House Rewiring Cost: $6,000–$10,000 (Average $8,000) in 2026
Author: CostGuideHQ Editorial·✓ Fact-checked·Updated July 2026·5 min read·4 sources Quick answerQuick answer: A whole-house rewire for an average-size home (around 2,000-2,200 sq ft) typically costs $6,000 to $10,000, or roughly $3 to $6 per square foot. Smaller homes can run as low as $3,000; larger homes can reach $18,078 or more once panel upgrades and wall repair are included.
- ✓For an average 2,000-2,200 sq ft home, a full rewire typically runs $6,000 to $10,000, or about $7,286 to $13,257 per Fixr's own home-size figures.
- ✓Rewiring runs roughly $3 to $6 per square foot installed, with sources ranging $2 to $6 per sq ft (Thumbtack, HomeAdvisor, Bob Vila, Fixr).
- ✓A 1,000 sq ft home typically costs $3,000 to $5,000 to rewire; a 3,000 sq ft home runs $9,936 to $18,078 per Fixr.
- ✓Electricians charge $40 to $100 per hour, and a panel upgrade adds another $500 to $4,000 on top of the wiring itself (HomeAdvisor, Bob Vila, Fixr).
How much does house rewiring cost?
National average
$8,000
total project
Typical range
$3,000–$18,078
Most projects
Whole project
$6,000–$10,000
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Cost by material / type
| Type | Low | High |
|---|
| 500 sq ft home | $1,500 | $2,500 |
| 1,000 sq ft home | $3,000 | $5,000 |
| 1,500 sq ft home | $4,500 | $7,500 |
| 2,000 sq ft home | $6,000 | $10,000 |
| 2,200 sq ft home (avg. US size) | $7,286 | $13,257 |
| 3,000 sq ft home | $9,936 | $18,078 |
What affects the cost?
- Home square footage — rewiring runs about $2 to $6 per sq ft depending on source (Thumbtack, HomeAdvisor, Bob Vila, Fixr)
- Existing wiring type and age — replacing outdated knob-and-tube or aluminum wiring adds labor and material cost versus updating newer copper wiring
- Wall access — 'open wall' rewiring (during a renovation, with drywall already removed) is cheaper than 'closed wall' work, which requires cutting, fishing wire, and patching
- Drywall repair and repainting after closed-wall work, which is often billed separately and can run into the thousands for a full home (Bob Vila)
- Number of outlets, switches, and fixtures being added or relocated, at roughly $75 to $275 per outlet/switch (Bob Vila)
- Electrical panel upgrades — a 100-200 amp panel replacement typically adds $500 to $4,000 (HomeAdvisor, Fixr)
- Labor rate, which runs $40 to $100 per hour per electrician in most markets (Bob Vila, HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack)
- Permits and inspections, generally $200 to $900 combined depending on locality (Thumbtack, HomeAdvisor)
Why does house rewiring cost so much?
Rewiring a whole house means running new wire to every outlet, switch, and fixture in the home, which is why the price scales directly with square footage. For an average-size US home around 2,000 to 2,200 sq ft, expect $6,000 to $10,000 based on HomeAdvisor’s home-size breakdown, closely matched by Fixr’s figure of $7,286 to $13,257 for a 2,200 sq ft house. Per square foot, HomeAdvisor and Bob Vila land in the $3 to $5 range, Fixr runs slightly higher at $3 to $6, and Thumbtack quotes a lower $2 to $4. Smaller homes cost less in total — a 1,000 sq ft home runs $3,000 to $5,000 (HomeAdvisor, Bob Vila) — while a 3,000 sq ft home can reach $9,936 to $18,078 per Fixr’s full-home figure. Labor alone runs $40 to $100 per hour per electrician (Bob Vila, HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack), and that’s before factoring in a panel upgrade or drywall repair, both of which are usually billed as separate line items.
What affects the cost?
