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 |  | Adding an Outlet: $60-$800 |  | Upgrading an Electrical Panel: $800-$4,000+ |  | Rewiring a House: $3,500-$30,000+ |
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Typical costs: | - Although there are still a few low-cost areas where electricians charge $30-$50 an hour, they typically bill $50-$100 an hour or more depending on local rates and their qualifications. Some electricians quote a flat fee per job rather than an hourly rate, depending on the scope and type of work to be performed. There may also be a minimum $50-$150 service charge to come to the house and evaluate the problem. Total cost for hiring an electrician will depend on the type of work done.
- Adding an electrical outlet typically starts at $60-$125 to replace an existing standard outlet with a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) receptacle, but can be $150-$250 for running a new 120V circuit off the electrical panel or $300-$800 for installing a new 240V circuit on the main electrical panel.
- Upgrading an electrical panel typically costs $800-$1,200 to change an existing panel to 100 amps, or $1,500-$2,000 for a new panel. It can cost $1,300-$3,000 to upgrade to 200 amps and $2,000-$4,000 for 400 amps. Expect to pay $500-$1,000 for installing a new sub-panel.
- Average total costs for rewiring a house start at $3,500-$8,000 for a moderate-sized home with easy access to the crawlspace and attic, but it can cost $8,500-$30,000 or more for rewiring a large house and/or one with difficult access.
- A wide variety of projects might require the skills of a licensed electrician. For example, hiring an electrician to install an electric baseboard heater can cost $125-$300 (not including the heater); and expect to pay $100-$250 to have an electrician install a wall-mounted towel warmer. Installation of recessed lighting in a ceiling that's already torn open for remodeling typically costs $50-$200 per light; installation of recessed can lights designed to fit in a small opening can cost $100-$200 each, or more if access is limited. And it can cost $400-$1,000 to install a power transfer switch on a home's main electrical panel to make it possible for a portable generator to power several circuits with a single extension cord.
Related articles: Adding an Electrical Outlet, Rewiring a House, Upgrading an Electrical Panel, Recessed Lighting, Construction
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What should be included: | - The City of Fairfax,VA Dept of Code Administration provides a guide to replacing receptacles in your home[1] .
- Extensive electrical work may require a building permit; check with the local planning/zoning department for specifics. All wiring must meet the National Electrical Code[2] , but local building regulations can also affect the scope and cost of a large electrical project (for example, rewiring a house).
Shopping for an electrician: | - Evaluate the electrical work to be done. Be clear about what is needed, and why. Then ask for electrician recommendations from family, friends, co-workers or neighbors, or at the local home improvement center or hardware store.
- State and local licensing levels indicate the electrician's qualifications. Specifics vary by state, but someone certified and licensed as a residential wire electrician, residential appliance contractor or maintenance electrician may have less training and experience than a journeyman electrician or a master electrician -- the latter typically has the most experience and has met the most stringent level of licensing requirements. Ask to see the electrician's license and proof of insurance, and check with the state licensing boardto be sure the license is current.
- Ask if all work will be done to code. The electrician should provide a written estimate listing the work to be done, materials used, cost, payment schedule, start date and estimated completion date.
- The Massachussetts Board of State Examiners of Electricians lists Consumer Tips for Choosing an Electrician[3] , and the Better Business Bureau offers tips for hiring an electrician[4] .
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What People Are Paying - Recent Comments |
| Posted by: [email protected] in Bucks Co, PA. | Posted: June 23rd, 2021 08:06PM |
| Project: Resi/Commercial | Electrician: Profession |
It’s a free market. I choose to apply my skills to profitable arenas. Air conditioning in summer, heat in winter. Year round I do electrical jobs that people want done. I’ll let everyone who “seen it on YouTube and can do it in 5 minutes” deal with BigName Electric. I know within 5 minutes if that customer wants quality work or already knows how they want to hack it up |
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| Posted by: Glen Davis in Odessa, TX. | Posted: August 12th, 2019 07:08PM |
| Project: Growing business | Electrician: Myself |
It costs a fortune in time and money to become a truly skilled and knowledgeable master/electrical contractor. The problem is there are so many hacks out there trying to screw over everyone they can and squeeze every dollar they can get out of innocent people who would be good repeat customers. I read this and see so called electricians or contractor raking people over the coals giving the qualified contractors a bad name and people paying fair prices yet complaining, not realizing the money they paid is not going in the electricians pocket it’s going to the company who has business expenses to pay just like you do at home. Yes electricians are worth every penny because of the skills and knowledge it takes to come do a job in your home and give you the peace of mind knowing you and your family won’t be killed by an electrical problem. It takes money to run any business. Electricians are gold. Don’t let a few bad apples ruin your experience, just get better at choosing your contractor. |
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| Posted by: Lilah and Thomas Davis inc in Carlsbad, CA. | Posted: February 10th, 2019 03:02PM |
| Project: Flooring, lighting, paint, labor | Electrician: Thomas Davis inc |
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| Posted by: Av8or in Kansas City, MO. | Posted: January 24th, 2019 11:01PM |
| Project: Trouble shoot tripping circuit and new t | Electrician: Kansas City Tann electric |
Had a high rated company come trouble shoot a circuit tripping for an unknown reason. 1 1/2 hours later, reason unknown and problem not fixed. 1/2 hour labor to replace doorbell transformer with minimum 250%-450% markup on materials. I've never understood why companies do that other than they can. First half hour was $118 and the other three 1/2 hours were $59 each. $50 for doorbell transformer I found for $11 afterwards. Even ¢.74 for a wirenut x 2. Wow. Electricians deserve to be paid well, after all it can be dangerous and some knowledge and training for sure. But you ARE NOT the brain surgeons you think you are. I've done a lot watching YouTube! Get over yourselves. |
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| Posted by: Moose612 in Minneapolis, MN. | Posted: January 18th, 2019 05:01AM |
New construction home. 4,500 sq ft.
