June 20, 2024 • 33 mins
Welcome back to the Nassau National Cable Podcast! Join your host Karellys and resident expert Vita as they dive into the crucial topic of rewiring a house. This episode provides an in-depth look at the costs associated with rewiring, including factors that influence the price, from the size and age of your home to local labor rates and materials.
Learn about the importance of doing a thorough research, preparing your home, and planning to ensure a successful and safe rewiring project. Vita shares valuable insights on the average costs, essential materials, and how to choose the right cables for your needs. The episode also covers potential government incentives and ways to save on rewiring costs.
Whether you're considering a partial or full rewiring of your home, this episode is packed with practical advice to help you navigate the process smoothly and efficiently. Don't miss out on this informative discussion to make your home safer and more efficient.
Stay tuned until the end for a special discount code on your next order! Visit our website at www.nassaunationalcable.com for more details.
Follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast for more expert advice and updates on all things electrical!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
Hello again, this is Nassau National Cable Podcast.
This is Kareli, your host, and today we're going to be talking about the cost of rewiring a house.
As usual, we have Vida again with us. She's our resident expert.
Hi, Vida. How are you today?
Hi, I'm great. Thank you. And as always, it's great to be back here.
(00:22):
Absolutely. It's been a while since we started talking just us, you and me. Yeah.
But so we're excited today to restart our regular podcast and start talking
about very interesting topics so that our listeners and our audience and our
customers can learn a little bit more about different things going on. Right.
(00:46):
So today, the topic being the the cost of rewiring a house,
I think it's very important to notate a couple of things and just want to start
by saying there's a couple of,
you know, points that you should consider when first thinking about rewiring a house.
(01:07):
And those are what you need in order to be prepared for it.
And what are the measures that you need to consider once you're doing the rewiring,
as well well as some steps or actions that you need to take in order to be, you know, ready, ready.
So the first of all, and I think that's something that Vida and I have talked
(01:28):
over the podcast for quite some time, is the fact that you need to do your research.
So the first thing that you always need to consider when you're immersing yourself
in a new project, especially a project that involves the house that you live in, is doing research.
You know, go to the people that actually know how to do it.
(01:51):
Make sure that you're doing research with a licensed provider or a licensed
contractor, someone who will tell you things that apply not just to your house
per se, but also locally.
Remember, here in the United States, everything works different in every state.
(02:11):
So every state or every city will have different codes that apply to your particular
house, to your particular project.
So make sure that you always do your research and get knowledge from the right people.
Listen, Google is a great source of information. Now we have AI,
ChatGPT, and all these other services that can give you information as well.
(02:35):
But it's not the same when you go to the expert, right?
So make sure that you do your research properly and get the right information.
Okay, that's one thing. The next thing is to prepare the house,
right? So get the house ready.
What do you need? What is your plan?
(02:56):
What is it that you need to take out in order for this whole project to be done properly?
You know, electricians that are going to be doing this project are going to
need to cut through walls.
They're going to need to lift floorboards.
They're going to need to cut into the ceiling as well. And everything needs
to be done in a safety matter.
(03:18):
Sorry. And everything needs to be done in a safety way that goes according to
the code applicable to your city. your house, your state.
So make sure that you leave your house ready so that all this, you know,
structured, I don't want to say damaged, but all these needs that are going
(03:44):
to happen during the project are done properly.
Okay. So the first one is to do your research.
The second one is prepare your house plan
ahead and with planning ahead what i what i
think it's it's good to know is since you
already know what it's going to do what is going to
(04:07):
happen what is going to be done to your house just plan
on things that you want to do you
want some extra lights or extra sockets that
you can position in a certain way so make sure that you have all these plans
to be considered at the time of the rewiring so that you don't have to later
(04:28):
on break that wall again and put that cable or put that wire through that wall or having to go through,
you know, the ceiling again and make more holes that are going to in the end,
just make your life more difficult and costly. Right.
Also with this, I'm talking about planning on what kind of gadgets you plan
(04:51):
on installing in your house.
If you want to stay in this house forever, you know, there are certain things
that with technology advancements.
Become maybe not a need, but a necessity to make it more comfortable and that
are going to make your life a lot easier, especially now that everything is done through with wifi.
(05:12):
So just consider those two things when you're planning that way,
all your plans are going to be, you know, taken into consideration at the time
of the rewiring and just,
you know, it's never too much for me to remind you guys, it's needed for professionals to do this.
(05:36):
You don't want to do something and then having to cover the consequences or
leave the consequences that could be fatal.
So you want to make sure that you hire someone professional with a good reputation
that you can actually, you know, verify.
(05:56):
So those are the couple of things that I wanted to talk about when it comes to rewiring a house.
Those are things that are very important for you and it will,
you know, help you have a better plan and have a better understanding of what's going to be done.
So knowing those things already, what we want to talk about right now,
(06:19):
what beat up is going to explain us a little bit.
Are other things that are more in-depth towards rewiring a house and are more specific.
To the cost. So, Vida, let's start with factors that affect the cost of rewiring
(06:41):
a house. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Yeah, sure. But I would like to pre-stake by saying that if you're looking for
an average cost of rewiring a house, then it's somewhere between $5,000 and $20,000.
But of course, it's just the average. And there are
a lot of factors that are involved in into that so
most houses will be rewired for a price of
(07:02):
between 5 and 20k but there are
a lot of different factors that pile up to
kind of affect this price and the first is of course
logically size of your house the larger is your house the more expensive it
is to revire it just because based on the price of the work of the labor and
the price of materials that goes there So if you have a small house of up to 1,500 square feet,
(07:29):
the reviving cost is usually between 2,000 to 6,000.
