Rewiring a home: cost and what's involved
Published national ranges for rewiring a whole house, by the square foot or one room, and for hardwired smoke and CO detectors.
These are published national ranges from cost guides.
| Job | Published range |
|---|---|
| Rewiring a whole house | $6,000 to $30,000, by home size and whether walls have to be opened1-3 |
| Per square foot | $3 to $17; two of three sources say $3 to $61-3 |
| One room | $400 to $2,100 for a bedroom or kitchen1, 4 |
| A hardwired smoke or CO detector | $70 to $360 per detector; $500 or more where new wiring is needed5-7 |
HomeGuide's per-foot range includes opening walls, which is why it runs higher than the others. A survey of contractors' estimates by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory put the median single-family wiring job, partial and full, at $5,000.8
Your state's rules page on this site says whether the state requires a permit for rewiring, or leaves it to your city or county.
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The figures are published national ranges, not quotes, and local prices vary. For prices for your own job, get quotes from electricians near you.
Ranges compiled from HomeAdvisor, Fixr and HomeGuide, with LBNL's survey, checked October 2026.
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Sources (8)
- HomeAdvisor: rewiring cost ↑
- Fixr: house wiring cost ↑
- HomeGuide: rewiring cost ↑
- HomeGuide: electrical wiring cost ↑
- HomeAdvisor: smoke detector cost ↑
- Fixr: smoke detector cost ↑
- HomeGuide: smoke detector cost ↑
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: Understanding the Costs and Barriers of Residential Electrical Panel and Service Upgrades ↑