2 service panels (200 and 100 amps), 109 can lights, 120 outlets, 4 ceiling fans, 4 chandeliers, 5 pendants over the island, 12 smoke detectors, hot tub panel and wiring, air conditioner, hrv, hepa filter, 1 garage door opener, 3 dishwashers, garage box for car charger,
Labor cost only. No fixtures. |
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| Posted by: a user in Westchester, NY. | Posted: June 5th, 2017 08:06PM |
| Project: home run | Electrician: city lights |
hanging two fans with a dimmer switch at a new location also bring new home run into a bed room and changing one breaker to a 20amp and running new line 500 feet. |
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| Posted by: MN_JESSICA in Saint Paul, MN. | Posted: March 16th, 2017 01:03PM |
We had a switch that stopped working and had been improperly wired to begin with (wired to the second switch in a 3 way switch configuration so it only got power when the first switch was on). I already had the wall open and will patch it afterwards so all he had to do was reroute the wire, which took a little doing to figure out where to wire it into. All in all, about an hour's work |
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| Posted by: Scott Jarry in South hadley, MA. | Posted: March 12th, 2017 04:03PM |
| Project: Electrician | Electrician: Me |
I have over 20 years experience in commercial, industrial,and residential. Why do people think we should only charge as much ad a land scaper. I don't feel at all ashamed to charge 100. Or more per hour. All the school and field training we as electricians have to go through. People have no idea. Most people think you just hook up some wires and your all set. There is a whole lot more to it. Maditory 21 every three years code updates....suck! Funny people with electrical problems wont fix them until they break. If they have a leak in their pipe and water is coming in they call a terd herder and dont even question how much he just charged. Or if they have a gas water heater and it is shot. They don't care what it cost...they juat pay it. If its an electric heater and the pumber just charged 125.00 an hour they expect to pay the electrician 25 an hour. Yeah sorry that will be 125.00 plus material. People need to wake up and start to realize Electricians are not over rated painters. |
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| Posted by: Mike H. in St. Louis, MO. | Posted: September 23rd, 2016 08:09AM |
Added an electric circuit for sump pump. Panel was located about 150 feet from pump. I personally drilled all holes through studs to reduce cost. I also had a seperate GCFI plug added in the basement unrelated to the pump and a small issue corrected in my panel. Total time on site 2.5 hours. |
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| Posted by: Joan Molloy in Toms River, NJ. | Posted: June 28th, 2016 11:06PM |
| Project: inspected the cause of a burning smell | Electrician: Gold Medal |
A smell of burning plastic was coming from overhead lighting above my sink. The electrician arrived, looked at the bulbs (the curly kind with mercury in them) and immediately removed one to see if it had the smell. It did, so he removed all four bulbs from the 4 lights and screwed in 4 new ones that I had purchased on my own. That was the extent of his visit. I was charged a $29.00 service call fee, and $150.00 for changing the four bulbs. I don't see how that would be a fair price for 5 minutes of work. Had I known, I would have screwed them in myself. His bill stated that the charge of the $150.00 was for screwing in 4 bulbs. Somehow I think I've been taken. Am I wrong? |
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| Posted by: Elijah in Stockton, CA. | Posted: April 18th, 2016 04:04PM |
| Project: Installed 60 amp subpanel in | Electrician: Lee's Assembly Required |
I use my 2 car garage as a wood shop, but the garage only has 3 outlets total. One 110v 20amp GFCI and two 110v 15amp outlets. Cant use one of the outlets because the furnace plugs into that one. The 20amp GFCI is annoying because its on the same circuit with other GFCI in the house and so when I have one of my tools running on it and someone plugs into one in the house it trips the breaker so it was time to do something
I have a 125 amp main breaker box. So Electrician was able to install a 60 amp subpanel in my garage. Also ran 2 additional 110v 20amp outlets each on their on breaker. It also gives me the ability to have one more 110v 20amp outlet put in and either two 220v 20amp outlets or one 220v 50amp outlet. This will be an easy install at a later date because of the new sub panel so no more tripping breakers because everything in the garage is now on its own circuit. Job took about 3 hours. Very clean professional work. Happy to answer all my questions. |
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| Posted by: Jamie Rosochacki in Wyoming, MI. | Posted: November 4th, 2015 11:11AM |
| Project: 3 piece bathroom/lift station | Electrician: Joe |
joe spent apox. 8 hrs to run one line from the panel with a new breaker to the opposite side of the house in the basement.
put in a light over the vanity , light in the shower an exhaust fan install 1 GFCI 2 switches 2 wall plugs |
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| Posted by: a user in La Habra, CA. | Posted: October 21st, 2014 11:10PM |
| Project: repalce few switches and fan in bathroom | Electrician: vec electrical |
i needed a few switches replaced in kitchen and a fan in the guest bathroom. it ended up costing me $1000. @750 of that was for labor alone. and this was from an ex neighbor who i have known for 6 years. |
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External Resources: | - www.fairfaxva.gov/home/showdocument?id=532
- www.nfpa.org/aboutthecodes/AboutTheCodes.asp?DocNum=70&cookie%5Ftest=1
- www.mass.gov/files/documents/2017/12/12/Electricians%20Consumer%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf
- www.bbb.org/article/tips/19633-bbb-tip-hiring-an-electrician
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