How Much Does An Electrician Cost?

Do you need a professional electrician to carry out work on your home but you’re worried about costs? This article explains how much electricians cost per hour, the type of jobs they can help you with, and how you can hire the right person for the job while staying within your budget. 

Most homeowners will pay between $100 and $600 for an electrician to visit their home and complete electrical work. Service call out fees (covering the first hour) range between $100 and $200, while hourly rates range from $50 to $130.

Naturally, the cost of their visit will vary based on the type of work carried out, the time it takes to complete it, the license required, and the electrician’s experience and seniority.

To help you estimate the cost of your electrical project, we outline electrician costs by job type below. However, we always recommend getting multiple quotes from electricians before hiring the one that best fits your needs, budget, and timescale.

Electrical work costs $100 to $600 on average for small jobs or $2,000 to $10,000+ for large projects. According to HomeGuide, costs are:

Replacing a switch or outlet is a quick and easy job that takes around 30 minutes. However, the electrician will charge a minimum labor period plus a call-out fee. That’s why, when you call out an electrician, mention any other outlets you want to replace or add to your house, as doing multiple changes in one call-out is more cost effective.

Expect electrician costs for a switch or outlets replacement to range from $50 to $250.

Older homes come with 2-slot outlet receptors. If this is your case, you might want to replace them with a 3-slot grounded outlet that accepts 3-pong plugs.

An experienced electrician will have no trouble converting the 2-slot outlets into 3, given that the fuse box or circuit breaker panel is completely grounded.

This type of job might take the electrician approximately 30 minutes, with the cost averaging around $100 to $300. If the electrician needs to establish grounding with the breaker panel, the bill can be doubled.

Installing a switch or new outlet where none exists involves:

• Creating an opening in the wall.

• Fishing new cable to a power source.

• Installing a new wall box and device.

• Making the connections.

This is a fairly easy job for an experienced electrician. For this type of job, the average rate and cost range from $100 to $350. 

Three-way switches may require more installation time; expect at least two hours for a set. The cost will be between $100 to $200 per switch.

The bill can go up if the electrician installs more sets in different locations. Jobs that require new cables and wall boxes cost more too.

Many homeowners are comfortable replacing circuit breakers because it’s relatively easy. Homeowners who decide to do it themselves can expect to save about $10 to $40 per device.

The national average cost for hiring a professional to replace a bad box circuit can range from $100 to $160, including materials and labor.

The supplies alone will cost $4 to $9 per foot. Depending on how accessible the wiring lines are, you might easily end up paying $1,200 or more for electrical wiring. The job will take substantially less time if the location for new wiring is accessible, such as during a makeover when the walls are open.

By calculating the linear footage of all walls and multiplying by $9, you can get a fairly accurate estimate of rough-wiring costs. A typical 2,000 square-foot house, for example, contains around 450 linear feet of walls. On average, the cost of wiring a house is around $4,000.

While these rough-in rates include cable and electrical boxes, they do not include device or light fixture installation, which is an extra fee.

It's not uncommon for an old garage to be completely devoid of electrical service. However, the 2017 amendment to the NEC (National Electrical Code) mandates that each car bay be supplied by at least one 20-amp circuit with at least one GFCI-protected duplex receptacle.

In general, you are not compelled to renovate an existing garage to comply with new code standards, but you may choose to do so to stay compliant. It might be a selling factor if you decide to seel your home in the future.

The cost of adding circuits to a garage ranges from $1,000 to $7,500, with the highest end of the spectrum indicating detached garages where an underground feeder wire from the main service panel to the garage must be installed beneath the ground.

Adding one or more wall outlets, light fixtures, and electrical circuits is part of finishing a basement, which is a fairly frequent home remodeling project.

Depending on the number of recess lights and beds in the basement, wiring a 1,000 square-foot area can cost anywhere from $800 to $1,500.

The lower price range is for vast open spaces, while the higher price range is for basements that have been separated into individual rooms. If an electrical sub-panel is required, or if your basement will have complex multimedia wiring, costs may increase. 

Most electrical work requires special skills, safety precautions, and knowledge. You’re always best hiring a professional who is experienced and comes highly recommended.

To find the right electrician for your needs and budget, make sure to get a quote for your project and ask for references. Additionally, ensure that all expectations are written down and that you fully comprehend the work's terms and conditions.

Talk to your contractor about what will happen if you aren't satisfied or if the bid is changed due to unanticipated events. Examine any warranties and make sure you understand everything in the estimate. Ensure that your electrician is properly licensed and insured.

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This post was originally published on February 7th, 2022. It was updated on August 28th, 2024 to reflect changes.