I have an outside meter without an outside panel my wire come through my wall and to a lug fed inside panel. There is no room in this panel and I am putting a bigger box in there what size copper wire do I need for a 200 amp service and will I have to go to a main fed panel. Also with it being the first means of disconnect do I unbond the neutral to ground bar

Billy,

My suggestion to you is call an electrician. Upgrading a panel is not a simple DIY project, particularly when you have to pull the meter. Removing the meter incorrectly can get you dead in a heartbeat.

The Utilitycompany will own the service upgrade from the meter back to the transformer.

You would have to pull all the required permits to make the change.

I can get a home owners permit and have done electrical work before but it is commercial work and I'm a little new at the residential field. There is no means of diconnect right now because the panel is lug fed and coming strait from the meter. I have added another room on to the house I am sure my feeders from the power company are big enough. What I am wanting to do is replace the inside lug fed panel with a bigger 200 amp main fed panel with more room for additions. I want to use copper wire but I am not sure of size and if I need to unbond my neutral to ground bar.

Billy,

You just talked yourself into the reason to get a residential electrician.

You would have to pull the meter to kill power to the panel, unless the PC has a service disconnect panel between the meter and the SEP.

That a homeowner can pull a permit is not an issue. Can you do all the prep work which is required by most authorities? Like the crayon drawing of the new electrical plan.

For my edification, are you a licensed electrician, commercial or residential?

I ask that because I do a lot of my own work even though I'm not an electrician. What I will not attempt to do is pull the meter.

I've worked inside hot panels and on live lines for the quick easy stuff. I even have a copy of the 2008 NEC code, none of which qualify me to be an electrician. At the very least talk to a friend that is an electrician to develop your plan for the LRA.

Better to be safe then to become a bowl of soup because of something you didn't think through.