Whereas for a standard house, which is up to 3,000 square feet,
it's between 6,000 and 12,000.
And for larger houses, the cost can even reach 20,000 and more,
and it starts about 12,000.
So the first factor after the size of the house that you should consider is
(07:53):
the age and condition of the wiring that you have in your house.
This is especially true if you have a house built before the 80s,
which has old aluminum or even nub and cube wiring that has to be completely
replaced. And this is a more.
Challenging job and a more significant cost to
replace all of the wires so if you have those old types
(08:15):
of wires from made of aluminum or knobbed
tube you can actually add up between 10
to 20 percent to the average cost as the
same goes for instances when you have damaged wiring
or it usually it often happens that
after the you have a quote and the
job started electrician starts working on this
(08:36):
wiring and they discover some faulty wiring so it's
better like to know what you have in your house and
to clean it up before and actually give
your electrician a very full account
of what's happening with the wiring so you don't want to have surprises because
surprises are extra days of work and extra costs so before like starting rewiring
(09:00):
you should just Just add up all of the elements and make it clear to the professionals
who will be working on your house what you have there.
Another thing that is really important is local labor rates.
In fact, labor rates constitute about 50% to 70% of all the pricing.
And it can vary greatly by area. It can be anywhere from $40-$50 per hour to $150.
(09:26):
It depends really on where you live. and you should just check for local rates
whenever you plan for rewiring.
Also, of course, materials affect the price.
So if you go for standard cables like THHN or NMB and just regular outlets or
you just don't even replace all of the outlets in your house, then it will be cheaper.
(09:50):
But if you install a lot of GFCI or other types of specialized outlets or you
want to go to some modern,
well-designed outlets or some premium-grade circuit breakers,
you can as well pay 10% to 25% more with a regular price.
(10:13):
Now, another factor is accessibility. If your house structure makes it difficult
to access the wiring, it can actually increase labor time and cost of the labor.
And if you have some troubles with
your attic or basements it's also add
up to the price so in case there are
such issues or you need to open walls for access for example it can also affect
(10:39):
the price greatly so it can be 20 to 30 percent more expensive and finally the
cost is just like it's the sum of all upgrades so if you have a lot of upgrades to,
do each extra outlet or each extra internet cable, it can cost up to 100, $200 for each.
(11:03):
So if you just need to do a lot, then of course the project will be more expensive.
In general, it seems like this is a very costly project. That's why it's so
important for you to do your research beforehand.
It doesn't have to be costly. I mean, not all houses will have a very costly
(11:23):
upgrade, but it's really important just to create a plan and outline all of
the elements that you want to replace.
And this way you can just save yourself time and money if you come prepared.
Right, exactly. Exactly. Being prepared for the future, because you never know
what's going to happen, what's going to change, you know, what you want to change later on.
(11:45):
But I think the most important thing to consider in this projects are always
safety, you know, electrical mistakes and electrical mishaps always happen when
you don't do it properly.
And this is one of those projects that it's better if you just do it correctly from the beginning.
Yeah it might be a little more costly at
(12:08):
the beginning but it's in the long term more beneficial for
you and safer right it's actually even the
main reason to do the rewiring of course there's a lot of different
reasons like to make your house score better on the market but the primary reason
for all of the rewiring is mostly safety so of course you need to come from
the place of safety if you want to your house for safety exactly exactly there's
(12:32):
definitely no no cheap way wait to cover that.
So you, you talked about all the factors that will increase or keep very.
Good costs on rewiring the house, but can we have a breakdown by elements being,
you know, what's going to be needed during the rewiring?
(12:54):
And, and can you tell us a little bit about it?
In more detail yeah sure so different elements
different prices for example of course electrical panel
is something that everyone replaces some full
house rewiring project so if you are just
installing a brand new 100 amp panel in the house as in the cost will be between
(13:15):
800 to 100 1020 probably if you're upgrading from 100 amp to 200 amp series
which is common for many Any small and mid-range houses,
you will pay anywhere between $1,000 and $500 to $3,000.
This includes not only the panel, but also all the materials,
(13:36):
outlets, and wiring that go together with this panel.
And if you upgrade to 400 amp service, it can cost starting from $2,000 to maybe
$4,000 or $5,000, depending on whether you will need a secondary panel.
Another common thing is opening walls. So opening walls costs anywhere between $4 to $8 per square foot.
(14:00):
Running wires itself costs between $2 to $4 per square foot as well.
Labor, like I said, is between $40 to $150 per hour.
And also another thing to consider is that a rewiring project needs a permit.
And the permit depends on your local authorities. And it can be very different
(14:21):
prices depending on whether you're in a rural area or basically just can be
specific price in your country.
So you need to research it before and check for the prices locally.
For example, in New York, the DOB permit is $650.
So you should get the permit beforehand and research what kind of permit is for your area. Yes.
(14:50):
I don't...
Yes, exactly. Do your research. I don't think I'm going to get tired enough
to keep reminding you guys. Research, research, research.
It's very important for you to do it properly. All right.
So, Vida, we already kind of got elements that are going to be involved in rewiring
(15:14):
a house, but what does a full house rewire include?
