Rewiring a House Cost: What to Budget in 2026

What rewiring a house actually costs

Whole-home rewiring is priced mostly by labor and access, not materials. A single-story home with an open crawlspace and unfinished basement is far cheaper to rewire than a two-story home with plaster walls and no attic access, even at the same square footage. Older homes with knob-and-tube or aluminum wiring almost always cost more because the old system usually has to come out and everything downstream needs to meet current code.

What drives the price up or down

Two homes of the same size can differ by tens of thousands of dollars. Here is what actually moves the number:

• Wall access. Open framing, attics, basements, and crawlspaces let electricians fish wire quickly. Finished plaster or drywall on every wall means cutting, fishing blind, and patching — the single biggest swing factor.
• Home age and existing wiring. Knob-and-tube and aluminum wiring take longer to remove and often trigger required upgrades throughout the house.
• Number of circuits, outlets, and fixtures. More devices means more labor and material. Adding outlets to meet modern spacing codes adds to the count.
• Panel and service upgrade. Many older homes need a larger panel or a 200-amp service to handle a full rewire; this is often quoted as a line item.
• Code-required extras. GFCI and AFCI protection, grounded outlets, smoke/CO detectors, and dedicated appliance circuits are commonly required and add cost.
• Drywall and plaster repair. Electricians open walls; not all of them patch and paint. Confirm who owns the repair — it can add thousands.
• Permits and inspection. Rewiring requires a permit and inspection in nearly every jurisdiction. Budget for both, and never let anyone talk you out of pulling one.

The costs people forget to budget

The wire-and-labor quote is rarely the whole story. Ask specifically about these before you sign:

1. 1Drywall/plaster patching and paint — sometimes excluded entirely, leaving you to hire a separate crew.
2. 2Temporary power or moving out — a full rewire can mean days without power in parts of the house.
3. 3Permit and inspection fees — sometimes bundled, sometimes passed through separately.
4. 4Panel upgrade — if your service can't support the new load, this is not optional.
5. 5Fixture and device allowances — switches, outlets, and cover plates add up across a whole house.
6. 6Fixing surprises inside the walls — old plumbing, pest damage, or non-compliant prior work discovered once walls are open.

How to get an honest number for your home

Because rewiring cost depends so heavily on things a stranger online can't see — your walls, your panel, your local rates — the ranges above only tell you if a quote is in the right universe. For a real number you need a licensed electrician to walk the home. When you compare bids, make sure each one covers the same scope, confirms who pulls the permit, and states plainly whether wall repair is included.

This is also a project where vetting matters more than usual: rewiring is high-voltage, permit-required work, and a cheap unlicensed bid can cost far more later in failed inspections or fire risk. Confirm the electrician holds an active license for your state and trade, carries general liability and workers'-comp insurance, and has a clean review and complaint history — the same vetting standard we apply before we ever coordinate a job. (If you've been comparing lead-marketplace sites, here's an honest look at is Angi legit.)