How Much Does It Cost To Wire A House?
Are you excited to construct your new home? Or are you planning to renovate your old house? In both scenarios, electrical wiring must be one of your priorities because a sound wiring system ensures the safe flow of electricity and is essential for a safe house.
Technology is evolving, so houses are also becoming more technology-based. Nowadays, doorbells are outdated with a modern system that opens doors by detecting fingerprints or faces. This type of setup in our houses required a high wiring setup. Moreover, efficient wiring helps to maintain the voltage and minimize the repair cost.
Now, the question that comes to mind while thinking about the electrical setup of the house is how much does it cost to wire a house? For precise calculations, you can get Electrical Estimating Services.
Let’s get knowledge about the factors that affect the total charges for wiring the house.
Different Factors Affecting the Cost of the House
The average cost to completely wire a new house in the US is 6000$-18000$. If we talk about square feet, then the average electrical cost per sq ft is 4$-$9. This cost varies from house to house due to different factors. The possible factors directly changing the total charges for a house wiring are as follows.
House Size
The size of the house is directly proportional to the wiring charges. Big houses or multi-story houses have more rooms, bigger kitchens, and bathrooms that require wiring on a larger scale. Large houses demand more materials and more experienced labor.
Materials Required for Wiring
The material used for wiring includes switches, junction boxes, conductors, fixtures, fittings, wires, etc. The material’s quality and quantity directly affect the wiring cost. High-quality materials are expensive, and low-quality materials are available at lower prices.
How Labor Affects the Wiring Cost
The average electrical cost per sq ft for labor is 2$ to 5$. It also varies from project to project. The labor cost is dependent upon many factors, e.g
- The size of the house
- The complexity of the electrical setup
- New construction or renovation of the wiring system
Let’s look at the details of how the factors mentioned above are responsible for the increase or decrease in cost.
The big-size houses require extensive wiring that requires experience and an increasing number of labor. More laborers complete the project on time, and experienced persons handle big houses’ complex wiring efficiently and prevent mishandling.
Renovation of the wiring system is also vital for the safety of your house members. If you know this and plan to renovate your electrical setup, keep your budget high. Because the labor cost for wiring a new house and renovating old wiring is a bit higher. The average labor cost is 3$-7$ for rewiring.
Different Wiring Systems and Their Impact on the Cost
When we talk about the wiring of a new house, the wiring system you choose for your home also affects the cost. Let’s get knowledge about different wiring systems. This might help you to choose the best wiring system for your house.
Conduit wiring
If you are concerned about the security of your loved ones at your home, then conduit wiring is for you. It is the enclosure of wires in plastic pipes (conduits). The pipes act as a guard to protect the cables from any disruption such as rain, storm, etc. The conduit wiring is further of two types
- Surface Conduit Wiring
- Concealed Conduit Wiring
In surface conduit wiring, electricians install all the conduits on the open surface of the walls using saddles and clamps. In the concealed wiring, all the conduits are placed into the walls. The conduit size and quantity vary from project to project. Moreover, different types of conduits are available in the market, like rigid and flexible metal conduits, non-metal conduits, etc. The price of conduit wiring depends upon the quality and number of conduits.
The average cost for rigid conduits is 2.10$ for half an inch. The estimated cost for flexible metal conduits is 30$-35$ for 0.375 inches. 2.10$ is the average cost for non-metal conduits for half an inch.
Casing and capping wiring
This is the most traditional wiring that is still used in different houses. In this system, the wires are placed in PVC and then covered with a cap. It is used mainly in low-voltage houses and offices. PVS is handy for electrical setups due to many reasons.
- It protects wires against any damage
- It divides the load of power into different cables according to their capacity
- PVCs do not alter their shapes even after many years, so they are the most reliable for wiring systems
- Their installation process is very simple
- As the wires are enclosed in pipes, they prevent any mess up of cables at the time of rewiring.
If we talk about the prices, the casing and capping system is inexpensive and suitable for low-budget houses.
Cleat Wiring
This system is where wires made of porcelain, plastic, or hardwood sheets are placed on the cleats. This is the most inexpensive wiring setup. It is usually suitable for areas that are not exposed to humans. Because wires are not enclosed in any material. Cleat wiring has many advantages
- The cables are exposed to the systems, making faults easily detectable.
- This is used in places where temporary wiring is required
- It can be easily placed and removed
- No experts are needed to install this wiring setup.
The cost of this wiring is very cheap.
Lead sheathed wiring
This type of wiring includes the insulation of conductors with VIR. The outer covering consists of Aluminum and Lead. The Lead in the outer covering is about 95%. That is the reason this wiring is known as Lead sheathed wiring. The advantages of this wiring are
- It protects the wires from heat, water or moisture.
- It can easily be implemented in areas that are directly exposed to sunlight.
If we talk about its cost, then it is very costly due to the following reasons
- Lead is very expensive
- This is a complex system of wiring that demands highly experienced labor
If you are planning for this wiring system, then your budget should be at the high end.
