There is more to a panel upgrade in Howard County than the permit fee. What work you need matters. So does where the disconnect goes. The condition of your existing panel matters too.
What the heavy-up fee covers
Howard County lists a residential service heavy-up at $50 per service or feeder. That is a permit fee for a service upgrade, not a price for replacing a panel. We could not establish whether this fee covers every panel replacement.
The county also lists a $50 non-refundable application fee. There is a 10% technology fee on permits too. The technology fee does not apply to the application fee or the base fee for amendments. Some jobs are exempt from the application fee. You cannot use these figures as a formula for every final bill.
Fee schedule effective 1 July 2026; gathered 21 September 2026.
Ask for a quote that spells out the work. Check that it gives the service size. Ask which permit items you are being charged for. We found no primary source for typical contractor prices for panel replacements or service upgrades in Howard County. We also found no published BGE charges to move a meter or change the service connection. You cannot work out either cost from the county's permit fee.
Where the disconnect can go
Howard County changed the national rule on emergency disconnects. Physical and practical limits may prevent you from putting a disconnect outdoors. In that case, the authority that enforces the code may approve another location. An awkward site does not automatically qualify for an exemption.
Local amendment to NEC 230.85, effective 3 June 2024; gathered 21 September 2026.
Does your quote propose another location? Ask how your electrician will get approval. Make sure the quote shows where the disconnect will go. A promise to replace the box does not tell you enough.
What an old panel's name does not prove
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) closed its Federal Pacific Electric Stab-Lok investigation on 3 March 1983. It did not decide whether the breakers were safe. Its release, revised 18 February 2011, describes limits in the evidence. It also explains the cost of investigating further. The investigation did not lead to a recall.
That record does not tell you whether a particular panel is safe. It does not establish that the panel was recalled either. If your electrician recommends replacing it, ask what they found in your home. You can read the distinction in the CPSC release. We gathered it on 21 September 2026.
We give a source for every figure. We also give the date we read it.