Quick answer: Rewiring a whole house typically runs about $10,000 to $30,000, or roughly $5 to $17 per square foot, according to 2026 cost data from HomeGuide. Angi puts the materials-and-labor figure closer to $2 to $4 per square foot. Your real price varies by region, scope, materials, and the age of your home. The fastest way to a true number is a few local quotes: post your job free on Qiggz and licensed electricians near you respond.
Rewiring a house is one of those projects you rarely plan for and almost never want to pay for. It is invisible when it is done, it tears up walls while it is happening, and the bill can land in five figures. But old or failing wiring is also one of the few home problems that can genuinely start a fire, so it is not the place to cut corners.
The honest answer to "what does it cost" is: it depends, and it depends a lot. A small bungalow with an accessible attic and crawlspace is a very different job from a finished three-story home with plaster walls and no easy path for new cable. Anyone who quotes you a firm price without seeing the house is guessing.
This guide walks through the ranges the major cost trackers report for 2026, what actually moves the number up or down, and how to get an accurate quote for your specific home instead of a national average.
What affects the cost of rewiring a house
Rewiring is priced mostly by labor and access, not by the wire itself. Copper costs money, but the bigger variable is how hard it is to get new cable from the panel to every outlet, switch, and fixture without destroying your finishes. Here is what drives the number.
- Size of the home. More square footage means more circuits, more outlets, and more cable to run. This is why most estimates are expressed per square foot.
- Accessibility. An unfinished basement, an open attic, and a crawlspace make a rewire much cheaper because the electrician can route cable without opening walls. Finished, insulated, two-story homes with plaster walls are the expensive end, because more cutting and patching is involved.
- Age and existing wiring. Knob-and-tube and aluminum wiring usually mean a full replacement and can complicate the job. Older homes also tend to need panel and grounding upgrades to meet current code.
- Scope. A full rewire that touches every circuit is the top of the range. Rewiring a single room, an addition, or just the highest-risk circuits costs far less.
- Drywall and finish repair. Opening walls is part of the job; closing them back up, patching, and repainting is often a separate cost that homeowners forget to budget.
- Permits and inspection. Electrical work requires a permit and a code inspection in most areas, which adds to the total.
- Region and labor rates. HomeGuide reports electricians charging roughly $50 to $130 per hour for rewiring work, and that rate swings widely between a rural town and a high-cost metro.
Because so much of this is specific to your house, the per-square-foot ranges below are a starting point for budgeting, not a quote.
Cost to rewire a house: typical ranges for 2026
The table below pulls the figures the major home-services cost trackers report for 2026. Every number is sourced and listed again in the Sources section. Treat these as planning ranges; your quote will depend on the factors above.
| Rewiring scenario | Typical cost range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Whole-house rewire (total) | $10,000 to $30,000 | HomeGuide (2026) |
| Whole-house rewire (per sq ft) | $5 to $17 per sq ft | HomeGuide (2026) |
| Rewire, materials and labor (per sq ft) | $2 to $4 per sq ft | Angi (2026) |
| Rewiring a single room or addition (per sq ft) | $3 to $5 per sq ft | HomeGuide (2026) |
| Electrician labor rate | $50 to $130 per hour | HomeGuide (2026) |
A few notes on reading this table. The wide spread between HomeGuide's and Angi's per-square-foot figures is normal: these are national aggregates pulled from different project samples, and a "rewire" can mean anything from swapping the wiring on a few problem circuits to gutting and replacing every run in the house. The bigger and older the home, and the harder the access, the closer you sit to the top of each range.
If you want a rough number by home size, Fixr's 2026 wiring data gives the following ranges. These are whole-house figures that include materials and labor, and like every number here they move with access, age, and scope.
| Home size | Typical wiring cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 700 sq ft | $2,318 to $4,218 | Fixr (2026) |
| 1,000 sq ft | $3,312 to $6,026 | Fixr (2026) |
| 1,700 sq ft | $5,630 to $10,244 | Fixr (2026) |
| 2,200 sq ft | $7,286 to $13,257 | Fixr (2026) |
| 3,000 sq ft | $9,936 to $18,078 | Fixr (2026) |
A residential rewire also needs a permit, which HomeGuide puts at about $250 to $900 in 2026, depending on scope and local fees. A good electrician folds the permit into the quote rather than leaving it to you.
Is rewiring a house a DIY job?
No. This is the part of the guide where it is worth being blunt: a full house rewire is licensed-electrician work, not a weekend project. Mistakes in electrical work do not just trip a breaker; they cause shocks and house fires, sometimes years later, behind a wall where no one can see the problem until it is too late.
On top of the safety issue, most jurisdictions require rewiring to be done to code, permitted, and inspected. In many areas a homeowner is not even permitted to pull an electrical permit for major work, and insurance can be voided if unpermitted electrical work is later linked to a fire. A licensed electrician knows the current code, sizes the circuits correctly, grounds the system properly, and leaves you with a job that passes inspection and protects your home.
The reasonable "DIY" role for a homeowner is the planning and the prep: deciding what you want, clearing rooms, and handling the cosmetic patching and painting after the electrician is done, if you are comfortable with that. The wiring itself should be a pro.
How to save money and get accurate quotes
You cannot make rewiring cheap, but you can avoid overpaying and avoid surprises.
- Get at least three quotes. Prices for the same job vary widely between electricians, so comparing several is the single best way to find a fair price and spot an outlier.
