If you own an older home in the Phoenix valley, rewiring is one of those projects that might be on your radar. Maybe your home inspector flagged outdated wiring. Maybe you're doing a major remodel and the contractor said the electrical needs to be brought up to code. Or maybe you've been dealing with flickering lights, tripping breakers, and warm outlets long enough to know something isn't right.

Whatever the reason, rewiring a house is a big project. It's also one of the most important investments you can make in your home's safety. Let's talk about what it actually costs here in Arizona, what's involved, and how to know if you really need it.

What Does a Full House Rewire Cost in Arizona?

For a typical single-story home in the Phoenix metro area, a full rewire costs between $8,000 and $15,000. The price depends on the size of the house, the number of circuits, accessibility of the walls and attic, and how much of the old wiring needs to come out versus being abandoned in place.

Here's a rough breakdown by home size:

1,000 to 1,500 sq ft: $6,000 to $10,000
1,500 to 2,500 sq ft: $10,000 to $15,000
2,500 to 3,500 sq ft: $15,000 to $22,000
3,500+ sq ft: $20,000+

These ranges include labor, materials (wire, outlets, switches, boxes), a new electrical panel if needed, permits, and inspection. They don't include drywall repair or painting, which is usually handled by a separate contractor after the electrical work is done.

What's Included in a Rewire

A full house rewire means replacing all of the existing wiring in your home with new copper wiring that meets current National Electrical Code (NEC) standards. Here's what that typically involves:

Replacing all branch circuit wiring. Every wire running from your panel to your outlets, switches, and light fixtures gets replaced with new NM (Romex) cable.

New outlets and switches. Old receptacles and switches are replaced with new ones. In kitchens, bathrooms, garages, and outdoor areas, we install GFCI-protected outlets as required by code. If you want to understand more about how those work, check out our post on how to wire a GFCI outlet.

Upgrading the electrical panel. Most homes that need a rewire also need a panel upgrade. If you're going from old 60-amp or 100-amp service to 200 amps, that's part of the project. A panel upgrade on its own runs $1,800 to $3,500, but when bundled with a rewire, the labor overlaps and the combined cost is lower than doing them separately.

Bringing everything up to current code. This includes proper grounding, arc-fault circuit interrupter (AFCI) breakers where required, tamper-resistant outlets, and correct wire sizing for each circuit.

Permits and inspection. Every rewire in Maricopa County requires a permit and inspection. We handle the entire process. The permit cost is typically $150 to $300 and is included in our quotes.

Partial Rewire vs. Full Rewire

Not every home needs a full rewire. In some cases, only part of the wiring is problematic. Maybe the kitchen and bathrooms need updating, but the bedroom circuits are fine. Or maybe you're remodeling one section of the house and want to bring that area up to code.

A partial rewire costs significantly less. For a single room or area, you might pay $1,500 to $4,000 depending on the scope. For a kitchen or bathroom remodel with electrical work, expect $3,000 to $6,000 for the electrical portion. Check out our remodel services page for more on what we do for renovations.

We always recommend starting with an electrical inspection. We'll look at your panel, test your circuits, check your grounding, and give you an honest assessment of what actually needs to be replaced and what's still safe.

Signs Your Arizona Home May Need Rewiring

Here are the things we see most often in homes that end up needing a partial or full rewire:

Your home was built before 1980. Homes from this era may have aluminum wiring, cloth-insulated wiring, or knob-and-tube wiring, all of which have known issues. Aluminum wiring in particular is common in Phoenix valley homes from the 1960s and 1970s.

Two-prong outlets throughout the house. If most of your outlets only have two slots instead of three, your home likely lacks proper grounding. This is both a safety concern and a code issue.

Frequent breaker trips or blown fuses. If this is happening regularly, your circuits are overloaded or the wiring itself is degraded. Our troubleshooting team can determine whether the fix is simple or if the wiring needs to be replaced.

Burning smell, discolored outlets, or warm switch plates. These are urgent warning signs. If you notice any of these, call an electrician immediately. Don't wait.

You're planning a major remodel or addition. If you're opening up walls anyway, it's the perfect time to rewire. The cost of rewiring drops significantly when the walls are already open because we don't have to cut into drywall and fish wires through closed cavities.

Insurance or sale requirements. Some insurance companies require updated wiring for coverage. And if you're selling your home, a buyer's inspector will flag outdated wiring, which can delay or kill a sale.

How Long Does a Rewire Take?

A full rewire on a typical single-story home in the Phoenix area takes about 3 to 5 days of electrical work. Two-story homes or larger properties can take a week or more. This doesn't include drywall repair, which happens after the electrical passes inspection.

The process generally goes like this: we pull the permit, disconnect the old wiring, run all new circuits, install new outlets and switches, connect everything to the new panel, and then schedule the city inspection. Once it passes, you're free to have the drywall patched and painted.

We always try to keep at least some circuits live during the process so you're not completely without power. For most homes, we can keep the kitchen and at least one bathroom operational throughout the project.

What About Aluminum Wiring?

If your home has aluminum wiring, you don't necessarily need a full rewire. In many cases, we can install special connectors (AlumiConn connectors) at every outlet, switch, and junction box to make the aluminum-to-copper connections safe. This is called an aluminum wiring remediation and costs significantly less than a full rewire, typically $2,500 to $5,000 for a whole house.

We see aluminum wiring constantly in older homes across Mesa, Tempe, Phoenix, and Scottsdale. If you're not sure what type of wiring you have, we can tell you during a free estimate.

Bottom Line

Rewiring a house is a significant investment, but it's one that directly protects your family and your property. If your home has old, degraded, or undersized wiring, the risk of electrical fire is real. The peace of mind that comes with knowing every wire in your house is new, properly sized, and up to code is worth the cost.

If you think your home might need rewiring, or even if you just want to find out what you're working with, give us a call or request a free estimate. We'll come take a look and give you an honest answer. No pressure, no upselling. Just the facts on what your home needs.