence. Learn requirements for Fairfax County, Arlington, Alexandria, and surrounding areas.
Related Services
Explore our other professional electrical services.
Residential solar designed and installed with the panel, battery, and EV charging in one electrical plan.
Learn MoreProperty-specific Level 2 EV charger installation with panel-capacity review, a dedicated circuit, equipment connection, testing, and permit-path confirmation.
Learn MoreListed home battery and wall-pack installation with panel integration, transfer equipment, circuit selection, and permit-path confirmation.
Learn MoreSmart panel and smart-breaker installation for circuit-level monitoring, load management, and battery or EV coordination.
Learn More