Replacing Electrical Panel

[pprobus]

They turn off the main breaker and gut the panel. Leave the old main breaker in place. The buses are removed. They're connected to the main breaker with bolts and nuts. They run new conductors from those bolts to the new panel's main breaker lugs. Then they pigtail new  wires to extend to the new panel's breakers next to the old one.

Still, If I saw paint in my panel. I wouldn't do anything at all. It's commonplace and I've never heard of it causing any problems. If it's a newer Square-D OC panel, maybe you can get it replaced under the recall.

Thanks for that. I was not sure if that was the case, but it makes sense.

[Bob10]

$1000 isn't a heavy up. It's just a taking out the old panel and installing a new one. A common solution is to leave the old one there and gut it. Set a new panel next to it and run new conductors between panels. Use the old one for a junction box where the wires are just extended to the new one. Screw the panel door shut on the old one

Just did that to upgrade and move the box further away from the gas meter as it was too close for current code.  Funny thing is every house in the area needs to move services because the builder set the box above the gas meter on every one of them

[med-one]

I just had a quote for $3000.00 and I'm getting another quote tomorrow.

[blackhat]

I would really like to hear the justification for this “ requirement “.

[CStan]

I paid $1,200 to have a fuse panel replaced with a circuit breaker panel (at the insistence of my insurance company) -- 30 years ago.

If you find an electrician that will do it for a thousand bucks, I'd come up with some other upgrades they can take care of for you.