Challenger electrical panel replacement cost

How much does it cost to replace a Challenger panel?

Most homeowners pay $1,300 to $3,000 to upgrade a panel to 200 amps, according to This Old House. One northern Colorado electrician puts a Challenger electrical panel replacement at $1,500 to $4,000. 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

• A home inspectors' association recommends replacing Challenger panels, even ones that seem to work.
• Challenger's 1988 recall covered a batch of ground-fault breakers, not the panel, so it won't pay for a new one.
• If the seller offers to swap in other breakers, ask for the panel. Breakers that merely fit the bus are not an approved repair.

Are Challenger electrical panels safe?

The International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) says there is "a general consensus among electricians and many industry experts that some electrical panels have significant safety issues." It names Challenger among the problem panels inspectors find most often, with Federal Pacific, Zinsco and Bulldog Pushmatic. Its recommendation for these panels is to "replace the electrical panelboard."

A panel that seems to work fine doesn't settle it, since InterNACHI says no one can know that until it is under stress. Don't open the panel or pull breakers yourself. If your report mentions heat or scorching at the panel, get the electrician out before you talk money. If you see sparks or smell burning at the panel, leave the house and call 911, then a licensed electrician.

For another brand, see Zinsco panels on an inspection report.

Is there a recall on Challenger panels?

The recall most often cited for Challenger covers breakers. In 1988, Challenger recalled its type HAGF-15 and HAGF-20 ground-fault breakers, which protect outlets in bathrooms, kitchens and outdoors from shock. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said "a mechanical part may become detached and prevent the ground fault feature of the circuit breaker from functioning." CPSC said about 9,000 of them had not been located.

Those breakers only turn up in homes built, or with electrical work done, since February 1988. CPSC says a panel with "Challenger" embossed on the door handle, or on the label on the back of the door, may contain them. They have a yellow button and the word "test" in raised letters. CPSC tells owners to have a licensed electrician do the replacement.

CPSC notes the company can no longer be reached at the phone numbers in the original notice. The cost of a new panel falls to you or the seller, which is why the bid matters.

Why do panel quotes vary so much?

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

Say your electrician prices a 200-amp panel with no meter or service work. HomeAdvisor's $1,300 to $2,000 plus $150 to $300 for permits and drywall comes to $1,450 to $2,300. The Dallas-Fort Worth row already includes the permit.

That row costs more because it covers work outside the panel too. The contractor says its price depends on overhead or underground service, the home's age, and whether the meter base or service line needs work.

Who can price it before my deadline?

A licensed electrician. Ask them to open the panel, confirm the brand and the breakers, 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. Ask when they could do the work, so you know whether the seller can finish before closing. If the electrician also flags knob-and-tube wiring, get it priced on the same visit.

What do I ask the seller for?

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

If the seller does the work, ask for a licensed electrician, a permit and the paperwork 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. It can become one if your insurer won't write the policy with this panel in place and the seller won't replace it. 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.

Can the seller just replace the breakers?

InterNACHI says "most, if not all, aftermarket replacement breakers are not UL-approved," meaning not approved by Underwriters Laboratories, the safety testing lab. Using other brands' breakers that fit the bus "is not an approved repair or considered safe." Its best recommendation is still a complete panel replacement.

Will a Challenger panel affect my homeowners insurance?

Ask your insurance agent before your deadline. One Florida insurer's underwriting guidelines bar Federal Pacific, Zinsco and "Challenger-Zinsco Boxes" under their electrical requirements. That's one company's 2018 guidelines, so your own agent's answer is the one that counts. Give your agent the 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
• CPSC, Challenger Electrical Equipment Corp. Offers Replacement Program for 9000 GFCI Circuit Breakers
• 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
• Three Crowns Electric, Should I Replace My Challenger Electrical Panel?
• Epic Electrical, Why Is Panel Replacement So Expensive?
• Universal Property & Casualty Insurance Company, Florida Underwriting Binding Guidelines