Yeah, running into a maxed-out main panel is way more common than folks expect, especially in older homes. I had to do a full upgrade too—my 1940s place still had fuse boxes, and the electrician just shook his head when he saw them. The cost wasn’t trivial, but honestly, the safety factor alone made it worth every penny. Plus, if you’re thinking about adding a guest house, you’ll probably want to future-proof with at least a 200A service.
One thing I learned: don’t underestimate the cost of trenching for new lines, especially if you’ve got mature landscaping or hardscape in the way. That part can sneak up on you. And if your utility company needs to upgrade their side, that’s a whole other can of worms... Sometimes they’ll cover it, sometimes not. Just something to keep in mind before you start budgeting.
Man, I feel you on the trenching costs—my neighbor’s bill for that was almost as much as the panel upgrade itself. It’s wild how those “hidden” expenses add up. Still, like you said, peace of mind is huge. I keep telling myself it’s better to bite the bullet now than deal with headaches later... even if my wallet disagrees.
I keep telling myself it’s better to bite the bullet now than deal with headaches later... even if my wallet disagrees.
Man, my wallet’s been screaming at me since I started this whole backyard project. Trenching was the sneaky villain for me too—thought I’d just be paying for a little ditch, but apparently, my yard is made of gold-plated clay or something. Still, I’d rather pay now than have my guest house go dark every time someone microwaves popcorn. At least the peace of mind is cheaper than therapy... probably.
Honestly, I get the peace of mind thing, but sometimes I wonder if we overthink it. Not every backyard guest house needs a full-on trenching job—depends on what you’re running out there. I’ve seen folks get creative with above-ground conduit or even solar setups, and it saved them a pile of cash. Sure, it’s not always as “clean” as burying everything, but if the budget’s tight, it might be worth considering. Sometimes “good enough” actually is good enough... at least until you start renting the place out full time.
I hear you on the “good enough” approach. My first backyard ADU, I went the full trenching route—felt like I was digging to China, and my wallet definitely felt the pain. But my neighbor just ran a heavy-duty extension cord and some WiFi repeaters for his “man cave” and called it a day. It’s not pretty, but it works for him. If you’re not planning to rent it out or run a hot tub back there, sometimes simple really does win. Just don’t ask the city inspector to come over for coffee...