Include well it can be different for your
different needs but usually it's replacement of
all fixed wiring upgrading and replacing the
fuse box installation of new electrical outlets depending
on the numbers that you need the replacing all
(15:34):
the lighting circuit wiring it can include new
light fittings and switches as well also it's it
often includes installation of data data points and tv
aerial points if if there's
fiber optic internet available in your area it
can also include that and it also include working on outbuilding or external
(15:55):
electrical points but it of course can account for more different stuff for
example if you want to invest in smart homes there will be like a whole smart
house infrastructure that you have to build in your house but the things that.
I mentioned right now it covers like the most basic
things that are done with every full full
(16:16):
kind of rewiring that's good
to know does the age
of the house matter with that
question i mean like is there
a certain age or is there a certain time in
which a house needs to be rewired yeah so
as a rule you should look into reviring for
(16:36):
houses that started 30 30 years that
are 30 years old so if your house is from
the 90s maybe it's time
to re-evaluate whether you need to revire it
but as the older it gets the more is the
more essential it is to revire it so if your house is 40
years old you are more likely to need reviring
(16:58):
and if your house is 50 years old then even more
there is even more urgent need for
reviring but basically it's not just the age
even though you absolutely have to check it if it's
older than 30 years and especially if it's
older than 50 years but there are actually some signs when the reviring is urgent
for example your circuit breakers start to regularly trip and you notice this
(17:23):
or your lights flicker or dim or or your switches are discolored and overheated,
or you hear some buzzing sound.
Or you can even experience a slight electric shock when touching the switches,
or you notice that your light bulbs are starting to burn out.
Or if you live in an old house and you have aluminum wiring or you have no grounded
(17:45):
outlets or you don't have enough outlets and you use extension cords all the time.
So in this case, if any of these factors apply, it's definitely time to revire
your house because all of these things are not safe for you in your house.
And it also makes the experience of comfort in your home more challenging.
(18:06):
Like if you don't have enough outlets for all of your appliances and it's not
only not safe but also uncomfortable so if any of those factors add up then
it's time to rebuy your house,
that's good to know well guys well guys there you have it age is very important
in the sense of every 30 years kind of technology and codes change and it's
(18:32):
better to keep safety levels when it comes to electrical in the house.
So I want to, I want us to, to talk about government incentives, Vida.
Is there any government incentive in the United States that would make rewiring
(18:54):
of a full house more affordable?
Yeah, one of the questions that people often ask online or ask experts is whether
it's possible to rewire a house for free.
But it's actually challenging to rewire a house entirely for free and it's not completely possible.
But there are actually government programs that can help you to afford some
(19:15):
home improvements and repairs, including full rewiring.
For example, you can look into...
HUD Home Improvement Loan Programs. This is a program by the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development.
And these are loans that can assist with home repairs and modifications.
For example, this includes property improvement loans and rehabilitation mortgage insurance programs.
(19:39):
And these programs are widely available. However, there are some specifics to
certain states or counties.
So you should just hit the government website and look how it exactly applies in your area.
Also, there are government programs that are available to help improve your
home's energy efficiency.
And sometimes there is some overlap between energy efficiency and electrical upgrades.
(20:05):
So if you are not sure what to look for, you can start to look into programs based on this angle.
Also, there are home energy rebates based on the Inflation Reduction Act So
this includes home efficiency rebates and home electrification and appliance rebates.
And these rebates help support households in making energy-sufficient home improvements.
(20:29):
And they cover some costs for electrical upgrades, but they depend on different
factors like your income level, your age, type of property and location.
So with each of those programs you
should kind of like check to see if you're eligible
and if they are applied to you and besides like
(20:49):
government programs there are also there could be of course in the united states
everything varies state by state so states and local governments also sometimes
offer some housing rehabilitation programs and if you're not sure whether a.
Government programs work for you you might also look
(21:10):
into local programs sometimes there could be
even more beneficial for your houses located
in your area so you should also look into that and well mostly that's it but
there are also some insurance benefits depending on your type of insurance that
are available if you want if you want to revire your house so of course it's
(21:35):
It's not a government program,
but some insurance companies may offer you lower premiums for houses that have
updated electrical system because you kind of like eliminate the risk from your house.
And if government programs don't work for you or you want some additional benefits,
you can also look into insurance benefits.
(21:55):
Yeah, so we have talked about, you know, technologies and renewable sources
of energy as well, solar panels,
wind panels, or windmills that are available right now in other podcasts.
So you can very well go ahead and listen to those podcasts, which Vida has explained
(22:16):
a lot about the different programs that are available for you.
Like she said it's always good to
do your research locally everything changes by
state by city but in general
it applies to all of the united states so now you know like i always say and
(22:37):
maybe i'm repeating myself too much today but do your research make sure that
you are taking the right approach to this project that applies for you in particular.
Remember every case is completely different.
Every house is completely different and things that apply to your neighbor won't
be applicable to you. It always changed.
(22:59):
So just do your research based on your situation.
Okay, so we talked about government incentives, and you mentioned that there
are ways that we can save costs on rewiring a house. It might not be free.
It's hard to get something done for free nowadays, these times,
but there are certain ways that you can save costs.
(23:23):
Vida, do you mind explaining to us a little bit about these ways?
What are those and how we can get them done safely? Well, it's actually like nothing special.
It's just, again, based on this premise of doing your research.
For example, don't just rely on the first quote from the first electrician you get.
If you want to save costs, just search for different specialists and get multiple
(23:48):
quotes before starting on a project.
Because all of them even if it's in
one city or in one area they might have different rates
so it's great to compare those
rates before starting on a project and choosing what's best
for you also if you don't have any money at all like you something is not safe
(24:09):
but you don't have money for a whole electrical project of rewiring up to you
at apple cost you can actually just Just always do partial rewiring in the critical areas.
