Well , I talked the Electrician down to $600 bucks to move it under the stairs of our walk out basement. -and- I had to give up our $600 dollar generator install option and $450 dollar pre hot tub 220v intall. Sounds like this is still costing you OVER $1000.00 ! My first question as to who is to blame- - Did YOU sign off on these plans "pre-construction"? When I built, I went over every single sheet of the plans, (finding several "mistakes" and omissions), and having the architect/builder correct them and I signed off on each revision and sheet of plans prior to the first shovel of dirt being turned. If it is shown on the plans in that location, and you signed off on it, it is your "nickel" to move it. If it is shown in another location, and the GC/Electrician put it there for "convenience" then it is their "nickel" to move it. You may want to talk to the local Chief Electrical Inspector or the Chief Building Inspector before all the final hookups are made-something does not sound right about having the meter socket at the front entrance, not only aesthetically, but for safety reasons, blocking/delaying egress from the structure in an emergency, if the panel should catch fire!

I once worked on a house where the well had a separate connection to the meter, resulting in a 2nd main cutoff. Instead of the power going directly to the well, that 20 amp circuit had been tapped by a prevoius DIYer for lights on the porch, resulting in a fried screwdriver for me.

For example if a breaker is rated for 15 amps and you see it's output is 25 amps, then why hasn't the breaker tripped? Well, it could be a defective breaker. Or, it could be because it hasn't been carrying 25 amps for long enough. That kind of overload isn't dangerous for a few minutes, and most breakers are designed to allow some overload for some time. The amount of time before they trip is typically inversely proportional to the size of the overload. This is under the control of a thermal device, so overheating of a terminal can fool the breaker into tripping early. If you know the breaker's specifications, then you can better judge whether it should have tripped under the circumstances.

Unlike others, there is no way I'd worry about the location unless I was forced to by a remodel, but that is what is happening so handwringing has to be done. As an aside, my understanding of cabinets around electrical panels is that they are OK as long as clearance requirements are met. That, of course, means that the cabinet is only for the electrical panel, for the most part. Putting a movable rack in front of the panel can't be a building code violation because it is not part of the building. It can be a violation of the stupid code, but I question even that if it can be moved aside with little to no effort. I, as others have expressed, think that putting an outdoor panel on the opposite side is going to be the least expensive solution. My assumption, having lived in several parts of the country, is that outdoor panels are more common in areas where slab homes are more common vs. full basements. If you can't put them in the basement, you put them outside. Nobody wants to take up finished living space with an electrical panel. In the areas that I have experienced, indoor panels have a much longer life than outdoor panels. I hate to see the outside, but it is not an easy choice. Getting an electrician experienced in this very kind of thing is going to tell you if that is the case. Some are more creative than others so cross your fingers. I'd certainly get more than one electrician in. It is very hard to say how much it will cost, but you are not rewiring the whole house. There are going to be, however, some surprises. If you put a new combo main panel/meter pan on the outside, for example, if the mast is not high enough to meet current electrical code, will it have to be raised and how much is that gonna cost?