A few factors explain most of the spread between a $3,000 job and an $18,000+ one:
- Home square footage. More area means more wire runs and more labor hours, at roughly $3 to $5 per sq ft installed (HomeAdvisor, Bob Vila), up to $6 per Fixr.
- Wall access. Rewiring with drywall already open (during a renovation) is far cheaper than “closed wall” work, which requires cutting, fishing wire, and patching afterward — Bob Vila puts wall repair alone at $7,500 to $15,000 for a 1,250 sq ft home.
- Existing wiring type and age. Replacing old knob-and-tube or aluminum wiring generally takes more labor than updating newer copper wiring.
- Number of outlets, switches, and fixtures. Each added or relocated outlet or switch runs about $75 to $275 (Bob Vila).
- Electrical panel upgrades. A panel replacement typically adds $500 to $4,000, with a 200-amp panel running $1,300 to $3,202 (HomeAdvisor, Fixr, Bob Vila, Thumbtack).
- Permits and inspections. Most localities charge $200 to $900 combined for permits and inspections (Thumbtack, HomeAdvisor).
- Regional labor rates. Electricians charge $40 to $100 per hour depending on market (Bob Vila, HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack).
How to lower your house rewiring cost
- Time it with a renovation. Rewiring while walls are already open for other work skips the cutting and patching that drives up closed-wall jobs.
- Rewire in phases. Tackling one room or floor at a time, at roughly $100 to $150 per outlet for targeted work (Bob Vila, Thumbtack), can spread out the cost if a full whole-house rewire isn’t urgent.
- Keep the existing panel if it’s adequate. Skipping a panel upgrade avoids the $500 to $4,000 that add-on typically costs (HomeAdvisor, Fixr).
- Get multiple bids. Labor rates alone range from $40 to $100 per hour between sources, so comparing local electricians can meaningfully change the total.
- Ask about open-wall vs. closed-wall pricing upfront. Understanding which method your contractor plans to use helps you budget for drywall repair separately rather than being surprised by it later.
Prices vary by region, home age, and wiring condition, so treat the figures above as a planning budget. Get two or three local quotes, and confirm whether panel upgrades and wall repair are included, before committing to a final number.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to rewire an average-size house?+
For a home around 2,000 to 2,200 sq ft, expect $6,000 to $10,000 based on HomeAdvisor's size table, or $7,286 to $13,257 per Fixr's full-home figure for a 2,200 sq ft house. The exact number depends on wall access, wiring condition, and local labor rates.
Why do some sites quote a much lower 'average' cost to rewire a house?+
Sites like Bob Vila, HomeAdvisor, and Thumbtack often report a blended national average of $1,197 to $1,566 that mixes small partial-wiring jobs (a single room, a few outlets) with full rewires. Their own by-square-footage tables show a true whole-house job costs several times that for an average-size home.
How much does rewiring cost per square foot?+
Installed wiring runs about $3 to $6 per square foot according to Fixr, with HomeAdvisor and Bob Vila both citing $3 to $5 per square foot and Thumbtack citing a slightly lower $2 to $4 per square foot.
Does the cost include a panel upgrade?+
Usually not. A panel upgrade or replacement is typically quoted separately and adds $500 to $4,000 depending on amperage, with a 200-amp panel running $1,580 to $3,202 per Fixr and $1,300 to $3,000 per Bob Vila and Thumbtack.
Is it more expensive to rewire a house with the walls closed?+
Yes. Closed-wall rewiring requires cutting into drywall, fishing wire through cavities, and patching afterward. Bob Vila puts wall opening and repair alone at $7,500 to $15,000 for a 1,250 sq ft home, on top of the wiring cost.
How much does it cost to add or move an outlet?+
A single outlet or switch typically costs $75 to $275 depending on complexity, per Bob Vila, or around $100 to $150 for straightforward outlet rewiring per Bob Vila and Thumbtack.
