Do you need electrical work done on your home? Learn how much to expect to pay and how to estimate electrician rates for different jobs around the house.
Long gone are the days of lighting our homes with candles. Nowadays we rely on electricity for almost everything inside our home to work. This is why electricians have become very important to help keep our appliances, air conditioning, and everything else running
without our homes catching on fire.
Are you in need of electrical work done on your home? We are going to share electrician rates and how much you can expect to pay for different services done around your house.
Hourly Electrician Rates
The average cost of electrical work is between $40 – $100 per hour plus a call out fee. Electricians rates vary based on how much experience they have and the area that you are located in.
The call-out fee that is charged is sometimes applied towards the first hour of work if you decide to hire them. This is typically charged to ensure that they at least get paid for their time and expertise for coming out to your home, even if you decide to not move forward with their services.
If the wiring or lighting requires a master electrician you can expect to pay around $100 per hour. The call fee for a master electrician can be more like $125.
Emergency Electrician
Sometimes you will have an emergency electrician needed on an evening, holiday, or weekend, which you can expect to pay more. The rates can cost up to $150 per hour for urgent calls. If you prefer to pay a flat fee, you can call around and find an electrician that charges a flat fee for working outside their regular hours.
Sometimes the flat fees have a minimum rate between $200 to $400 for the entire time they are at your home no matter how long they are there.
Light Fixtures
If you are looking at installing new fixtures you can expect to pay around $450 if they supply the new fixture. Once again, this rate will fluctuate depending on where you live, how much new wiring will have to be done, whether the electrician has to buy the new light fixture, and whether any new holes have to be created to place the light fixture in.
Wire a House
An average 3 bedroom home that’s 1,500 square feet can cost between $2,300 to $5,600 to rewire. That rate can go up to $6,000-$10,000 if the electrician has to install any new wires by running it through your main walls.
If they have to go through main walls it means they have to open up the walls, remove the old wires, rewire, and then reinstall the drywall or whatever your existing wall is made of.
A few variables that make the price vary when wiring an entire home include how many outlets you want, how many fans you want, and how many appliances will need 220V outlets. Do not try to skimp on the number of outlets you need in order to save money because you can end up causing issues in the future.
Fixing an Outlet and Switch
You can expect to pay between $120 to $150 to replace an outlet inside your home and between $200 to $275 to replace an outlet outside of your home.
Replacing or installing a new light switch can cost between $80 to $200. A single switch will be around $150-$200 and a new three-way light switch can cost you between $100 to $250.
Electrical Panel
Replacing an electrical panel can cost between $900 to $2,500. This price is for homes that require a 200-amp panel. If you have a larger home that requires a 400 amp panel then you can expect to pay anywhere from $2,000 to $4,000.
The last thing you want is to install a breaker box that is too small. This will cause you headaches and chaos in the future. You would have to deal with tripping your breakers, overheating the wires and even causing a fire.
All of these issues would cost you a lot more money in the long run. Do not skimp on your electric panel if you want to avoid more repairs in the future.
Generator
If you want to install a generator as backup electricity in case you lose power you can expect to pay between $2,500 to $7,000. Out of that figure between $500 and $1,000 is for labor, the rest is for wires, parts, and the generator.
The price will fluctuate based on the code requirements in your area and the size of the generator you choose to install.
Smart Home
Did you know that it is estimated that 63 million American homes will be considered smart homes by the year 2022? Nowadays many people are opting for smart homes to make their lives more convenient. From lighting to window covers to smart appliances, the options seem to be endless with all the technology we have today.
To install a smart home device you can expect to pay around $100 for a central hub that you will program on your own. If you want to automate an entire 3 bedroom, 2-bathroom home you can expect to pay up to $12,000.
A basic home automation can cost you between $600 to $1,800. A hardwired system can start at $4,000 and go up from there.
Ready to Hire Your Next Electrician
As you can see electrician rates can vary based on a number of different factors. Where you are located will always factor in the cost, along with their experience. The other factors will depend on the service you need to be done and whether it is an emergency or not.
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