Pushmatic panel replacement cost when buying a house

How much does it cost to replace a Pushmatic panel?

Most homeowners pay $1,300 to $3,000 to upgrade to a 200-amp panel, according to This Old House. A full Pushmatic panel replacement that also swaps the meter socket and service cable runs $3,800 to $6,800 with one Massachusetts contractor. Have a licensed electrician open the panel and write you a bid before your inspection deadline. Then ask the seller for that number.

Key takeaways

• The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) recommends replacing the whole panel, and there is no recall to pay for it.
• New breakers are not the fix. Aftermarket Pushmatic breakers can be incompatible despite their advertising.
• Ask whether the bid includes the permit, drywall repair and any meter or service cable work. Those decide which row of the cost table you're in.

Are Bulldog Pushmatic panels safe?

InterNACHI names Bulldog Pushmatic among the problem panels inspectors most often find, along with Federal Pacific, Zinsco and Challenger. It says breakers in these panels "fail to trip with over-current, shorts, or ground faults at rates far higher than industry standards." In testing, those breakers "may trip correctly a few times before failing," so a panel that seems to work proves little. They also "can fatigue over time, become loose on their buses, lose connection, overheat, and even melt."

InterNACHI's recommendation is to "replace the electrical panelboard." It also notes there are no recalls on these panels. So the cost of a new one lands on you or the seller, and your inspection window is when you decide which.

If your report mentions a hot or melted breaker, get a licensed electrician to the panel before you talk money.

You can spot the panel by its breakers. They are push buttons, not the usual flip switches, and each one "must be physically pushed in to reset or turn it off," as a Los Angeles home inspector explains. Federal Pacific panels have their own page.

Can you still buy Pushmatic breakers?

They are hard to get. A Massachusetts electrical contractor notes the panels are discontinued, with replacement parts becoming hard to find.

The substitutes are the problem. InterNACHI warns that "most, if not all, aftermarket replacement breakers are not UL-approved," meaning not approved by Underwriters Laboratories, the safety testing lab. It names aftermarket Pushmatic breakers as incompatible "despite their advertising." Fitting another brand's breakers "is not an approved repair or considered safe."

If the seller offers new breakers instead of a new panel, ask for the panel.

What does the replacement cost?

The price turns on scope, so match the row to what your electrician says the job is.

Say your electrician calls it a panel swap to 200 amps. HomeAdvisor's $1,300 to $2,000 plus $150 to $300 for permits and drywall comes to $1,450 to $2,300. The Massachusetts row already includes the permit.

The Massachusetts row costs more because it replaces the service equipment too, not just the panel. That contractor says its price depends on where the panel sits, the meter and grounding, overhead or underground service, and the permit and utility work. If your report also lists aluminum branch wiring, ask the electrician to look at it while the panel is open.

Who can price it before my deadline?

A licensed electrician. Ask them to open the panel, confirm the brand, and put the bid in writing with the amperage, the permit and any meter work listed. The guide to getting repair estimates during the inspection period covers how to get a visit fast.

Get the total, not the hourly rate. HomeAdvisor puts electricians at $40 to $250 an hour and an average upgrade at about 4 to 8 hours, not counting rewiring. If wiring has to come out and go back in, it stretches to 20 to 30 hours. Ask the electrician when they could do the work, so you know whether the seller can finish before closing.

What do I ask the seller for?

Ask for the electrician's bid total, and attach the bid. A credit lets you pick the electrician and the panel. If your lender or insurer says the panel has to be replaced before closing, ask for the repair instead.

If the seller does the work, ask for a licensed electrician, a permit, and proof the work passed the local inspection before closing. The buyer repair request letter template has the wording, and what to ask for after a home inspection covers the rest of your list. Your contract sets the exact deadline and terms, so confirm them with your agent.

What if the seller says no?

Once an electrician prices it, this finding has a number. That makes it a line to negotiate, not by itself a reason to leave. If the seller won't repair or credit it, the replacement becomes your cost after closing. Weigh the bid against your budget with when to walk away after a home inspection.

Are Pushmatic breakers illegal?

That depends on the electrical code your city or county has adopted. Your local building department or a licensed electrician answers it for your address. When the panel is replaced, InterNACHI notes that "in most areas, replacement panelboards are not required to meet all of the latest code requirements."

Will a Pushmatic panel affect my homeowners insurance?

Ask your insurance agent before your deadline. Give them the panel brand from your report and ask whether they will write the policy as is. If they want the panel replaced first, put that in your request to the seller.

How do I know what the rest of my list is worth?

The electrician's bid covers the panel, but your report has other lines. Kept prices every line of an inspection report for $79, usually under 4 hours, and marks the ones that need a professional's quote.

If the panel is one line of many, upload your inspection report to Kept and spend your remaining days on the electrician's bid.

Sources

• InterNACHI, Inspecting the Main Electrical Panelboard During a Home Inspection
• This Old House, What Is the Cost to Upgrade an Electrical Panel?
• HomeAdvisor, How Much Does It Cost to Upgrade or Replace an Electrical Panel
• Denommee Plumbing, HVAC and Electric, Should You Replace Your Pushmatic 100 Amp Electrical Panel?
• IM Home Inspections, Bulldog Pushmatic Panels