For example, just do it in the areas where, of course, it's always better to
invest into a whole rewiring project.
But if it's not for you, so you can just do partial rewiring of the house just
(24:35):
in the critical areas where some issues occur or just in one room.
So it can be a compromise for you.
Also, the great thing is to choose budget-friendly cables. So just like regular
house cables like THHN, THWN, or NMB.
Don't put anything fancy. Those cables definitely do their job and they are
(24:59):
designed for home wiring.
So you can just buy regular copper house wiring and also buy those cables in bulk.
If you buy in bulk, it will be cheaper. For example, at NNC,
we have different prices for 250 feet, 500 feet and 1,000 feet.
And it will be cheaper for you then to buy just smaller amount of cables.
(25:19):
Also, just not just with cables, but as a general rule, if you want to save
money, you should just go for standard materials that are used in these types
of projects and don't invest in anything high-end or anything premium.
For example, sometimes people do this for the sake if they want to change the interior.
(25:40):
And if you just don't have the money for that, you will be just as good with standard materials.
Also, there are different projects. Sometimes you actually can keep the same
layout that you had before and don't change it if it's still functional.
Of course, there are instances when you need to change layout,
(26:00):
but if you don't and you want to save money, then just do.
And like we mentioned before, also look for those rebates, insensitives,
all of the stuff that can even make the cost of revaring more cheaper.
Okay. That's good to know. Listen, it's, it's not about saving on getting cheap material.
(26:21):
It's about being smart and making this project a reality.
No, take Vita's points in consideration.
You know, you don't have to do it all at once, do it little by little over time,
whatever it is that you needed the most, where you have the heaviest usage of
electricity in the, in the house, you know, always make sure that you keep safety
(26:45):
in mind. your mind when you're doing a kind of project.
And since Vida just said buy it in bulk, it's also a way in which you can save costs.
Let's talk about the particular cables that are going to be needed or that are
useful for this rewiring of a house.
(27:05):
And what do we have on our website at NASA National Cable available for absolutely
everybody to perform this project safely?
Yeah, so the first cable that everyone uses in-house rewiring is THHN,
which is a very portable and versatile building wire.
You use it in condensate for both indoor and outdoor application.
(27:29):
It's cheap and it can be used for many things and it's versatile and you use
it both inside and outside.
So it's a great cable for rewiring the house.
And at our website, we have like slightly below market prices for this type of cable.
Also, there is NMB, or you might know it under the brand name Romax,
(27:50):
which is a cable of choice for indoor dryer location for all type of in-wall installations.
And finally, for outside and direct burial applications, you have UFP.
So this is your choice of cable for outdoor project.
And I would say, like, aside from those three cables, you don't actually need
(28:10):
anything else except for maybe some internet cables.
But for house wiring itself, those three are all the things you need and you
don't need anything else or to invest into anything fancy.
Those three cables will definitely do their job for your wiring project.
Right. So you have it for all types of budgets, right?
(28:34):
The most expensive one to the least expensive budget that you have.
It's not just like that it's for all types of budget, but it's just regular,
your regular copper building wire, electrical cables that just do their job.
And you don't need, in most projects, you don't need anything above that.
(28:55):
So it will work both for cheap projects and for some of the more expensive projects
just because these cables work well with home wiring and you,
in most cases, don't need anything else. Okay.
Is there any kind of recommendations to how to choose them or they can just
(29:15):
use them depending on the usage?
No, it's just depending on the usage. Like I said,
THHN is just both for inside and outside side in continent and m cable basically
just goes in it's for indoor use and it goes inside the wall and ufp is for
outside and for direct burial applications and that's basically it.
(29:39):
All right. Well, that's good to know. Guys, there you have it.
I hope this information actually helps you with this project of yours. It is very important.
Like I said, do your research beforehand, plan ahead, make sure that you're
considering absolutely everything that you want to have your house have.
(30:00):
And always keep safety in mind.
Please make sure that you always keep safety in mind.
This is a particular project in your life for your home, where your family is
going to believe in, where a family is going to believe in, and it's important
to always make sure that you don't leave space for errors.
(30:21):
This is a very important project to perform in your house, in the space that
you're going to be most of the time, and your loved ones, right?
So think about that.
You have all the information available on our website for the cables that Vida mentioned.
There are special deals all the time on cables on our website.
(30:45):
Don't forget to visit. It's www.nasamationalkable.com. You can find all variety
of different cables that you might need for this and other projects that you want to take part on.
And Vida, well, so it was amazing having you today.
Again, it felt like old times as having a very nice conversation.
(31:09):
Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge with us. Thank you very much
for making sure that you give us as much details as possible so that our audience
can have the right information.
And for your time today, it's definitely always a pleasure talking to you. Yeah.
I'm here. You're welcome. All right. So thank you. All right, guys.
(31:31):
So remember you have all the information here on our podcast.
We're also giving you a script of what we talked today.
So it's easier for you to have access to it.
And remember that for those who stayed with us until the end of this podcast,
we always have a little bit of a gift and that is a discount on your order of more
(31:55):
than $2,000 with a special code because we have Gary always promoting the podcast for us, so Gary3,
that is G-A-R-R-I-E and the number three altogether,
and your checkout box when you are submitting your order, make sure that you
(32:17):
put it and you will get that special something from Gary, from us here at the
podcast on NASA National Cape.
So I think we covered all in great detail.
