Before you pay $4,000 to upgrade your panel for a heat pump, know this: a proper NEC load calc often shows a 100-amp Portland panel already has the room. What a heat pump really draws, the device that can replace a service upgrade, the Oregon code rules that cut the cost, and which 2026 rebates survived the federal credit cuts.

Yes, an electrical panel permit is required in Portland, and everywhere else in the metro, for any panel replacement or service upgrade. In the City of Portland the permit itself is roughly $237 including Oregon's mandatory state surcharge, and a licensed contractor...

Most Portland homes land between 18kW and 22kW, but the right size comes from a load calculation, not square footage. Here is how running watts, starting surge, and load management actually decide your generator size.