Rewire / Panel Replacement Cost

1. Enter the home's square footage. Total living area. The calculator uses this plus the number of stories to estimate wire, device boxes, and labor time required.

2. Select the number of stories. Multi-story homes are significantly more complex due to vertical runs, fire-stopping, and the difficulty of fishing wire through finished walls between floors.

3. Choose the current wiring type. Knob-and-tube is the most labor-intensive to remove and replace. Aluminum branch circuits require careful removal and copper replacement at every connection. Outdated Romex is the simplest to replace.

4. Include or exclude the panel upgrade. Most whole-house rewires include a panel upgrade to 200A service since you are already replacing all the circuits. If the existing panel is already adequate, skip this to reduce the total.

Wall and ceiling access. Open basements and accessible attics make fishing wire much faster. Finished basements, cathedral ceilings, and plaster-over-lath walls dramatically slow the work. Some walls may need to be opened up, adding drywall repair to the scope.

Existing wiring type. Knob-and-tube removal is the most time-consuming because the old wire is stapled through framing and routed through porcelain insulators in hard-to-reach places. Aluminum wiring is moderately complex. Old Romex follows similar routing paths as the new wire, making it simplest.

Number of circuits and devices. More circuits mean more wire, breakers, and labor. A modern code-compliant rewire typically adds more circuits than the original house had — dedicated circuits for kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry, plus AFCI and GFCI protection where required.

Panel upgrade scope. Cost depends on whether the meter base also needs replacement, whether the utility needs a service disconnect, and whether the grounding electrode system needs updating.

Drywall and patching. Some electricians include basic patching in their price while others leave it for a drywall sub. Be clear about what your bid covers. Drywall repair and paint touch-up can add $1,000-$3,000 to the project.

Phone-stage pricing. When a homeowner or real estate agent calls about a rewire, get the basic home info and give them a range. This qualifies the lead and sets expectations before you spend time on a site visit.

Insurance and real estate situations. Many rewire jobs come from insurance requirements or pre-closing inspections. These clients need fast turnaround on estimates. Having a reliable estimating tool speeds up your response time.

Bidding consistency. Run your last several rewire jobs through the calculator and compare to your actual bids. If there is a consistent gap, adjust your base rates to ensure consistent pricing across different jobs.