The Cost of Rewiring Your Home
Electrical wiring in the house is like veins in the human body. They are of vital importance and affect the functioning of different parts and appliances in the house. If you are thinking of getting your old house renovated, then putting all the money into the exterior appearance of it, and ignoring the critical aspects such as wiring would be your biggest mistake. House rewiring will not only improve the performance of your house but is also recommendable from the safety perspective.
We live in a time when we have an electrical appliance for almost every job to be done. But, our old houses are not equipped with the kind of wiring that can cope up with these changing electrical needs. You might have heard the phrase ‘minus caution accident’, it is very appropriate in the context of electrical wiring. Often people ignore the wiring of the house during renovation and wait until some issue arises because they are not sure of how much house rewiring will cost them. Therefore, we have accumulated the following list of major expenses you will have during rewiring your house:
Material Cost: Electrical wiring is done using copper wires which are really expensive, in fact, the wiring can cost you anywhere between $600 to $2000, which further depends upon the size of the house.
Labor Cost: We do not recommend taking the work of electrical rewiring in your own hands. Some jobs are meant to be done by a professional, and it is advisable to call in a residential electrician to rescue. The electrician can also take care of electrical repairs if at all needed. The labour cost of electricians could be anywhere ranging from $60 to $120.
Permits: There are a few permits to be taken before starting the electrical repairs in your house. These vary from area to area, depending on where you live. Although not too expensive, these do fill as one component of your house rewiring budget.
Upgrade Your Switchboard: If your house runs off fuses often, then it is the time to get the old switchboard updated to a new one along with the rewiring. This upgrade could cost you anywhere between $700-$1000. If cabling is also required in the switchboard, then the cost may rise up to $2500-$3500.
The Add-Ons: This could be some additional costs over the things mentioned above which may be applicable to just a few houses if the owner chose to get some fixtures done while taking rewiring electrical services. Getting low voltage switches and new outlets installed are good examples of such miscellaneous expense.
Well, we have shared with you a little blueprint of how your expense list will look like when you are planning to get the house rewired. Remember, no matter how much it costs, it is a one-time investment that will add value to your home. If you are planning to sell your house, rewiring will surely add up to its selling price. In case selling the house is not on mind, then living in a home that you know is safe and preventive of electrical accidents would give you peace of mind that could not be valued in terms of money. So, either way, just go ahead or get that rewiring done.