Sources
Figures synthesized and cross-checked across these sources (retrieved 2026-07-24):
- Bob Vila — Cost to rewire a house ranges from about $561 to $2,308 with a national average of $1,432. Wiring a house costs about $3 to $5 per foot. Rewiring a 1,000 sq ft home typically runs $3,000 to $5,000; a 3,000 sq ft home runs $9,000 to $15,000. Labor $40-$100/hr per worker (electrical company $65-$85/hr). Telephone jacks $50-$240 each; outlets/switches $75-$275 each. 200-amp panel upgrade $1,300-$3,000; panel replacement $50-$200 (100/200-amp) or $400-$500 (400-amp). Permits around $250, up to $500+. Individual outlet rewiring $100-$150 apiece. Opening and repairing walls $7,500-$15,000 for a 1,250 sq ft home, up to $30,000 for larger properties.
- HomeAdvisor — Average cost $1,566; normal range $603-$2,594. Rate of $3 to $5 per square foot. By house size: 500 sq ft $1,500-$2,500; 1,000 sq ft $3,000-$5,000; 1,500 sq ft $4,500-$7,500; 2,000 sq ft $6,000-$10,000; 3,000 sq ft $9,000-$15,000. Labor $40-$100/hr, or $1,000-$5,000 in labor for a full rewiring project. Electrical panel replacement $500-$4,000, average $1,500. Inspections $100-$250; permits $250-$900. Outlet installation $215 average; light switch installation $150.
- Thumbtack — House rewiring costs $672-$2,116, average paid $1,197. Residential electrical wiring installation costs $2 to $4 per square foot, typical rate $2.75/sq ft. By home size: 1,000 sq ft $2,000-$4,000; 1,500 sq ft $3,000-$6,000; 2,000 sq ft $4,000-$8,000; 2,500 sq ft $5,000-$10,000; 3,000 sq ft $6,000-$12,000. Electrical panel upgrade $1,300-$3,000. Wall opening/repair $5-$8/sq ft. New circuits/outlets/switches $100-$150 each. Permits $200-$900. Electricians charge $50-$100/hr, about one hour per 100 sq ft.
- Fixr — House wiring costs range from $7,286 to $13,257 for a full home. Installing new electrical wiring typically costs $3 to $6 per sq ft ($1.00-$1.85/sq ft for wiring without fixtures). By home size: 700 sq ft $2,318-$4,218; 1,000 sq ft $3,312-$6,026; 1,700 sq ft $5,630-$10,244; 2,200 sq ft $7,286-$13,257; 3,000 sq ft $9,936-$18,078. Electrical panel installation/replacement: 100 amp $770-$1,728; 150 amp $1,051-$2,239; 200 amp $1,580-$3,202.
Sources diverge because 'cost to rewire a house' gets reported two ways: (1) a blended national average across all electrical wiring jobs — including small partial jobs like a single room or a few outlets — which Bob Vila ($1,432 avg, $561-$2,308), HomeAdvisor ($1,566 avg, $603-$2,594), and Thumbtack ($1,197 avg, $672-$2,116) all report in the same tight $1,200-$1,600 band; and (2) the cost of an actual whole-house rewire for a typical home, which runs much higher. Using each source's own by-square-footage tables, HomeAdvisor's 2,000 sq ft figure is $6,000-$10,000, and Fixr's full-home figure for a 2,200 sq ft house is $7,286-$13,257 — consistent with each other once scoped to a real whole-house project. This guide's project_low/high ($6,000-$10,000) is HomeAdvisor's own 2,000 sq ft figure; national_average_usd ($8,000) is the arithmetic midpoint of that source-backed range, not an independently reported 'average' figure from any single source. range_low_usd/range_high_usd ($3,000-$18,078) span the full spread from a small 1,000 sq ft home (HomeAdvisor/Bob Vila low end) up to a large 3,000 sq ft home (Fixr's $9,936-$18,078 full-home figure). Figures generally include materials and standard labor for pulling new wire; panel upgrades, permits, and drywall repair after closed-wall work are commonly quoted as separate add-ons.