What is needed for a 200 amp service?

A 200 amp service needs four things: 2/0 copper or 4/0 aluminum service conductors per NEC Table 310.12, a 200 amp rated panel and meter socket, a grounding electrode system, and a permit with inspection.

The grounding side means two ground rods unless one measures 25 ohms or better, plus bonds to the water pipe and gas.

The utility owns its side of the connection, so their engineering and scheduling are part of the job whether you like the timeline or not.

Most new homes get 200 amps by default now. It is the comfortable size for a house that may add EV charging and heat pumps later, and the incremental cost over 100 amps at build time is small.

The exact conductor options are in the 200 amp copper wire size calculator, including the aluminum equivalents.