The Short Answer
Published home-improvement guides often quote $8,000 to $20,000+ to rewire a 2,000-square-foot home. Smaller homes can cost less. Larger homes, or homes with hard-to-reach walls, can cost more. Treat every number you see online as a starting point — the honest price comes from an inspection of your house, in writing.
What Moves the Price Up or Down
Size of the home. More square feet means more wire, more outlets, more labor. A small Del Ray bungalow costs less to rewire than a big Seminary Hill colonial.
How easy the walls are to reach. An unfinished basement and an open attic make the job fast — wires drop straight down and pull straight up. Finished basements, flat roofs with no attic, and slab foundations slow things down and add cost.
The panel. If your electrical panel is old, undersized, or a recalled brand, it needs to go too. A panel upgrade adds to the total but is often required for the rewire to pass inspection.
Plaster vs. drywall. Alexandria's plaster walls take more care to open and patch than drywall. A crew that knows plaster (we do) keeps the patching clean — but it takes real time.
Permits and inspection. The City of Alexandria requires electrical permits for rewiring. Permit fees are a small part of the total, but the work must meet code — which is exactly what you want.
How many circuits and outlets. A basic rewire replaces what exists. Adding outlets, dedicated circuits for the kitchen, or capacity for an EV charger adds cost — and value.
What a Written Estimate Should Include
Never accept a verbal number or a price "per opening." A proper written estimate lists the full scope: panel work, number of circuits, outlets and switches, permit fees, patching, and the inspection. If it is not in writing, it is not a price.
Rewire vs. Partial Updates
Not every old house needs the full job. If only the kitchen and bath were remodeled with modern wiring and the rest is sound, targeted updates may be enough. But partial fixes have limits: insurers usually want knob-and-tube gone, not reduced, and mixing very old and very new systems creates transition points that need careful handling. During the inspection, we tell you honestly whether a partial update solves your problem or just postpones the rewire — and we price both so you can compare.
Paying for It
A rewire is a major home investment, and most homeowners don't pay cash without thinking about it. Common approaches: home equity line of credit (often the lowest rate), contractor financing if offered, or rolling it into a purchase mortgage when buying. What we don't recommend: putting it on a high-interest credit card while you "think about it" — the fire risk doesn't wait for a convenient month. If budget is the blocker, ask us about staging the work (see our full rewire vs. stages guide).
The Honesty Note
Copper wire costs more some years than others. And no two Alexandria houses need the same work — a 1925 Old Town rowhouse and a 1972 North Ridge colonial are different jobs. So use online ranges to set expectations, then get a written estimate after an inspection. That number — for your house, in writing — is the only one that counts.We inspect for free and put the price in writing before we start. Call (301) 679-9193.