Whole-house rewire cost in Chicago
Whole-house rewire in Chicago costs about $6,600 to $26,400 (typically $13,200) — local prices run about 10% above the national average.
These figures adjust our national whole-house rewire range to Chicago's local cost level — see the method and sources below.
About $3.30 – $13.20 per sq ft of home, installed
How we localized this
We start from our national whole-house rewire range of $6,000–$24,000 and adjust it for Chicago, where costs run about 10% above the national average. Chicago construction costs run modestly above the national average — high union labor rates are the main driver, partly offset by a deep, competitive contractor market that keeps bids in check. Recent cost increases have tracked at or slightly below the national pace. Materials are priced roughly nationally, so treat this as an approximation — your actual price depends on your home, contractor, and project specifics.
Chicago cost sources (2)
- Chicago construction cost and market overview 2026 — Turner & Townsend
- Construction Cost Index for Chicago — Mortenson
Chicago's strong union labor presence raises wage rates above the national average, though a deep, competitive contractor market keeps bids from running away. Harsh winters are hard on roofs and make furnace reliability critical, and the short building season concentrates demand from spring through fall. Older housing stock means more electrical-panel upgrades and sewer-line work than in newer metros.
Estimate your Chicago whole-house rewire
Estimate by home size, wiring access, and age. The estimate starts from our published per-square-foot range.
Adjusts the estimate to local cost levels. Pick a metro or leave on national.
Open attics, basements, and crawlspaces are far cheaper to rewire through than finished walls and ceilings.
How we got this
Starts from our published whole-house rewire range (per sq ft × 2,000), adjusted for:
- Wiring accessibility: Open access (attic/basement/crawlspace)×1
- Home age & wiring condition: Modern wiring, standard upgrade×1
- Electrical panel: Keep existing panel×1
- Area: Chicago×1.1
These figures are planning estimates compiled from public cost data on the dates shown — not quotes, bids, or guarantees. Real prices vary widely with your home, location, materials, permits, and contractor. Always get itemized written quotes from licensed local pros before budgeting or hiring.
What changes the price
Home size — Raises cost
More square footage means more wire runs, outlets, and circuits — rewiring is priced mainly by area.
Wiring accessibility — Raises cost
Wire that's reachable through an attic, basement, or crawlspace is cheap to fish through; finished walls and ceilings that must be opened and patched can roughly double the labor.
Home age & existing wiring — Raises cost
Older homes — especially pre-1950s knob-and-tube or aluminum wiring — need full removal plus code-compliance upgrades that newer wiring doesn't.
Electrical panel — Raises cost
Adding a new 100–200A service panel alongside the rewire is common on older homes and adds to the total.
Permits & inspections — Raises cost
Electrical permits and the required inspections are built into a licensed electrician's quote in most areas.
Wall & drywall repair — Raises cost
Opening walls to run wire means patching drywall or plaster afterward — often billed separately from the electrical work itself.
Get real quotes for your Chicago whole-house rewire
Our ranges are for planning. The only way to know your real price is itemized quotes from licensed local pros — always get at least three before you hire.
Tip: search for licensed, insured Chicago whole-house rewire contractors in your area, check reviews and references, and compare written itemized bids — not just bottom-line numbers.
Whole-house rewire cost — FAQ
- How much does it cost to rewire a house?
- Rewiring a typical home runs about $6,000–$24,000, averaging around $12,000 for a 2,000 sq ft house. By square footage, expect roughly $3–$12 per sq ft — the low end applies when wiring is reachable through an attic, basement, or crawlspace, and the high end applies when finished walls and ceilings have to be opened to fish new wire through.
- Why does wiring accessibility change the price so much?
- An electrician who can pull wire through an open attic, basement, or crawlspace can do it in a fraction of the time it takes to cut into finished walls and ceilings, fish wire through the framing, and then patch and repaint every opening afterward. That labor difference is the single biggest swing factor in a rewire quote — a home with easy access can cost roughly half what a similar home with plaster walls and no attic access would.
- Is rewiring an older home with knob-and-tube wiring more expensive?
- Yes. Knob-and-tube wiring (common in homes built before 1950) has to be fully removed before new wiring goes in, and it typically has no ground wire, so the whole system needs updating to meet modern code rather than a simple swap. Expect knob-and-tube removal and replacement to cost noticeably more than rewiring a home that already has modern wiring in similar condition.
- Does a whole-house rewire include a new electrical panel?
- Not always — a rewire and a panel upgrade are separate jobs that are often bundled because an electrician is already on site. Many older homes getting rewired also need their panel bumped from 60 or 100 amps to 200 amps to handle modern loads, which typically adds to the total rather than being included by default.
- Do I need a permit to rewire a house?
- Almost always — rewiring touches your home's electrical system, so most jurisdictions require a permit and at least one inspection to confirm the work meets code. A licensed electrician typically handles the permit as part of the job.
Cost data compiled July 26, 2026.
Sources (4)
- Cost To Rewire A House [2026 Data] — Angi
- How Much Does It Cost to Rewire a House? (2026) — HomeGuide
- How Much Does It Cost to Rewire a House in 2025? — HomeAdvisor
- Average Costs to Wire a House — Fixr
National range and per-sq-ft unit synthesize Angi, HomeGuide, HomeAdvisor, and Fixr into one low–typical–high band rather than reproducing any single source's table. HomeAdvisor's headline 'cost to rewire a house' widget on this article shows $603–$2,594 (avg $1,566) — roughly 5–10x below its own per-square-foot body table ($3–$5/sq ft) on the same page; Angi's summary callout has the same mismatch against its own $2–$4/sq ft body table. Both were read as a template/data error and NOT used; each site's per-square-foot body table was used instead. HomeGuide's highest per-sq-ft figure ($17) reflects its hardest-access tier (opening finished walls/plaster throughout) rather than a typical job, so it informs our 'high' end rather than our 'typical' figure. Metro-level breakdowns are coming as we verify local data.
Compare other locations
See all Chicago electrical costs on the Chicago electrical page.