- Ask for an itemized estimate. A good quote separates labor, materials, the panel or grounding work if needed, permits, and drywall or finish repair. That makes it clear what you are paying for and easy to compare bids.
- Bundle the work. If you are already opening walls for a remodel, doing the rewire at the same time saves on patching and finishing costs.
- Be clear about scope. Decide up front whether you need a full rewire or only the highest-risk circuits. An honest electrician will tell you what is genuinely necessary for safety versus what is optional.
- Confirm permits are included. Make sure the quote covers pulling the permit and the inspection, and that the electrician, not you, is responsible for both.
- Hire licensed and insured pros. Always confirm the electrician is licensed in your state and carries insurance before work starts. A cheap quote from an unlicensed wireman can cost far more if it fails inspection or causes damage.
The reason quotes matter so much here is that "cost to rewire a house" has no single right answer. The only number that means anything is the one a licensed electrician gives you after seeing your panel, your walls, and your wiring.
When to hire a pro
For a house rewire, the answer is always. This is not a gray area. If your home has any of the warning signs below, treat it as a reason to call a licensed electrician promptly, not a reason to start cutting wire yourself:
- Knob-and-tube or aluminum wiring
- Breakers that trip repeatedly, or fuses that blow often
- Outlets or switch plates that are warm, discolored, or buzzing
- Flickering lights, or a burning smell with no obvious source
- Two-prong outlets throughout the house (a sign of an ungrounded system)
- A home that is several decades old and has never been rewired
When you are ready for real numbers, skip the national averages. Post your rewiring job free on Qiggz and licensed electricians local to your zip code can respond, look at your home, and quote your actual project. You can compare bids and message pros directly before you commit to anyone. If you want to go straight to the trade, start at hire an electrician.
The bottom line
Rewiring a whole house in 2026 typically costs about $10,000 to $30,000, or roughly $5 to $17 per square foot per HomeGuide, with Angi reporting a lower $2 to $4 per square foot. Where you land depends on the size and age of your home, how accessible the wiring is, the scope of the work, and your local labor rates. It is licensed-pro work for safety and code reasons, full stop.
The number that matters is your number. Post your job free on Qiggz, with no lead fees and no commissions, get quotes from licensed electricians near you, and pay for the work instead of paying to find the worker. Ready to start? Hire an electrician on Qiggz.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to rewire a house in 2026?
A whole-house rewire typically costs about $10,000 to $30,000, or roughly $5 to $17 per square foot, according to 2026 HomeGuide data. Angi reports a lower range of about $2 to $4 per square foot for materials and labor. Your actual cost varies by region, home size, wiring accessibility, and scope, so get a few local quotes before budgeting.
Why is rewiring a house so expensive?
Most of the cost is labor and access, not the wire itself. Running new cable to every outlet and fixture, especially in a finished two-story home with plaster walls, takes many hours and often means opening and repairing walls. Electricians charge roughly $50 to $130 per hour for this work (HomeGuide, 2026), plus permits, panel or grounding upgrades, and finish repair.
Can I rewire my house myself?
This is not a recommended DIY project. A house rewire is licensed-electrician work because of the fire and shock risk and because the job must be done to code, permitted, and inspected in most areas. Unpermitted electrical work can also void your insurance. Homeowners can handle prep and cosmetic patching, but the wiring should be done by a licensed pro.
How long does it take to rewire a house?
It depends on the size of the home and how accessible the wiring is, so the most reliable estimate comes from the electrician who sees your house. Post your job on Qiggz to get a realistic timeline along with your quote from local pros.
How can I get an accurate quote for rewiring my house?
Have at least three licensed electricians look at your home in person and provide itemized estimates, since "cost to rewire a house" has no single answer. You can post your job free on Qiggz and have licensed electricians near you respond with quotes based on your actual panel, walls, and wiring.
Does a house rewire need a permit?
In most areas, yes. Electrical rewiring usually requires a permit and a code inspection, with HomeGuide putting the permit at about $250 to $900 in 2026 depending on scope and local fees. Confirm that your electrician's quote includes pulling the permit and scheduling the inspection, and that they, not you, are responsible for both.
Sources
- House rewiring total cost ($10,000 to $30,000), per-square-foot range ($5 to $17), single-room/addition rewire ($3 to $5 per sq ft), and electrician labor rate ($50 to $130/hr): HomeGuide, "How Much Does It Cost to Rewire a House? (2026)": https://homeguide.com/costs/cost-to-rewire-a-house and HomeGuide, "How Much Does Electrical Wiring Cost? (2026)": https://homeguide.com/costs/electrical-wiring-cost
- Rewire materials-and-labor range ($2 to $4 per sq ft): Angi, "Cost To Rewire A House [2026 Data]": https://www.angi.com/articles/how-much-does-it-cost-rewire-house.htm
- Wiring cost by home size (700 sq ft $2,318 to $4,218; 1,000 sq ft $3,312 to $6,026; 1,700 sq ft $5,630 to $10,244; 2,200 sq ft $7,286 to $13,257; 3,000 sq ft $9,936 to $18,078): Fixr, "Average Costs to Wire a House (2026)": https://www.fixr.com/costs/electrical-wiring
- Residential electrical rewire permit cost ($250 to $900): HomeGuide, "How Much Does It Cost to Rewire a House? (2026)": https://homeguide.com/costs/cost-to-rewire-a-house
- Qiggz "free to post, free to apply, no lead fees, no commissions, local-matched, direct messaging": first-party (Qiggz product), see https://qiggz.com/about/qiggz