Hope you enjoyed it. Hope you get a lot of information from this conversation today.
We hope to see you again in a new episode of our podcast.
(32:41):
And well, I'm glad you like it, or I hope you actually like it.
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(33:03):
Don't miss a new episode. Click on that like button and we'll see you next time.
It was always a pleasure. And this is Karelis, your host. Take care. Bye-bye.
Hello again, this is Nassau National Cable Podcast.
This is Kareli, your host, and today we're going to be talking about the cost of rewiring a house.
As usual, we have Vida again with us. She's our resident expert.
Hi, Vida. How are you today?
Hi, I'm great. Thank you. And as always, it's great to be back here.
(00:22):
Absolutely. It's been a while since we started talking just us, you and me. Yeah.
But so we're excited today to restart our regular podcast and start talking
about very interesting topics so that our listeners and our audience and our
customers can learn a little bit more about different things going on. Right.
(00:46):
So today, the topic being the the cost of rewiring a house,
I think it's very important to notate a couple of things and just want to start
by saying there's a couple of,
you know, points that you should consider when first thinking about rewiring a house.
(01:07):
And those are what you need in order to be prepared for it.
And what are the measures that you need to consider once you're doing the rewiring,
as well well as some steps or actions that you need to take in order to be, you know, ready, ready.
So the first of all, and I think that's something that Vida and I have talked
(01:28):
over the podcast for quite some time, is the fact that you need to do your research.
So the first thing that you always need to consider when you're immersing yourself
in a new project, especially a project that involves the house that you live in, is doing research.
You know, go to the people that actually know how to do it.
(01:51):
Make sure that you're doing research with a licensed provider or a licensed
contractor, someone who will tell you things that apply not just to your house
per se, but also locally.
Remember, here in the United States, everything works different in every state.
(02:11):
So every state or every city will have different codes that apply to your particular
house, to your particular project.
So make sure that you always do your research and get knowledge from the right people.
Listen, Google is a great source of information. Now we have AI,
ChatGPT, and all these other services that can give you information as well.
(02:35):
But it's not the same when you go to the expert, right?
So make sure that you do your research properly and get the right information.
Okay, that's one thing. The next thing is to prepare the house,
right? So get the house ready.
What do you need? What is your plan?
(02:56):
What is it that you need to take out in order for this whole project to be done properly?
You know, electricians that are going to be doing this project are going to
need to cut through walls.
They're going to need to lift floorboards.
They're going to need to cut into the ceiling as well. And everything needs
to be done in a safety matter.
(03:18):
Sorry. And everything needs to be done in a safety way that goes according to
the code applicable to your city. your house, your state.
So make sure that you leave your house ready so that all this, you know,
structured, I don't want to say damaged, but all these needs that are going
(03:44):
to happen during the project are done properly.
Okay. So the first one is to do your research.
The second one is prepare your house plan
ahead and with planning ahead what i what i
think it's it's good to know is since you
already know what it's going to do what is going to
(04:07):
happen what is going to be done to your house just plan
on things that you want to do you
want some extra lights or extra sockets that
you can position in a certain way so make sure that you have all these plans
to be considered at the time of the rewiring so that you don't have to later
(04:28):
on break that wall again and put that cable or put that wire through that wall or having to go through,
you know, the ceiling again and make more holes that are going to in the end,
just make your life more difficult and costly. Right.
Also with this, I'm talking about planning on what kind of gadgets you plan
(04:51):
on installing in your house.
If you want to stay in this house forever, you know, there are certain things
that with technology advancements.
Become maybe not a need, but a necessity to make it more comfortable and that
are going to make your life a lot easier, especially now that everything is done through with wifi.
(05:12):
So just consider those two things when you're planning that way,
all your plans are going to be, you know, taken into consideration at the time
of the rewiring and just,
you know, it's never too much for me to remind you guys, it's needed for professionals to do this.
(05:36):
You don't want to do something and then having to cover the consequences or
leave the consequences that could be fatal.
So you want to make sure that you hire someone professional with a good reputation
that you can actually, you know, verify.
(05:56):
So those are the couple of things that I wanted to talk about when it comes to rewiring a house.
Those are things that are very important for you and it will,
you know, help you have a better plan and have a better understanding of what's going to be done.
So knowing those things already, what we want to talk about right now,
(06:19):
what beat up is going to explain us a little bit.
Are other things that are more in-depth towards rewiring a house and are more specific.
To the cost. So, Vida, let's start with factors that affect the cost of rewiring
(06:41):
a house. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Yeah, sure. But I would like to pre-stake by saying that if you're looking for
an average cost of rewiring a house, then it's somewhere between $5,000 and $20,000.
But of course, it's just the average. And there are
a lot of factors that are involved in into that so
most houses will be rewired for a price of
(07:02):
between 5 and 20k but there are
a lot of different factors that pile up to
kind of affect this price and the first is of course
logically size of your house the larger is your house the more expensive it
is to revire it just because based on the price of the work of the labor and
the price of materials that goes there So if you have a small house of up to 1,500 square feet,
(07:29):
the reviving cost is usually between 2,000 to 6,000.
Whereas for a standard house, which is up to 3,000 square feet,
it's between 6,000 and 12,000.
And for larger houses, the cost can even reach 20,000 and more,
and it starts about 12,000.
So the first factor after the size of the house that you should consider is
(07:53):
the age and condition of the wiring that you have in your house.
This is especially true if you have a house built before the 80s,
which has old aluminum or even nub and cube wiring that has to be completely
replaced. And this is a more.
