Should I upgrade my house to 200 amp service?

Upgrade to 200 amp service when your plans include the big electric loads: EV charging, a heat pump, electric range, or a workshop. Any two of those on top of a loaded 100 amp panel usually forces it.

Skip the upgrade if a load calculation shows headroom. Plenty of homes run fine on 100 amps, and a full breaker panel alone does not mean the service is maxed; that is what tandem breakers and subpanels solve for less money.

At 1,800 to 4,500 dollars it is worth doing once, deliberately, ahead of an electrification project rather than during it.

New construction defaults to 200 amps for a reason: the marginal cost up front is small.

The 200 amp service cable calculator shows what conductors the upgrade takes, copper or aluminum.