Had to pick between a 60A and 100A subpanel for my shed build

I went with the 100A because the 60A was only $30 cheaper but the 100A lets me add a welder outlet later without redoing everything. Did anyone else just pay the extra for future-proofing and regret it, or was that the right call?

2 comments

2 Comments

rosek7313d ago

@allen.amy totally nailed it with the wire cost thing. I made the same call a few years back on my garage subpanel and the 100A wire was stupid expensive compared to 60A. I ended up spending way more on the whole setup and now I still haven't added anything major like a welder. The 60A would have handled everything I actually use plus a small heater and some lights just fine. The portable welder on 110V is a solid point too, I see guys at the job site running those all the time without any fancy outlets. Live and learn I guess, but you probably could have pocketed that extra cash and been just as happy with the 60A.

allen.amy14d ago

The 100A is probably overkill unless you're running a full machine shop out there. That extra $30 might not seem like much now, but it adds up when you factor in the heavier gauge wire and bigger breaker required for the 100A versus the 60A. Most folks don't end up using half of what they plan for in a shed. You could have saved that $30 plus another $50 or more on wiring and used it for a nice portable welder that runs on 110/120V instead. That way you wouldn't need to worry about a special 220V outlet at all. A 60A subpanel handles lights, outlets, and a small heater just fine, which covers 95% of what a shed really needs.