How much does it cost to rewire a 2,000 sq ft house?

$6,000–$10,000 at $3–$5 per sq ft (HomeAdvisor 2026, Bob Vila 2023), $7,286–$13,257 (Fixr 2025, 2,200 sq ft) or $10,000–$34,000 (HomeGuide 2025, $5–$17 per sq ft). The higher figures include opening finished walls and repairs; the panel is extra.

Can a house be rewired without opening the walls?

Often mostly: electricians fish cable through attics, basements and closets and cut small openings at boxes. HomeGuide prices that approach at $10,000–$20,000 against $20,000–$30,000+ with walls opened.

Does the price include the panel?

Usually not; the guides list it separately at $800–$4,000. A knob-and-tube house almost always needs a new panel as well.

Cost to rewire a house

Published range · 5 sources$4,000to$34,000Lowest low to highest high of the 5 guides’ overall typical ranges (listed under Sources), fetched 2026-09-05; the rows below are line items with their own ranges. Not a quote.

Per square foot, finished houseHomeAdvisor and Bob Vila $3–$5 · Fixr $3–$6 · This Old House $6–$10 · HomeGuide $5–$17: $3–$17
1,000 sq ftHomeAdvisor and Bob Vila $3,000–$5,000 · Fixr $3,312–$6,026 · HomeGuide $5,000–$17,000: $3,000–$17,000
1,500 sq ftHomeAdvisor $4,500–$7,500 · HomeGuide $7,500–$25,500: $4,500–$25,500
3,000 sq ftHomeAdvisor and Bob Vila $9,000–$15,000 · Fixr $9,936–$18,078 · HomeGuide $15,000–$51,000: $9,000–$51,000
Knob-and-tube replacementHomeGuide, February 2026: $8–$17 per sq ft: $12,000–$35,000
New panel, when addedHomeGuide $850–$2,500 · HomeAdvisor $500–$4,000 · Fixr $1,580–$3,202 · Bob Vila $1,300–$3,000: $800–$4,000
Permit and inspectionHomeGuide and HomeAdvisor $250–$900 permit, $100–$250 inspection; This Old House up to $900: $250–$900

Rewiring is priced per square foot and the guides disagree by a factor of three, because “rewire” means different things: pulling new cable through an open attic and basement is one job, opening finished plaster walls in a 1920s house with knob-and-tube is another. The band above is the spread of published per-house figures for a 2,000 sq ft home, fetched and dated below. The panel is usually priced separately ($850–$4,000 across the guides). Every guide fetched says a licensed electrician and a permit are required.

What drives the price

Access: HomeGuide prices a rewire through attic, basement and joists at $10,000–$20,000 and one that opens walls at $20,000–$30,000+; Bob Vila and HomeGuide both put opening finished walls at 25–30 % more.
Age and existing wiring: Knob-and-tube and ungrounded two-wire systems need every circuit replaced ($8–$17 per sq ft, HomeGuide); the guides fetched gave no separate figure for aluminum branch-circuit replacement.
Circuit count: Current editions require more circuits than a 1960s house has: kitchen small-appliance, bathroom, laundry and garage circuits, AFCI and GFCI protection, and a receptacle every 12 ft along walls (210.52). A rewire brings the count up to code, which is most of the labor.
Panel: Usually a separate line: $800–$4,000 across the guides. See the panel upgrade page.
Labor rate: $40–$130 per hour by guide; HomeGuide’s rule of thumb is about one hour per 100 sq ft, with flat $100–$300 per opening in finished walls.

When a permit is needed

Always. HomeGuide: many states require a licensed and insured electrician for rewiring, and permits run $250–$900 with $100–$250 inspections. Rough-in inspection happens before the walls close and final after devices are in; a rewire without a permit is uninsurable and shows up at resale.

The edition in force where you live sets the circuit, protection and box-fill rules the inspector checks; local amendments can require more (some cities require a full service upgrade with any rewire).

The sources behind the range

Each figure is as the publisher states it, with the date on the page. Where a publisher gives a national average it is listed as “typical”.

Publisher	Dated	Low	High	Typical
HomeGuide2,000 sq ft; $5–$17 per sq ft; whole house $10,000–$30,000	August 29, 2025	$10,000	$34,000	not published
HomeAdvisor2,000 sq ft at $3–$5 per sq ft; the page’s headline average ($1,567) is for smaller wiring jobs	Updated Jun 17, 2026	$6,000	$10,000	not published
Fixr2,200 sq ft home; $3–$6 per sq ft	Updated January 31, 2025	$7,286	$13,257	not published
Bob Vila2,000 sq ft at $3–$5 per sq ft; up to $30,000 for large old homes	Updated Jan 5, 2023	$6,000	$10,000	not published
Today’s Homeowner$20,000+ for larger or older houses	Updated March 20, 2025	$4,000	$15,000	not published

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to rewire a 2,000 sq ft house?: $6,000–$10,000 at $3–$5 per sq ft (HomeAdvisor 2026, Bob Vila 2023), $7,286–$13,257 (Fixr 2025, 2,200 sq ft) or $10,000–$34,000 (HomeGuide 2025, $5–$17 per sq ft). The higher figures include opening finished walls and repairs; the panel is extra.
Can a house be rewired without opening the walls?: Often mostly: electricians fish cable through attics, basements and closets and cut small openings at boxes. HomeGuide prices that approach at $10,000–$20,000 against $20,000–$30,000+ with walls opened.
Does the price include the panel?: Usually not; the guides list it separately at $800–$4,000. A knob-and-tube house almost always needs a new panel as well.