Whole House Rewiring Cost (2026): Price Per Square Foot and by Home Size

Whole-house rewiring has one of the widest price ranges in residential electrical work, and the reason isn't the wire — it's whether the crew can get to it without opening walls.

How much does it cost to rewire a house?

Rewiring a house typically runs $2 to $4 per square foot for straightforward access, averaging around $2.75/sq ft, but climbs to $5 to $17 per square foot depending on the source and job complexity. By home size: a 1,000 sq ft home with a simple layout runs $3,500-$5,500, a 2,000 sq ft two-story home runs $7,000-$12,000, and homes over 3,000 sq ft can reach $15,000-$25,000.

What's the single biggest cost driver on a rewire?

Wall access. If walls need to be opened and repaired to run new wire, expect roughly double the price — around $5 to $8 per square foot instead of the baseline rate. This is the detail that turns a rewire quote from routine into a real negotiation, so flag it clearly and separately rather than folding it into one blended number.

How should labor be estimated for a rewire?

Electricians typically charge $50 to $100 an hour and price a rewire at roughly one hour of labor per 100 square feet of wire run — a useful sanity check against a square-footage estimate, especially on older homes with unusual layouts or additions that don't match standard framing.

What else affects the final number besides square footage?

Location, home age, number of rooms, wiring accessibility (crawl space vs. finished basement vs. slab), and current material prices all move the estimate meaningfully. Two homes of identical square footage can land thousands apart once accessibility and age are factored in — worth walking through with the customer up front so the final invoice doesn't feel like a surprise.

Quote rewiring jobs faster

Home age, general wall/ceiling access, and visible panel condition are often assessable from photos before a full walkthrough. Fast Snap Pro turns those photos into a priced estimate built from your own per-square-foot rates and access-difficulty add-ons, so you can send a real ballpark fast and confirm exact scope during an in-person assessment before finalizing.

Example: rewiring a 1,500 sq ft single-story home

A 1960s ranch on a crawlspace with an attic above, original wiring, and a panel that also needs upgrading:

Line item	How it's priced	Example
New circuits and wiring (attic and crawlspace access)	Sq ft × rate	$5,250
New devices: outlets, switches, GFCI/AFCI where required	Per device	$1,350
Panel upgrade	Flat	$2,200
Permit and inspections	Permit + time	$450
Small access holes and patching	Allowance	$700
Old wiring removal where accessible	Flat	$300
Total		$10,250

Illustrative numbers only. Use your own rates, production times and local costs.

See electrical panel upgrade cost for pricing the panel separately.

Signs a home needs rewiring

• Knob-and-tube or cloth-insulated wiring
• Older aluminum branch wiring
• Frequent breaker trips or blown fuses
• Two-prong ungrounded outlets throughout the house
• Scorch marks, warm switch plates or burning smells
• An insurer or home inspector flagging the wiring

Asking about these in your intake form helps sort full-rewire leads from service calls.

What to put in the proposal

• Which rooms and circuits are included, and whether any existing wiring is being kept
• Device count and type, including code-required GFCI and AFCI protection
• Who handles drywall patching, texture and paint
• How long power will be off each day
• Permit and inspection schedule

Rewires are disruptive, so a clear plan for each day helps the customer say yes.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to rewire a house?

Many single-family rewires take several days to a couple of weeks, depending on size, access, crew size and inspection timing.

Can you rewire a house without removing drywall?

Often, yes. Electricians fish new wire through walls from the attic, basement or crawlspace with small access holes. Homes on slabs or with limited access usually need more openings.

Does a rewire require a permit?

In most places, yes. A rewire is major electrical work that usually requires a permit and inspections.