Upgrading to 200 Amps on Long Island: Permit, Inspection, PSEG Hookup and Real 2026 Costs

If you’re adding central air, a heat pump or an EV charger to a Long Island house that still runs on 100 amps, sooner or later someone will tell you that you need a “service upgrade.” Here’s what actually happens, in order, and what it costs.

Step 1: Find out whether you really need it

A 200-amp upgrade is the right call when your planned loads won’t fit. A licensed electrician answers that with a load calculation, not a guess. The usual triggers on Long Island:

• Central air or a heat pump (a 3-ton system draws roughly 30–40 amps)
• A Level 2 EV charger (a continuous 40–60 amp load)
• A pool, hot tub, or a detached garage with its own sub-panel
• Breakers that trip when the dryer, range and AC overlap
• A Federal Pacific, Zinsco or fuse panel, which should be replaced regardless of size

If an EV charger is the only new load, ask about a load-management device first. It can let the charger share capacity on a 100- or 150-amp service and sometimes avoids the upgrade entirely.

Step 2: Get an itemized quote

A complete Long Island quote should list these separately:

Homeowners on r/longisland report 100-to-200-amp quotes in the $4,000–$4,500 neighborhood, which lands right in that range. A turnkey price far below it usually means something is missing: the permit, the inspection, the PSEG coordination, or a licensed electrician.

Step 3: Permit and the inspection application

This is where Long Island is different from much of the country. Towns here generally don’t send their own electrical inspectors. Your electrician files with a third-party inspection agency on your town’s approved list:

• Huntington says it outright: the Town does not conduct electrical inspections, and the permit holder hires an authorized agency.
• Islip makes it unlawful to install or alter wiring until the inspection application is filed with an approved agency.
• Brookhaven publishes its list of approved agencies, whose inspectors must meet experience and certification requirements.
• Hempstead won’t let new wiring be placed in use until an approved agency issues a final certificate of compliance.

Villages often keep their own lists, so if a village is on your tax bill, its rules apply.

Step 4: Scheduling PSEG Long Island

A service upgrade means the utility has to pull your meter and reset it. Your electrician should make that call, not you. PSEG Long Island also needs the paperwork: it requires an Electrical Inspection Certificate from the authority having jurisdiction or an approved agency before it connects a new or upgraded service. Plan on the scheduling taking the longest of any step.

Step 5: Install day

The typical rhythm: PSEG pulls the meter in the morning, the old meter pan, panel and service cable come out, the new equipment goes in, circuits get moved over (with AFCI/GFCI breakers where code requires), and grounding is updated. Expect to be without power for most of the working day. Fridge and freezer contents are fine if you keep the doors shut.

Step 6: Inspection, certificate, reconnect

The agency inspects, issues the certificate, and PSEG Long Island reconnects. Keep a copy of that certificate. Your insurer will want it if you’re replacing an FPE or Zinsco panel, and so will a buyer’s attorney when you sell.

Timeline at a glance

A note on tax credits

If you read that a panel upgrade qualifies for a federal tax credit, check the date. The 25C credit ended for improvements placed in service after December 31, 2025. What’s still available is on our 2026 incentives page.

Before you sign

1. Permit and agency fee are line items.
2. The electrician schedules PSEG Long Island.
3. The license is valid where your house is (how to check).
4. Name-brand panel and breakers are specified.
5. You get a written workmanship warranty and a copy of the inspection certificate.