What's Required in New York City
- All electrical installation and modification requires an electrical permit and a NYC Licensed Master Electrician; there is no homeowner exemption (DOB Electrical System owner requirements)
- Electrical permits are filed in DOB NOW: Build by the licensed electrician
- General electrical work (other than installations of 1,000 kVA or larger) needs no Registered Design Professional but requires a DOB inspection
- Minor electrical work (breakers and switches of 30 A or less excluding main disconnects, panel parts at 150 V or less to ground, up to five fixture replacements, ten or fewer units without a new branch circuit) needs the permit but no inspection
- Fees per 1 RCNY 101-03: $40 application, service switch $8 to $375 by amperage, service-entrance cables $15 to $75 per set by size, panels $15 to $75, units $0.25 each after the first ten, $5,000 cap on additional fees
- Minor-work permit is a flat $15
- Utility-side work (meter, service drop) is coordinated with Con Edison by the electrician
- Electrician's license and insurance must be active for the permit to issue
Do You Need a Permit to Upgrade an Electrical Panel in New York City?
Yes, and you cannot pull it yourself. DOB's owner requirements for electrical systems say it twice: no installation and modification to any electrical system can be performed without a permit and a Licensed Master Electrician. A panel replacement or a service upgrade from 100 to 200 amps is general electrical work: the licensed electrician files the electrical permit in DOB NOW: Build and DOB inspects the finished work. No Registered Design Professional is needed unless the installation is 1,000 kVA or larger, which no house approaches. DOB does carve out a list of minor electrical work that still needs the electrician and the permit but skips the inspection: replacing defective breakers and switches of 30 amps or less (main service disconnects excluded), replacing panel parts at 150 volts or less to ground, replacing up to five fixtures in existing outlets with no increase in wattage, and installing ten or fewer units that need no new branch circuit.
NYC Electrical Permit Rules by Scenario
| What you are doing | DOB filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Service upgrade (100 to 200 amps), new service switch, new panel | Electrical permit by a Licensed Master Electrician, DOB inspection | DOB Electrical System owner requirements |
| Replacing the panel in kind with new breakers | Electrical permit and inspection (general electrical work) | DOB Electrical System owner requirements |
| Replacing a defective breaker of 30 amps or less, or panel parts at 150 V or less to ground | Electrical permit, no DOB inspection (minor work) | DOB Registrant requirements: minor electrical work |
| Adding up to ten outlets or devices on existing circuits | Electrical permit, no DOB inspection (minor work) | DOB Registrant requirements: minor electrical work |
| Any new branch circuit, EV charger, subpanel | Electrical permit and inspection | DOB Electrical System owner requirements |
| Installations of 1,000 kVA or larger | Plans by a Registered Design Professional plus the electrical permit | DOB Registrant requirements: allowable work without an RDP |
| Homeowner doing their own wiring | Not allowed in NYC | DOB Electrical System owner requirements |
How Much Does an Electrical Permit Cost in NYC?
Electrical fees are set by DOB rule 1 RCNY 101-03, not by the building-permit table, and they are itemized. The initial application fee is $40. On top of that, each outlet, fixture, motor horsepower, heater kilowatt and transformer kVA counts as one unit, with the first ten units free and $0.25 per unit above ten. Then come the equipment items that matter for a panel job: each service switch installed, altered or repaired is $8 up to 100 amps, $30 for 101 to 200 amps, $105 for 201 to 600 amps; each set of service-entrance cables or feeder conductors is $15 up to #2, $30 over #2 to #1/0, $45 over #1/0 to 250 MCM, $75 over 250 MCM; and each panel installed, altered or repaired is $15 for a single-phase panel up to 20 one-pole or 10 two-pole positions, $37.50 above that, $50 for three-phase up to 225 amps. So a typical 200-amp residential service upgrade with a new service switch, one set of 4/0 or 250 MCM service-entrance cables and a 40-space panel adds up to about $150 in DOB fees ($40 + $30 + $45 + $37.50). Minor work is a flat $15 permit. The rule caps the additional per-unit fee at $5,000 on any job. Your electrician's price and any Con Edison charge for the service connection are separate.
Who Files an Electrical Permit in New York City?
Only a NYC Licensed Master Electrician (or a Special Electrician for their own employer's building) may file and perform electrical work. The permit is filed in DOB NOW: Build, the electrician's license and insurance must be active, and DOB performs the required inspection for general work. There is no homeowner exemption of the kind some other cities allow. When the panel job is part of a larger renovation with a PE or RA filing, the electrical permit is still a separate filing by the electrician.
Service Upgrades and Con Edison
A service upgrade changes the equipment at the load end of the service conductors: DOB describes this as the circuit breakers, switches, fuses and accessories intended to constitute the main control and cutoff of the supply. The utility side (meter, service drop or lateral) is coordinated with Con Edison by the electrician; DOB's permit and inspection cover the customer side. If the upgrade is driven by an EV charger, heat pump or electric range, each of those is a new branch circuit under the same permit.
How to Get a Electrical Panel Permit in New York City
Hire a NYC Licensed Master Electrician
Only a licensed master (or special) electrician can file and perform the work; verify the license with DOB before signing.
Electrician files the permit in DOB NOW
$40 application fee plus itemized charges for the service switch, service-entrance cables, panel and any units; about $150 for a 200-amp upgrade.
Coordinate the utility
The electrician schedules Con Edison for the meter and service connection; DOB's permit covers the customer side from the service switch in.
Install and request inspection
General electrical work requires a DOB inspection; minor work does not.
Sign-off
The additional per-unit fee is due before electrical sign-off; keep the sign-off with the house records for sale or refinance.