Which job are you actually doing?
| You call it | PG&E calls it | Path |
|---|---|---|
| Panel swap, same amps | Panel change | Express Connect (residential) |
| 100A → 200A, overhead | Service upgrade, overhead | Express Connect |
| 100A → 200A, underground | Service upgrade, underground | Standard (underground is not Express Connect) |
| Added load for EV / ADU / heat pump, no panel work | Added load | Express Connect if ≤320A and load passes |
| 200A → 400A (320C) | New service / upgrade over 320A | Standard process; often Rule 16 service work |
What PG&E wants in the package
- Photos of the existing meter/panel and the proposed location
- Site plan showing the meter location and service route
- Single-line diagram
- Load calculation — existing and proposed, with demand factors; this is what passes or fails you
- Permit information (or when you expect it)
On Express Connect, documents are due within 19 calendar days of submission if engineering review is required. Late means the standard queue.
Where upgrades stall
- The load calc and the panel don't agree. Asking for 200A with a calc that supports 320A (or vice versa) is a return.
- Meter location. Clearances, access, and whether the new location needs a service relocation — that's a different job type.
- Capacity. On 400A and on all-electric homes, PG&E may need to check transformer capacity. That's design time you can't compress.
- The panel isn't installed within 20 days of approval (Express Connect).
Questions builders ask
How long does a 200A upgrade take with PG&E?
On Express Connect, PG&E publishes about 34 days to approval and about 66 days from approval to energization — roughly 100 days if the package is complete and the panel goes in within 20 days of approval.
How long does a 400A upgrade take?
It runs the standard process. The CPUC target from approval is 182 days average, 357 maximum for new service; service-line-only work is 182 / 335.
Do I need a load calculation for a panel upgrade?
If PG&E requires engineering review, yes — and on Express Connect it has to pass for the project to stay on the fast path.
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