As luck would have it ...
I'm re-wiring a house that comes in around 900 sq. ft., and has gas for the heat, the hot water, and the range. Nothing fancy at all. Load calculation comes in at less than 60 as the house stands, and 75 amps with air conditioning added.
Yet, at every turn I was "advised" to put in a 200-amp service. Even City Hall pushed it. "The panel hardly costs anything more, and it can't hurt," I was told.
Only one such adviser brought up the greater number of circuits available in a larger panel. Mind you, the house originally had six, and time had seen folks cobble on five more. What make this point relevant is that this same person didn't like my plan to use sub-panels for 'circuit heavy' locations, like the kitchen.
Folks here will know that I tend to 'over-engineer' a bit, and I seem to excel at finding a more complex way to do every task. Yet, here I am, in the odd position of being told I'm not doing enough!
There's the other side to this coin as well: hackwork. The same folks who insist on the 200-A service will use undersize wire, skimp on staples, use the cheapest plastic boxes, and flimsy devices. They think nothing of running SO cord in the walls. They'll argue with you over your choice of wire nuts.
In my case, at least most folks shut up when I produce my Masters' card.
