"Surely, an extra two grand in the price can't be justified by including a new GFCI receptacle and overhead pullchain light above the panel, can it?"
justified, does the supply house that makes a 100% on a loadcenter sale have to justify the price, or the plumbing company that marks up a furnace 100% have to justify it, or every other business that adds cost of living increases, do they have to justify the increases or do they just pass the increases on, an average 200Amp service upgrade was $10 an amp in 1987, somewhere around 2,000 on average, some a little more and some a little less, and here we are in 2006 and some are doing 200Amp services for the same or less. Now compare that with the plumbers, an average furnace install in 87 was around $2900 plus or minus, and today the same installation is around $5,600 to 7,000 for the same job, it all is justified by cost increases in material, labor, and cost of operating a business, remenber the next time you pay your phome bill have them justify the bill, and while you at it get the insurance company, to justify their bill, after all they passed increases on to you. I would not say charge $5000 for a 200Amp standard OH install, but make sure you have all your costs covered, with an expected profit.
