That's a question that many are asking if they are considering or have recently purchased an older home. Also,insurance companies have been requiring new buyers of existing homes to upgrade if the home they are considering buying has a 60 amp service or has fuses rather than breakers installed in the panel.
When I upgrade a service, I take a very close look at the wiring in the area of the panel. If I can eliminate junction boxes and tidy up poor workmanship at the same time, I'll put in the extra effort to ensure the final result is not only safe and meets code but also passes an impression of being quality work.
In recent years, home inspectors are being used more often. Prospective homeowners depend on them to put a price tag on any repairs that they may encounter. Therefore, although the home inspector is not an electrician or permitted to remove a panel cover or open any device,they can take note of the general condition of wiring in the basement and any other area where wiring is exposed. Fuse panels, multiple added small panels and untidy wiring, and "knob and tube" wiring are flags that the system is in need of upgrading.
If a large electrical load such as a hot tub is being installed, an addition is being built, if there are no longer any spare circuits in the panel, if pony panels have ben added, it may well be time for an upgrade. I recently looked at a panel where the outside conduit had not been sealed, and over time moisture had entered the panel area and caused corrosion, and the wiring in the panel was very untidy, making it difficult to make sure all connections including grounding were tight. A reputable electrical contractor will advise you if a combination of these issues make an upgrade necessary. The majority of customers already have decided to upgrade as an investment, which it is, both in safety and for future resale purposes.
100 amp or 200 amp? In the average home with gas heat,100 amps is fine. If the load is increasing substantially and the panel is too small, changing to 200 amp may be warranted. Again, a good contractor can advise on each situation. In the city of Orillia, a charge is levied for upgrades to 200 amp, which is several hundred dollars. In Barrie, one disconnect/reconnect per year is allowed and no charge for upgrading at the time of writing.
Choose your contractor carefully. Some consider electrical upgrades to be a way to make a "fast buck" and the result looks like it. Taking the time to leave a tidy result both inside and outside, and clean up the panel area takes extra time but the result removes any doubt that the future buyer has about the home's wiring and is worth the investment.
Great advice Dave.
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