Whole-House Rewiring Cost Estimator
Planning a rewire? Get a realistic 2026 cost range in under a minute, with an itemized breakdown. Your numbers stay in your browser.
Estimate your rewire cost
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This is a planning estimate, not a quote. Rewiring costs vary widely by home condition, wall access, and local labor rates. Get at least three written quotes from licensed electricians before budgeting.
What drives the cost of rewiring a house
- Home size. Most electricians price full rewires by the square foot. 2026 guides put wiring labor and materials at about $2 to $4 per square foot (Angi), with all-in project costs running $4 to $17 per square foot once panels, permits, and wall repair are included.
- Home age and wiring type. Pre-1950 homes often have knob-and-tube wiring, which costs $10 to $20 per square foot to fully replace, according to 2026 data. Homes from the 1960s and 1970s frequently have aluminum branch wiring that must be replaced rather than repaired.
- The electrical panel. Older 60- or 100-amp panels or fuse boxes almost always need upgrading to 200 amps to pass inspection. A panel upgrade adds roughly $1,200 to $3,500 to the project.
- Wall access. Homes with accessible attics, basements, or crawl spaces are cheaper to rewire. Finished walls everywhere means cutting and repairing drywall, which pushes quotes up fast.
- Outlets, switches, and fixtures. Each opening runs $100 to $185 installed. A kitchen or bathroom rewire adds GFCI protection and dedicated circuits, which cost more per opening.
- Local labor rates and permits. Electricians charge $50 to $130 per hour in most markets, and well over $100 per hour in coastal cities. Permits and inspections add another $200 to $600.
Typical costs to rewire a house in 2026
- 1,000 sq ft home: $2,000 to $4,000 for wiring alone (Angi 2026 data).
- 2,000 sq ft home: about $8,000 to $20,000 for a standard full rewire with reasonable wall access (iBuyer, citing SoFi January 2026).
- Knob-and-tube replacement: $12,000 to $36,600 for a typical home (Angi 2026).
- 200-amp panel upgrade: $1,500 to $4,000 (instaElectricians 2026).
Every estimate on this page is a starting point. Local electricians see what we cannot: your walls, your panel, and your local code.