Challenging job and a more significant cost to
replace all of the wires so if you have those old types
(08:15):
of wires from made of aluminum or knobbed
tube you can actually add up between 10
to 20 percent to the average cost as the
same goes for instances when you have damaged wiring
or it usually it often happens that
after the you have a quote and the
job started electrician starts working on this
(08:36):
wiring and they discover some faulty wiring so it's
better like to know what you have in your house and
to clean it up before and actually give
your electrician a very full account
of what's happening with the wiring so you don't want to have surprises because
surprises are extra days of work and extra costs so before like starting rewiring
(09:00):
you should just Just add up all of the elements and make it clear to the professionals
who will be working on your house what you have there.
Another thing that is really important is local labor rates.
In fact, labor rates constitute about 50% to 70% of all the pricing.
And it can vary greatly by area. It can be anywhere from $40-$50 per hour to $150.
(09:26):
It depends really on where you live. and you should just check for local rates
whenever you plan for rewiring.
Also, of course, materials affect the price.
So if you go for standard cables like THHN or NMB and just regular outlets or
you just don't even replace all of the outlets in your house, then it will be cheaper.
(09:50):
But if you install a lot of GFCI or other types of specialized outlets or you
want to go to some modern,
well-designed outlets or some premium-grade circuit breakers,
you can as well pay 10% to 25% more with a regular price.
(10:13):
Now, another factor is accessibility. If your house structure makes it difficult
to access the wiring, it can actually increase labor time and cost of the labor.
And if you have some troubles with
your attic or basements it's also add
up to the price so in case there are
such issues or you need to open walls for access for example it can also affect
(10:39):
the price greatly so it can be 20 to 30 percent more expensive and finally the
cost is just like it's the sum of all upgrades so if you have a lot of upgrades to,
do each extra outlet or each extra internet cable, it can cost up to 100, $200 for each.
(11:03):
So if you just need to do a lot, then of course the project will be more expensive.
In general, it seems like this is a very costly project. That's why it's so
important for you to do your research beforehand.
It doesn't have to be costly. I mean, not all houses will have a very costly
(11:23):
upgrade, but it's really important just to create a plan and outline all of
the elements that you want to replace.
And this way you can just save yourself time and money if you come prepared.
Right, exactly. Exactly. Being prepared for the future, because you never know
what's going to happen, what's going to change, you know, what you want to change later on.
(11:45):
But I think the most important thing to consider in this projects are always
safety, you know, electrical mistakes and electrical mishaps always happen when
you don't do it properly.
And this is one of those projects that it's better if you just do it correctly from the beginning.
Yeah it might be a little more costly at
(12:08):
the beginning but it's in the long term more beneficial for
you and safer right it's actually even the
main reason to do the rewiring of course there's a lot of different
reasons like to make your house score better on the market but the primary reason
for all of the rewiring is mostly safety so of course you need to come from
the place of safety if you want to your house for safety exactly exactly there's
(12:32):
definitely no no cheap way wait to cover that.
So you, you talked about all the factors that will increase or keep very.
Good costs on rewiring the house, but can we have a breakdown by elements being,
you know, what's going to be needed during the rewiring?
(12:54):
And, and can you tell us a little bit about it?
In more detail yeah sure so different elements
different prices for example of course electrical panel
is something that everyone replaces some full
house rewiring project so if you are just
installing a brand new 100 amp panel in the house as in the cost will be between
(13:15):
800 to 100 1020 probably if you're upgrading from 100 amp to 200 amp series
which is common for many Any small and mid-range houses,
you will pay anywhere between $1,000 and $500 to $3,000.
This includes not only the panel, but also all the materials,
(13:36):
outlets, and wiring that go together with this panel.
And if you upgrade to 400 amp service, it can cost starting from $2,000 to maybe
$4,000 or $5,000, depending on whether you will need a secondary panel.
Another common thing is opening walls. So opening walls costs anywhere between $4 to $8 per square foot.
(14:00):
Running wires itself costs between $2 to $4 per square foot as well.
Labor, like I said, is between $40 to $150 per hour.
And also another thing to consider is that a rewiring project needs a permit.
And the permit depends on your local authorities. And it can be very different
(14:21):
prices depending on whether you're in a rural area or basically just can be
specific price in your country.
So you need to research it before and check for the prices locally.
For example, in New York, the DOB permit is $650.
So you should get the permit beforehand and research what kind of permit is for your area. Yes.
(14:50):
I don't...
Yes, exactly. Do your research. I don't think I'm going to get tired enough
to keep reminding you guys. Research, research, research.
It's very important for you to do it properly. All right.
So, Vida, we already kind of got elements that are going to be involved in rewiring
(15:14):
a house, but what does a full house rewire include?
Include well it can be different for your
different needs but usually it's replacement of
all fixed wiring upgrading and replacing the
fuse box installation of new electrical outlets depending
on the numbers that you need the replacing all
(15:34):
the lighting circuit wiring it can include new
light fittings and switches as well also it's it
often includes installation of data data points and tv
aerial points if if there's
fiber optic internet available in your area it
can also include that and it also include working on outbuilding or external
(15:55):
electrical points but it of course can account for more different stuff for
example if you want to invest in smart homes there will be like a whole smart
house infrastructure that you have to build in your house but the things that.
