How Much Does It Cost to Rewire a House From Aluminum to Copper?

Before 1972, some home builders used unsafe aluminum wiring methods that contributed to overheating wires and electrical fires across the US. Compared to a house wired with copper, homes wired with aluminum are 55 times more likely to be fire hazards.

If your Florida home was built before 1972, and has aluminum wiring, the chances are good that it’s unsafe and the wiring should be replaced with copper. But how much will it cost to update the wiring?

The cost to rewire a home from aluminum to copper can range from $2,000 to $12,000 or more, with most people paying around $6,000.

Many factors affect the price of rewiring a home. The primary ones to consider are:

• The size of the house
• Accessibility of the wiring inside your home
• Whether you need to upgrade the electrical panel
• The electrician you choose

Let’s take a closer look at each of these factors to help you anticipate and budget for the cost of rewiring.

Want a quote for a whole-home rewiring in Clearwater? Schedule with Climate Design or call us at (727) 295-1572. We’ll send an expert electrician to perform an electrical inspection and assess the cost.

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The size of the house

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

With a larger home, a professional electrician will need to remove and replace more wiring. So, the bigger a house is, the more wire and time an electrician will need to complete the job.

The floor plan of a home can also impact the cost. For example, replacing the wiring in a two-story home costs more because it takes more time to plan and run the wiring from one floor to another.

For an idea of how much rewiring might cost, we’ve gathered some estimates solely based on a home’s square footage:

• A 1,000 square foot home will cost an average of $5,000 to $7,000 to rewire.
• A 2,000 square foot home will cost an average of $8,000 to $10,000 to rewire.
• A 3,000 square foot home will cost an average of $10,000 to $15,000 to rewire.

Accessibility of the wiring inside your home

If a home’s wiring is easy for an electrician to access, the cost of rewiring is likely to be much lower.

When the electrical wiring is more accessible, the job is easier and takes less time, reducing labor costs. The accessibility of a home’s wiring usually depends on the age of the house and whether it has a basement, crawlspace, or attic where the electrician can run the wiring to each floor of the home without cutting into the walls.

For example, in older homes, electrical wiring may be less accessible. As a result, the electrician will probably spend more time and effort to access the wiring, which will increase your labor costs.

Whether you need to upgrade the electrical panel

If you need to upgrade the home’s electrical panel, the cost of rewiring could increase by $1,600 or more.

Many older homes have electrical panels that provide less than 100 amps, which can’t support a present-day home’s electrical needs. The National Electrical Code (NEC) requires that modern homes have at least a 100-amp panel. However, most contemporary homes require a 150-amp or 200-amp electrical panel to fully power today’s electronics and appliances.

Your electrician may recommend upgrading your electrical panel in addition to rewiring the house from aluminum to copper. Why? First, an outdated electrical panel is more likely to overheat and become a fire hazard. Second, an upgraded electrical panel will provide the increased capacity needed to accommodate your new wiring installation.

The electrician you choose

More experienced and qualified electricians typically charge more for their services.

A less experienced or under-qualified electrician is more likely to offer lower upfront prices, but you risk having to pay for repeat work in the future. On the other hand, spending more for an experienced electrician will ensure that the work is completed correctly the first time around.

It’s a good idea to request written quotes from several electricians and avoid contractors that offer low, “too-good-to-be-true” estimates.

To find a high-quality electrician in the Clearwater area, look for one that:

• Has licensing and insurance in the state of Florida
• Has at least ten years of professional experience
• Offers upfront pricing in writing
• Has positive reviews from customers
• Provides service guarantees on all of their work

Climate Design understands that rewiring your home is a big financial commitment, and we work hard to earn the trust of our customers. Our expert electricians offer knowledgeable recommendations and free, upfront estimates for whole-home rewiring.

With many thousands of satisfied customers and hundreds of 5-star reviews, you can be confident that we’ll always provide reliable service and quality work on home wiring and electrical system installations. Call us at (727) 295-1572 or schedule an appointment below today!

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