Domestic Wiring
Implementing the house wiring to give power to fans, tube lights and daily switches is known as domestic wiring. The cost of domestic wiring is further dependent on different points, e.g. size of the house, number of rooms, material quality, etc.
Loop in System
In this method, the connections of the lamps and other appliances are made parallel to control each lamp individually. One wire connection is connected to the lamp or switch, while the other is directly related to the supply load. This system is helpful to avoid many joints in a wire. It also prevents supply leakage. This system requires extra money to spend because the quantity of cable, screws, plugs, and saddles are used in more quantity.
Aluminum Wiring
Aluminum wiring is a traditional method of wiring. It conducts electrical supply efficiently. It is a metal with high oxidation properties, so it can catch fire when oxidized or connected with copper coating switches. Aluminum is not a recommended wiring system for any building. It became common in the 60s due to the high prices of copper.
USA’s Consumer Product Safety Commission stated that houses with Aluminum wiring systems are at higher risk of catching fire. In 1971, the usage of Aluminium wiring dropped due to a decrease in the price of copper.
TRS wiring
In this type of wiring, we use a TRS cable. These cables are of three kinds: single-core, double-core core or triple-core. Usually, the most demanding cables are single-core cables. These wires are heat and water-resistant but slightly susceptible to greasy exposure. TRS cables are spread over the wooden batten of 10mm. The width of the wooden batten can vary depending on the number of cables, as these wires have a high potential to resist any damage (even to acidic or basic exposure). Hence, its uses are in all residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. It requires labor with good experience, so the cost is high.
Wiring with Underground Cable
This is the most used method for wiring. In this, wires are buried in the ground. The type of wiring that prevents the mess up of cables on the surface and lightens up the exterior lamps. There are two types of underground cables
- UF
- UF-B
UF is an average cable, but UF-B is the updated version with more properties. UF-B is more moist, heat, water and corrosion resistant. The cost depends upon which cable you want to use. We suggest you go with UF-B. But, it is more expensive than UF and requires more labor expertise.
These are the primary methods of wiring and their cost. You can choose according to your requirements and budget. Many of them require a highly experienced workforce to install the wiring. If you select any setup that demands efficient electricians, you should only go for professional persons to save money. Because this will cost you more. Spending more on good electricians can prevent you from many problems.
Check Out More About Our, Commercial Electrical Work
What are the Benefits of Hiring Good Electricians
How does hiring a reasonable workforce for your electrical setup help you? Let’s discuss the details.
Understands Safety Concerns
A licensed and good electrician knows all the safety rules and regulations. He follows all the crucial regulations to ensure the safety of the coworkers at work and the house members after installation.
A Good Electrician Completes Work on Time
An experienced electrician has implemented the same wiring system in various projects. So, he knows all the pros and cons of that setup. He can estimate the possible risks and their solutions. This is useful for saving time.
Cost Savings
How can an experienced electrician with high charges save cost? He does. Due to his experience, he carefully handles the wires, switches, and saddles and prevents extra expenditure on buying new material.
You May Alos Like, General Contractor Do Electrical Work?
Licensed Electricians have Insurance.
God forbid. If any mishap occurs in the workplace and the workforce gets any harm, then this becomes very problematic for you. Licensed electricians have insurance coverage, so you don’t have to pay the bills.
Efficient Use of Power
The installation of the wiring system requires a continuous supply of electricity. An efficient electrician uses the supply properly and saves power.
Conclusion
When it comes to the time to wire a house, then how much it costs to wire a house is the most concerning question for house owners or electrical contractors. The cost of wiring a new home depends upon many factors, like the house size, the number of rooms, and the quality and quantity of the material you want to use. Besides these, the selection of the wiring system directly affects the wiring cost. The materials for various wiring systems are expensive, and others require materials that have low prices. Similarly, the installation of different electrical setups requires different levels of experience. For example, the TRS wiring requires licensed, experienced electricians. Moreover, the material used in this setup is also highly priced. The overall cost for TRS should be high.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most safe electrical wiring system for a house?
Electrical wires that PVC protects are the most suitable for houses and low-voltage buildings. Casing and Capping wiring use PVC to enclose the cables.
What is the average cost to wire a house?
The cost of wiring a new house and rewiring varies. The complete cost can be calculated after knowing the requirements, e.g., the house’s size, the material’s quality, and the wiring system’s selection. On average, wiring a house costs you 6000$-18000$. If we talk about square feet, then the average cost of wiring is 4$-$9 per square foot.
Is Aluminum Wiring Safe for Houses?
No, aluminum wiring is not recommended. In 1971, the Consumer Product Safety Commission of the USA stated that houses with aluminum wiring systems were at higher risk of catching fire. Aluminum has the property of high oxidizing, and it can easily catch fire. Old houses had this wiring due to the increase in copper prices at that time. However, homeowners must consider the rewiring of such homes.
What are the benefits of hiring a good electrician to install wiring?
An experienced and good electrician completes work on time. Due to his experience, he knows any possible faults and their handelings. His expertise prevents you from any extra charges by using all the materials carefully. Moreover, a licensed electrician has insurance coverage. So, in case of any mishap, you are not responsible for paying the charges.