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There are a number of reasons why professionals may need to do some rewiring in your home. The most obvious time is when you’ve purchased a brand-new home. New homes need wiring throughout, from top to bottom. Most often, the cost of wiring a new home is rolled into the total purchase price of the home.
If you own an existing home, you may need to have it rewired if it’s old and can’t support modern electronics. The cost to rewire a house comes down to the nature of the work that you need done, and other factors as well, including how large your home is.
We’ve created this cost guide to help you if you’re wondering how much does it cost to rewire a house. Here, you’ll read about the average cost to rewire a house, along with common types of rewiring jobs and how much they typically cost. Advertisement THIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT AND NOT EDITORIAL CONTENT. Please note that we do receive compensation for any products you buy or sign up to via this advertisement, and that compensation impacts the ranking and placement of any offers listed herein. We do not present information about every offer available. The information and savings numbers depicted above are for demonstration purposes only, and your results may vary. Compare Quotes From Top-rated Electricians Free, No-commitment Estimates Find an electrician
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Home Guide, one of the online standards for pricing out home improvement projects, states that the average price range to update electrical wiring in a home ranges from $2,000 to $9,000. This range depends on things like hourly rates charged by professionals, the size of your home, the accessibility of the wires needing to be replaced and the cost of other materials. The table below illustrates the average cost to rewire a home, and some high and low figures as well.
Electrical Wiring Installation Cost Type of CostAmount Low Cost $125 (for small jobs like replacing outlets) Average Cost $2,115 High Cost $11,400
Many electricians will quote the cost to rewire a house as a cost per square foot. Therefore, it helps to know whether the price you’ve been given is on par with the national average. The average cost to rewire a house is typically between $2 and $4 per square foot.
Wondering how long it’ll take to get the job done? It’s an important thing to know when you’re paying a professional by the hour. In general, rewiring jobs are charged at one hour per 100 square feet.
Cost to Rewire a House Per Square Foot Square FeetAverage Cost 1,000 $1,650 - $3,800 1,200 $2,000 - $4,500 1,500 $2,350 - $5,700 2,000 $3,200 - $7,700 2,500 $3,900 - $9,500 3,000 $4,800 - $11,500 *figures from Home Guide
When it comes to rewiring a house, there are some common jobs that professionals spend the majority of their time working on. We’ve listed them below, along with how these repairs fit into the larger picture of the rewiring a house cost.
Electrical panels are either 100 or 200 amps. You’ll need to figure out which yours is (or which you’ll need) before hiring for the job. You can find this information on the door of the main circuit breaker. The average cost to upgrade or repair an electrical service panel is between $850 and $1,100 for 100 amps, and $1,300 to $1,600 for a 200-amp circuit breaker. If your wiring professional determines that you need a new box, the price will be around $1,200 to $2,500.
Your home’s wires run behind the walls. That means that in most cases, in order for a professional to access your home’s wires, they’ll have to tear through walls. Unfortunately, this can add quite a bit to the cost. For breaking through drywall, removing wires, installing new wires and replacing drywall, expect to add between $4,500 and $9,000 for a smaller home (less than about 1,200 square feet), and upwards of $12,000 to $20,000 for a home 2,500 square feet or larger.
This common job will have you breathing a sigh of relief when you see the price tag, at least compared to some other rewiring jobs. If you find you need additional outlets and/or switches in your home, expect to pay only about $100 to $185 per outlet or switch.
The good thing about wiring a new house is that you won’t have to worry about taking out any walls, since wiring is often done before the drywall goes up. The bad thing is, well, it’s still a pricey job. If your new home’s wiring will be priced separately from the total cost of the home, you could be on the hook for $1,600 to $3,800, or about $2 to $4 per square foot.
When it comes to the cost to rewire a house, the type of wires and cables you’ll need will also influence the price. Below are some common types of cables that your professional might recommend, depending on your exact needs.
Cased in color-coded plastic covers, THHN and THWN wires are common types of wire. THHN stands for thermoplastic high-heat resistant nylon-coated wire, and it’s often used for appliances. THWN is similar in nature to THHN, but with a higher water-resistance rating. THHN and THWN both cost about $0.80 to $1.60 per linear foot for rewiring.
Nonmetallic, or NM, cables are the most common type of cables for homes. NM cables consist of a hot wire (the one that carries the current), along with a neutral wire and a ground wire. The three wires are wrapped together inside a protective plastic sheath. The cost for rewiring NM cables is about $0.40 to $0.80 per linear foot.
Cables that need to be run underground or in damp areas are called UF (Underground Feeder) cables. They’re cased similarly to NM cables with an additional protective covering on the outside. You can expect to pay between $0.50 to $0.75 per linear foot for wiring with UF cables. Advertisement THIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT AND NOT EDITORIAL CONTENT. Please note that we do receive compensation for any products you buy or sign up to via this advertisement, and that compensation impacts the ranking and placement of any offers listed herein. We do not present information about every offer available. The information and savings numbers depicted above are for demonstration purposes only, and your results may vary. Compare Quotes From Top-rated Electricians Free, No-commitment Estimates Find an electrician Your Home. Your Decisions. Our Support. Get expert advice on your home, design tips, how much to pay for pros and hiring experts, delivered to you daily.{{ newsletterState.emailErrorMsg }}Thanks & Welcome to the Forbes Home Improvement Community!{{ newsletterState.emailErrorMsg }}I agree to receive the Forbes Home newsletter via e-mail. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information and details on how to opt out.
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Christin Perry is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in numerous outlets, including WeddingWire, The Knot, Parents and Verywell Family. When she's not working, Christin enjoys reading, gardening and hanging out with her husband and four young kids. She also loves to do small home improvement projects any chance she gets.
Samantha is an editor who covers all topics home-related including home improvement and repair. She edited home repair and design content at websites like The Spruce and HomeAdvisor. She also has hosted videos on DIY home tips and solutions and launched multiple home improvement review boards staffed with licensed pros.