I mentioned right now it covers like the most basic
things that are done with every full full
(16:16):
kind of rewiring that's good
to know does the age
of the house matter with that
question i mean like is there
a certain age or is there a certain time in
which a house needs to be rewired yeah so
as a rule you should look into reviring for
(16:36):
houses that started 30 30 years that
are 30 years old so if your house is from
the 90s maybe it's time
to re-evaluate whether you need to revire it
but as the older it gets the more is the
more essential it is to revire it so if your house is 40
years old you are more likely to need reviring
(16:58):
and if your house is 50 years old then even more
there is even more urgent need for
reviring but basically it's not just the age
even though you absolutely have to check it if it's
older than 30 years and especially if it's
older than 50 years but there are actually some signs when the reviring is urgent
for example your circuit breakers start to regularly trip and you notice this
(17:23):
or your lights flicker or dim or or your switches are discolored and overheated,
or you hear some buzzing sound.
Or you can even experience a slight electric shock when touching the switches,
or you notice that your light bulbs are starting to burn out.
Or if you live in an old house and you have aluminum wiring or you have no grounded
(17:45):
outlets or you don't have enough outlets and you use extension cords all the time.
So in this case, if any of these factors apply, it's definitely time to revire
your house because all of these things are not safe for you in your house.
And it also makes the experience of comfort in your home more challenging.
(18:06):
Like if you don't have enough outlets for all of your appliances and it's not
only not safe but also uncomfortable so if any of those factors add up then
it's time to rebuy your house,
that's good to know well guys well guys there you have it age is very important
in the sense of every 30 years kind of technology and codes change and it's
(18:32):
better to keep safety levels when it comes to electrical in the house.
So I want to, I want us to, to talk about government incentives, Vida.
Is there any government incentive in the United States that would make rewiring
(18:54):
of a full house more affordable?
Yeah, one of the questions that people often ask online or ask experts is whether
it's possible to rewire a house for free.
But it's actually challenging to rewire a house entirely for free and it's not completely possible.
But there are actually government programs that can help you to afford some
(19:15):
home improvements and repairs, including full rewiring.
For example, you can look into...
HUD Home Improvement Loan Programs. This is a program by the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development.
And these are loans that can assist with home repairs and modifications.
For example, this includes property improvement loans and rehabilitation mortgage insurance programs.
(19:39):
And these programs are widely available. However, there are some specifics to
certain states or counties.
So you should just hit the government website and look how it exactly applies in your area.
Also, there are government programs that are available to help improve your
home's energy efficiency.
And sometimes there is some overlap between energy efficiency and electrical upgrades.
(20:05):
So if you are not sure what to look for, you can start to look into programs based on this angle.
Also, there are home energy rebates based on the Inflation Reduction Act So
this includes home efficiency rebates and home electrification and appliance rebates.
And these rebates help support households in making energy-sufficient home improvements.
(20:29):
And they cover some costs for electrical upgrades, but they depend on different
factors like your income level, your age, type of property and location.
So with each of those programs you
should kind of like check to see if you're eligible
and if they are applied to you and besides like
(20:49):
government programs there are also there could be of course in the united states
everything varies state by state so states and local governments also sometimes
offer some housing rehabilitation programs and if you're not sure whether a.
Government programs work for you you might also look
(21:10):
into local programs sometimes there could be
even more beneficial for your houses located
in your area so you should also look into that and well mostly that's it but
there are also some insurance benefits depending on your type of insurance that
are available if you want if you want to revire your house so of course it's
(21:35):
It's not a government program,
but some insurance companies may offer you lower premiums for houses that have
updated electrical system because you kind of like eliminate the risk from your house.
And if government programs don't work for you or you want some additional benefits,
you can also look into insurance benefits.
(21:55):
Yeah, so we have talked about, you know, technologies and renewable sources
of energy as well, solar panels,
wind panels, or windmills that are available right now in other podcasts.
So you can very well go ahead and listen to those podcasts, which Vida has explained
(22:16):
a lot about the different programs that are available for you.
Like she said it's always good to
do your research locally everything changes by
state by city but in general
it applies to all of the united states so now you know like i always say and
(22:37):
maybe i'm repeating myself too much today but do your research make sure that
you are taking the right approach to this project that applies for you in particular.
Remember every case is completely different.
Every house is completely different and things that apply to your neighbor won't
be applicable to you. It always changed.
(22:59):
So just do your research based on your situation.
Okay, so we talked about government incentives, and you mentioned that there
are ways that we can save costs on rewiring a house. It might not be free.
It's hard to get something done for free nowadays, these times,
but there are certain ways that you can save costs.
(23:23):
Vida, do you mind explaining to us a little bit about these ways?
What are those and how we can get them done safely? Well, it's actually like nothing special.
It's just, again, based on this premise of doing your research.
For example, don't just rely on the first quote from the first electrician you get.
If you want to save costs, just search for different specialists and get multiple
(23:48):
quotes before starting on a project.
Because all of them even if it's in
one city or in one area they might have different rates
so it's great to compare those
rates before starting on a project and choosing what's best
for you also if you don't have any money at all like you something is not safe
(24:09):
but you don't have money for a whole electrical project of rewiring up to you
at apple cost you can actually just Just always do partial rewiring in the critical areas.
For example, just do it in the areas where, of course, it's always better to
invest into a whole rewiring project.
But if it's not for you, so you can just do partial rewiring of the house just
(24:35):
in the critical areas where some issues occur or just in one room.
So it can be a compromise for you.
Also, the great thing is to choose budget-friendly cables. So just like regular
house cables like THHN, THWN, or NMB.
Don't put anything fancy. Those cables definitely do their job and they are
(24:59):
designed for home wiring.
