A 100A → 200A service upgrade with ~30 ft drop distance. PG&E approved running the new feed through the existing weatherhead — engineering review skipped, Tier 3 job landed at the floor of the range.
On paper, this was a Tier 3 panel upgrade — the drop distance from PG&E's overhead service line to the new panel was approximately 30 feet, which is the boundary where most utilities require engineering review and cable extension before they will reconnect. Tier 3 Berkeley jobs typically run $10,000 to $12,000.
This client paid the floor of that price band — $10,000 all-in — because PG&E and the City of Berkeley both approved running the new 200A feed through the existing weatherhead (the fitting where PG&E's overhead line enters the meter). No service-mast relocation, no PG&E engineering review, no extension fees.
The job stayed a Berkeley city permit and a routine PG&E disconnect-and-reconnect — nothing more.
What was in the $10,000
The Tier 3 reality
When the existing weatherhead cannot be reused, PG&E has to engineer a new service drop. That adds engineering fees on top of the upgrade scope and adds months of utility scheduling.
The existing weatherhead worked for the new 200A feed. PG&E and Berkeley both approved keeping it. The job stayed a standard Berkeley city permit and a routine PG&E disconnect-and-reconnect.
Weatherhead reuse depends on the condition of the existing fitting and PG&E's field-crew approval. Worth asking on the walkthrough — when it works, it saves real money on price and real months on the calendar.
$10,000 covered the full 100A → 200A service upgrade. The drop distance was approximately 30 feet — Tier 3 territory by our pricing — but the job landed at the floor of the $10K-$12K Tier 3 range because the existing weatherhead could be reused.
When the weatherhead has to be replaced, PG&E gets pulled in at the engineering level. They review the change, schedule a crew to extend or relocate their cables, and bill engineering fees back to the homeowner. That review and scheduling adds months to the calendar plus PG&E charges. Reusing the existing weatherhead avoids all of it.
Maybe — depends on the condition of your existing weatherhead and whether PG&E's field crew approves reusing it for a 200A feed. We assess that on the walkthrough. When it works, the savings are real. When it does not, the engineering review is unavoidable and we will tell you upfront.
Tier 3 by our pricing structure (beyond 30 ft from the PG&E drop). Most Tier 3 jobs land in the $10K-$12K range; this one landed at the floor of that range because the existing service infrastructure could be reused. See our Berkeley panel-upgrade page for the full tier breakdown.
Yes. East Bay Electrical work in Berkeley is performed by S O T Electric, Inc., holder of California Contractor's License C-10 #1062166 — verifiable on the CSLB website. Salvador Ordoñez is the lead electrician.
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