How Much Does It Cost to Rewire a Home in Denver

If you suspect that your home’s wiring needs to be replaced, it’s crucial to act promptly to avoid electrical fires. To ensure the safety of your home and family, you need to keep the electrical wiring in good condition. However, the cost of whole-home rewiring varies based on several factors, but generally, it ranges from $2,000 to $20,000 in Denver. The cost factors that affect the price of whole-home rewiring include but are not limited to:

• Size of the home 
• Accessibility of the wiring
• If one is replacing aluminum wiring or “pigtailing” it
• If a home has “knob and tube” wiring
• Whether the home needs an electrical panel upgrade
• The electrician that is chosen for the job

Certainly, there is a handful of factors that contribute to the overall cost to rewire a home in Denver. Let’s take a better look and see what is can be done to make your home’s electrical service a bit more clear.

Size of the home

Naturally, the larger a home is the more it will cost when to rewire a home.

The larger home is the more material is needed to cover the extra square footage in order to connect the home’s electrical system. A standard home coming in at 3,000 square feet will need fewer wires to connect all the rooms, as opposed to a larger 7,000 square-foot home. Not to mention, there will be added man hours that it takes to complete the job. Both are true especially when a home starts to introduce multiple stories or levels that need electrical services. Simply put, the size of your home will determine the ballpark costs:

• If your home is under 1,500 square feet, expect to pay $2,000 to $10,000
• If your home is 1,500 to 3,000 square feet., expect to pay $2,000 to $15,000
• If your home is over 3,000 square feet, expect to pay $2,000 to $20,000

Accessibility of the home’s wiring

The accessibility of your home’s wiring can significantly affect the cost of rewiring. When the wiring is easily accessible, the labor involved in the task is reduced, making the job quicker and easier, thus lowering the overall cost.

Homes that have at least 16 to 20 inches of crawlspace, basement, or attic are considered ‘easily accessible’. However, if homes are without some of this accessibility, this will force electricians to cut holes in various areas to be able to feed the wiring throughout the house. Not only is this a bigger time commitment it also may increase the cost of rewiring a home. Even more, it’s unlikely that the electrician will provide a service patch or cover the holes that were cut after installation. This will require the homeowner to come up with the solution themselves either performing the wall repair themselves or hiring it out.

Installing new wiring or adding on to existing wiring

Some Denver homes will be equipped with aluminum wiring, modern building code, and electrical requirements ask for copper wiring. A home will have two options in this case when upgrading and rewiring their home:

1. Replace all of the aluminum wiring with new copper wiring (expensive)
2. Repair existing aluminum wiring buy ‘pigtailing’

To replace aluminum wiring, it is necessary to remove all of the aluminum wires in the house and install new copper wiring. This is a more costly option because it entails tearing down walls and updating all wiring to meet code requirements.

On the other hand, repairing or “pigtailing” the existing aluminum wiring is a more affordable alternative as it does not necessitate demolishing walls or drywall. Instead, only the wiring at connection points such as outlets, switches, and fixtures is upgraded with copper wiring.

Replacing Knob and Tube Wiring

The presence of “knob and tube” wiring in your home will raise the cost of rewiring the entire house. This outdated wiring method involved running copper wires through black tubes supported by porcelain knobs nailed into the structure. Due to the lack of a ground wire and insulation degradation over time, electricians typically recommend removing the system to avoid electrical fires. However, removing knob and tube wiring is a time-consuming task that requires manually cutting out each individual tube and knob, which adds to the overall cost of rewiring.

Electrical Panel Upgrade

Upgrading your home’s electrical panel can increase the cost of a whole-home rewiring job by $3,500 or more. This is because older homes that require rewiring often have electrical panels that provide less than 100 amps, such as 60-amp panels in homes built in or before the 1960s. However, most modern electronics require at least a 100-amp or 200-amp panel, which is also a requirement by the National Electric Code (NEC). Therefore, upgrading your electrical panel becomes necessary if your home has an electrical panel that provides less than 100 amps, leading to an increased cost of rewiring.

If you would like to learn more about electrical panels and how to repair electrical panels, please read Electrical Repair Basics: Service Panels.

Choosing the right Electrician

There are plenty of Denver Electricians to choose from when it comes to rewiring your home. Choosing the right one can be challenging when facing so many different companies and options. When selecting the right electrician for the job be sure to ask questions and confirm important information that proves they are a qualified electrician and professional:

• licensed and insured electrical company
• Upfront pricing
• Clear and concise communication
• Plenty of references

If an electrician has these qualifications then they should be considered for the final choice of rewiring a home. Obrien Electrical Contractors is a licensed and insured electrical contractor that can provide Denver homes with all of this and more. With a hassle-free consultation and easy scheduling, learn more by reaching out to us via our website or by phone today!