Cost to Rewire a House: $12,000 to $20,000 (HomeAdvisor)

HomeGuide, Aug 2025; HomeAdvisor, Jun 2026. HomeAdvisor's panel guide and This Old House put rewiring an existing home at $6 to $10 per sq ft. The low column assumes easy access; opened walls push toward the high one.

Do this now: wiring warning signs while you price a rewire

If the wiring is showing warning signs, deal with safety before price. A rewire takes 3 to 10 days or more (HomeGuide), so a failing circuit needs a repair now, not a wait.

1. Smoke, flames or a burning smell that is getting stronger? Get everyone out and call 911 from outside. Do not stop to look for the cause.
2. Warm outlet, discolored switch plate, buzzing or a mild shock: ESFI lists all of these as warning signs. Stop using that outlet or switch and call an electrician.
3. Turn off that circuit only if you can reach the panel from a dry spot and the panel is not hot, scorched or buzzing. Do not take the cover off the electrical panel, and do not swap in a bigger breaker to stop the trips. A breaker is sized to protect the wire behind it. ESFI recommends a qualified, licensed electrician for any electrical work in your home.
4. Aluminum wiring: do not try a fix with twist-on connectors. The CPSC says those are not an acceptable permanent repair.

Is it urgent? When old wiring needs an electrician now

Old wiring is urgent when it shows heat, smell, sparks or buzzing; ESFI says dim or flickering lights, sizzling sounds and breakers that trip repeatedly mean contact a qualified electrician right away. A rewire itself is planned work. Angi lists the signs that a house is due for one:

• A breaker that trips when several appliances run in one room.
• Yellowed, browned or blackened outlets or switches.
• A home built before 1960 that has never been rewired.
• Lights that flicker often, or a burning smell (for a smell, see the first step above).

HomeGuide adds a home 30 or more years old, aluminum or knob and tube wiring, and an inspection that finds the wiring outdated or unsafe. For a single problem circuit, how to tell if a breaker is bad and lights flickering cover the repair side.

Rewiring cost per square foot

Rewiring an existing house costs $6 to $10 per square foot in both HomeAdvisor's 2026 panel guide and This Old House's 2026 guide. HomeGuide's range is wider, $5 to $17, and HomeAdvisor's separate wiring page uses $3 to $5. Here is what each publisher says:

The publishers do not agree, so get two written quotes. This Old House's $3 to $5 figure is for wiring new construction.

What drives the price: walls, access and age

Access is the biggest price driver: HomeGuide puts a rewire done through the attic, basement and floor joists at $10,000 to $20,000, and one that opens walls and replaces drywall at $20,000 to $30,000 or more. HomeGuide says opening walls adds 25% to 30% to the project.

• Labor: $50 to $130 an hour, roughly one hour per 100 sq ft of wiring, or $100 to $300 or more per opening (each outlet, switch or fixture), HomeGuide says.
• Drywall patching: $300 to $1,500 or more per patch (HomeGuide).
• Age: an old house runs $10,000 to $30,000 to rewire; a small house or mobile home $2,000 to $17,000 (HomeGuide).
• The panel: many rewires include one. HomeGuide puts panel replacement at $850 to $2,500; HomeAdvisor's average is $1,347. See electrical panel replacement cost.

Knob and tube and aluminum wiring replacement cost

Replacing knob and tube wiring costs $12,000 to $36,600, or $10 to $20 per square foot, in Angi's 2026 guide; HomeGuide's 2026 figure is $12,000 to $35,000 on average, or $8 to $17 per square foot. For a 2,000 sq ft house that is $20,000 to $40,000 in Angi's figures and $16,000 to $34,000 in HomeGuide's.

Aluminum branch wiring from before 1972 is a different problem. The CPSC says those homes are 55 times more likely than copper-wired homes to have at least one connection reach fire hazard conditions. CPSC's permanent repairs are a full copper rewire, COPALUM crimp connectors, or AlumiConn connectors; twist-on connectors and CO/ALR devices do not count. Angi notes that insurers may treat aluminum wiring as a maintenance issue, which can mean higher premiums or a voided policy.

Partial rewiring cost by room

Partial rewiring costs $200 to $2,600 for a bathroom and $500 to $3,400 for a kitchen in HomeGuide's figures, and a basement can run $2,500 to $25,500:

HomeGuide, Aug 2025. Ranges include labor and materials.

Permits, inspection and panel costs on a rewire

A rewiring permit costs $250 to $900 in both HomeGuide's and HomeAdvisor's figures, and This Old House says permits run from $75 for simple work up to $900 for major rewiring of older homes. Inspections add $100 to $200 (HomeGuide) or $100 to $250 (HomeAdvisor).

Who can pull the permit depends on where you live. San Diego's simple electrical permit covers rewiring and says "There are no exemptions," while Boston issues wiring permits only to contractors with a Massachusetts trade license. Ask the electrician who pulls the permit and get it in writing, and check the license on the electrician license by state table.

How long does it take to rewire a house?

Rewiring a house takes 3 to 10 days or more in HomeGuide's guide; HomeAdvisor says many projects take 3 to 7 days, and Angi says three to 10. Inspections and drywall repair can add time after the wiring is done.

How often should a house be rewired?

HomeGuide says to rewire at least in part every 25 to 30 years, though properly installed wiring can last 50 to 70 years in ideal conditions. InterNACHI's chart gives bare copper wire 100 years or more. An electrical inspection costs $125 to $500 in This Old House's guide and tells you what condition your wiring is in.

Rewiring cost in your city

Local rewiring prices range from $1,400 to $9,300 in Minneapolis (Angi) to $8,000 to $20,000 in Charlotte and Nashville (ConsumerAffairs). The two publishers measure differently, so compare like with like:

City figures as published. Angi's city ranges run well below ConsumerAffairs', so treat each as one publisher's view.

Before anyone opens a wall, compare what electricians charge per hour, and see every trade's prices in home repair costs. More guides are on the electrical repair hub. Calls go to an independent company that serves your area and takes this kind of job. How calls work.

What knob and tube is, why insurers decline it and when it is dangerous: knob and tube wiring.