How to Correctly Wire a Residential 200 Amp Panel

Contact your local building authority to learn the local rules for wiring an electrical panel and apply for the necessary permits.

Contact your electrical utility to turn off the power for the building at the street. Make sure they double-check the power is off with two different clamp-on amp meters.

Check that the power has been turned off by touching a non-contact voltage detector to the wire's insulation. If the detector beeps or illuminates, the wires are still dangerous.

Remove the screws that secure the covers on the panel and set the covers aside. Punch out the knockout at the top of the panel to allow the main wires to feed into it. Install a plastic bushing in the knockout hole to protect the wires from the sharp metal edges.

Push the main electrical wires into the knockout holes and run the white wire to the neutral bus bar. Strip 1/2 inch of insulation off the end of the white wire and push it into the neutral bus bar's main terminal. Tighten this terminal down with a screwdriver.

Strip 1/2 inch of insulation off the red and black wires coming into the box. Push these wires into the two terminals on the 240 volt 200 amp main breaker. Tighten each terminal down with a screwdriver.

Punch out a knockout in the side of the panel with the ground bus bar. Install a plastic bushing in the hole. Feed the ground wire through the hole and connect it to the main terminal on the ground bus bar.

Run the ground wire to the main copper water pipe coming from the street. Wrap the ground clamp around the water pipe upstream of the water meter. Tighten the ground clamp with a wrench. Insert the ground wire into the clamp's terminal and tighten it down.

Contact your local building authority to inspect the wiring before installing the branch wiring.