AmpereTallyWhether 100 amps is enough, worked out the way an inspector does it.

What size electrical service for a 2000 sq ft house with an electric range and dryer?

2,000 ft², electric range and dryer, gas water heater
125 A minimum
calculated load 105 A · NEC minimum 125 A · 150 A is what usually gets installed
2,000 ft², electric range and dryer, gas water heater105 ACalculated load125 ANEC minimum servi…
Calculated load25,120 VA ÷ 240 V105A
NEC minimum servicethe next standard size at or above the calculated load125A
Commonly installedone size up — leaves 30% headroom for an EV charger or a heat pump later150A
General lighting2,000 ft² × 3 VA6,000VA
Small appliance + laundrytwo kitchen circuits and one laundry, 1,500 VA each4,500VA
Fixed appliancesthe most common configuration in US housing19,300VA
Before demand factor29,800VA
After demand factor100% of the first 10 kVA, 40% of the rest17,920VA
Heating or coolingthe larger of the two, not both — they do not run together7,200VA

Notes

  • **Do not add up the nameplates.** Every appliance in this house adds to 29,800 VA, but NEC 220.82 counts **100% of the first 10 kVA and 40% of everything above it** — because a house never runs the oven, the dryer, the dishwasher and the disposal at the same second. That single step is why the honest answer is 105 A and the forum answer is usually double.
  • **125 A is the code minimum; 150 A is what gets installed.** Services come in fixed sizes, so "you need 105 amps" is never an answer on its own. 125 A satisfies NEC for this load today. Most electricians fit 150 A anyway, because the marginal cost at install time is small and the cost of upgrading later — new meter base, new mast, utility coordination — is not.
  • **Heating and cooling count once, whichever is larger.** Adding both is the second most common error and it pushes plenty of ordinary houses onto a 400 A recommendation they will never need.
  • **Adding an EV charger later is the change most likely to break this.** A 48 A charger adds 11,520 VA before demand factors and is the single most common reason a service that was fine for thirty years suddenly is not.
  • Panel space is a separate constraint from service size. A 200 A panel with every slot full needs a subpanel or a tandem-breaker plan, and that has nothing to do with the calculation above. And a licensed electrician's stamped load calculation is what an inspector accepts — this page is for knowing where you stand before you call one.

2000 sq ft with an electric range and dryer

Calculated load 105 A. NEC minimum service 125 A. Commonly installed: 150 A.

Do not add up the nameplates

Everything in this house totals 29,800 VA. NEC 220.82 counts 100% of the first 10 kVA and 40% of the rest, because a house never runs the oven, the dryer, the dishwasher and the disposal in the same second.

That single step is why the honest answer is 105 A and the forum answer is usually double it.

Heating and cooling count once

Whichever is larger, not both. They do not run together.

Adding both is the second most common error, and it is what pushes ordinary houses onto a 400 A recommendation they will never need.

Minimum versus what gets installed

125 A satisfies code for this load today. Most electricians fit 150 A anyway.

The marginal cost at install time is small. The cost of upgrading later — new meter base, new mast, utility coordination, a day without power — is not.

Panel space is a separate problem

A 200 A panel with every slot full needs a subpanel, and that has nothing to do with the service size. Two different constraints, often confused, and the one that actually blocks the next project is usually slots rather than amps.

A licensed electrician's stamped calculation is what an inspector accepts. This page is for knowing where you stand before you call one.

Nearby sizes