So you can just buy regular copper house wiring and also buy those cables in bulk.
If you buy in bulk, it will be cheaper. For example, at NNC,
we have different prices for 250 feet, 500 feet and 1,000 feet.
And it will be cheaper for you then to buy just smaller amount of cables.
(25:19):
Also, just not just with cables, but as a general rule, if you want to save
money, you should just go for standard materials that are used in these types
of projects and don't invest in anything high-end or anything premium.
For example, sometimes people do this for the sake if they want to change the interior.
(25:40):
And if you just don't have the money for that, you will be just as good with standard materials.
Also, there are different projects. Sometimes you actually can keep the same
layout that you had before and don't change it if it's still functional.
Of course, there are instances when you need to change layout,
(26:00):
but if you don't and you want to save money, then just do.
And like we mentioned before, also look for those rebates, insensitives,
all of the stuff that can even make the cost of revaring more cheaper.
Okay. That's good to know. Listen, it's, it's not about saving on getting cheap material.
(26:21):
It's about being smart and making this project a reality.
No, take Vita's points in consideration.
You know, you don't have to do it all at once, do it little by little over time,
whatever it is that you needed the most, where you have the heaviest usage of
electricity in the, in the house, you know, always make sure that you keep safety
(26:45):
in mind. your mind when you're doing a kind of project.
And since Vida just said buy it in bulk, it's also a way in which you can save costs.
Let's talk about the particular cables that are going to be needed or that are
useful for this rewiring of a house.
(27:05):
And what do we have on our website at NASA National Cable available for absolutely
everybody to perform this project safely?
Yeah, so the first cable that everyone uses in-house rewiring is THHN,
which is a very portable and versatile building wire.
You use it in condensate for both indoor and outdoor application.
(27:29):
It's cheap and it can be used for many things and it's versatile and you use
it both inside and outside.
So it's a great cable for rewiring the house.
And at our website, we have like slightly below market prices for this type of cable.
Also, there is NMB, or you might know it under the brand name Romax,
(27:50):
which is a cable of choice for indoor dryer location for all type of in-wall installations.
And finally, for outside and direct burial applications, you have UFP.
So this is your choice of cable for outdoor project.
And I would say, like, aside from those three cables, you don't actually need
(28:10):
anything else except for maybe some internet cables.
But for house wiring itself, those three are all the things you need and you
don't need anything else or to invest into anything fancy.
Those three cables will definitely do their job for your wiring project.
Right. So you have it for all types of budgets, right?
(28:34):
The most expensive one to the least expensive budget that you have.
It's not just like that it's for all types of budget, but it's just regular,
your regular copper building wire, electrical cables that just do their job.
And you don't need, in most projects, you don't need anything above that.
(28:55):
So it will work both for cheap projects and for some of the more expensive projects
just because these cables work well with home wiring and you,
in most cases, don't need anything else. Okay.
Is there any kind of recommendations to how to choose them or they can just
(29:15):
use them depending on the usage?
No, it's just depending on the usage. Like I said,
THHN is just both for inside and outside side in continent and m cable basically
just goes in it's for indoor use and it goes inside the wall and ufp is for
outside and for direct burial applications and that's basically it.
(29:39):
All right. Well, that's good to know. Guys, there you have it.
I hope this information actually helps you with this project of yours. It is very important.
Like I said, do your research beforehand, plan ahead, make sure that you're
considering absolutely everything that you want to have your house have.
(30:00):
And always keep safety in mind.
Please make sure that you always keep safety in mind.
This is a particular project in your life for your home, where your family is
going to believe in, where a family is going to believe in, and it's important
to always make sure that you don't leave space for errors.
(30:21):
This is a very important project to perform in your house, in the space that
you're going to be most of the time, and your loved ones, right?
So think about that.
You have all the information available on our website for the cables that Vida mentioned.
There are special deals all the time on cables on our website.
(30:45):
Don't forget to visit. It's www.nasamationalkable.com. You can find all variety
of different cables that you might need for this and other projects that you want to take part on.
And Vida, well, so it was amazing having you today.
Again, it felt like old times as having a very nice conversation.
(31:09):
Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge with us. Thank you very much
for making sure that you give us as much details as possible so that our audience
can have the right information.
And for your time today, it's definitely always a pleasure talking to you. Yeah.
I'm here. You're welcome. All right. So thank you. All right, guys.
(31:31):
So remember you have all the information here on our podcast.
We're also giving you a script of what we talked today.
So it's easier for you to have access to it.
And remember that for those who stayed with us until the end of this podcast,
we always have a little bit of a gift and that is a discount on your order of more
(31:55):
than $2,000 with a special code because we have Gary always promoting the podcast for us, so Gary3,
that is G-A-R-R-I-E and the number three altogether,
and your checkout box when you are submitting your order, make sure that you
(32:17):
put it and you will get that special something from Gary, from us here at the
podcast on NASA National Cape.
So I think we covered all in great detail.
Hope you enjoyed it. Hope you get a lot of information from this conversation today.
We hope to see you again in a new episode of our podcast.
(32:41):
And well, I'm glad you like it, or I hope you actually like it.
And see you next time. Remember to follow us on Instagram. Remember to follow
us on Facebook, on X, and all social media platforms.
We're there. You have access to the podcast when it becomes available on all
different platforms where you listen to podcasts. Go subscribe.
(33:03):
Don't miss a new episode. Click on that like button and we'll see you next time.
It was always a pleasure. And this is Karelis, your host. Take care. Bye-bye.
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