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Cost Guide

Electrician Cost Guide: 2026 Pricing

Electrical work pricing climbed across most of the country this year, with EV charger installs and panel upgrades making up a bigger share of the average pro's calendar. Here's where the typical residential job lands in 2026.

Service	2026 National Average
Service call / diagnostic	$100 to $200
Hourly labor rate	$95 to $200
Outlet replacement	$140 to $300
GFCI outlet install	$175 to $375
Light fixture install (basic)	$150 to $400
Ceiling fan install	$200 to $500
EV charger install (Level 2)	$900 to $2,800
Sub-panel install	$1,200 to $2,500
Electrical panel upgrade (200 amp)	$2,500 to $5,500
Service mast / weatherhead replacement	$1,200 to $2,800
Whole-home rewire (1,500 sqft)	$8,000 to $20,000

What changes the price

Permit and inspection. Required for most panel and circuit work. A pro who skips them is cutting corners.
Wall access. Fishing wire through finished walls takes longer than open framing. Drywall repair adds up.
Code updates triggered. A panel upgrade can require AFCI or GFCI breakers on existing circuits in some jurisdictions.
Distance from the panel. A 60-foot run to a garage EV charger costs more than 15 feet next to the panel.
Existing wiring type. Knob-and-tube or aluminum branch wiring complicates almost every job.
Utility coordination. Service upgrades that require the meter to be pulled add a day and a coordination fee.

Always get an itemized estimate that lists permits separately. Browse electricians in your state above to compare local pricing.

Seasonal Checklist

Year-Round Electrical Safety Checklist

Electrical issues don't follow seasons the way HVAC does, but a couple of yearly checks catch most of the problems before they become emergencies. Home electrical fires kill around 400 people a year in the US, and the National Fire Protection Association says nearly half of those are tied to old or damaged wiring that someone noticed and ignored.

Every few months

Test every GFCI outlet. Press TEST, then RESET. If it doesn't trip, replace it.
Test every smoke and CO detector. Swap batteries on a fixed schedule, not just when they chirp.
Check extension cord use. Permanent extension cords are a sign you need more outlets, not more cords.

Annually

Walk the panel. Look for rust, scorch marks, or any breaker that's warm to the touch.
Trip and reset every breaker once a year to keep the mechanism free.
Check outdoor outlets for weather damage. Covers should close fully.
Inspect outlets and switches for warmth, discoloration, or buzzing. Any of those, get a pro.
Look at exposed wiring in the basement, crawl, and attic. Damaged sheathing or rodent chew marks both need attention.

Before winter holidays

Don't run holiday lights through extension cords daisy-chained together.
Use only outdoor-rated cords outside.
Plug space heaters directly into the wall, never into a power strip.

If anything in the panel or wiring looks odd, get a licensed electrician out the same week. Find one in your state above.

Red Flags

Electrical Red Flags: When to Call a Pro Now

Most electrical fires start with a warning sign someone noticed and didn't act on. Here's the short list that should send you straight to a licensed pro.

Burning smell with no visible source. Especially around outlets or the panel. Shut the breaker and call.
Outlets warm to the touch. Loose connections build heat, then fire.
Lights flickering on multiple circuits. Single bulb is normal. Whole house is a service or panel issue.
Breakers that trip repeatedly. Don't keep resetting. The breaker is doing its job for a reason.
Buzzing from outlets, switches, or the panel. Always abnormal.
Mild shock from an appliance. Grounding or wiring issue. Stop using it.
Discolored or scorched outlet faces. Already had an arc event.
Two-prong outlets in a kitchen, bath, or garage. Code requires GFCI protection in those rooms. Worth fixing for safety and resale.
Aluminum branch wiring. Common in homes built 1965 to 1973. Needs proper connectors, not standard outlets.

If two or more of these show up at once, treat it as urgent. Find a licensed electrician in your state above.

Buyer's Guide

What to Know Before You Hire an Electrician

Electrical work isn't the place to save a few bucks. Bad wiring causes house fires, fails inspections, and quietly costs you on the energy bill for years. The good news is that finding a solid electrician isn't hard once you know what to ask. EV chargers, solar tie-ins, and panel upgrades are pushing demand higher than ever, so booking a few weeks out is becoming the new normal in most cities.

Tips for picking a great electrician

Master electrician on staff. Even if a journeyman does the work, a master should be signing off on permits and complex jobs.
Permits pulled, every time. Permits protect you at resale and during insurance claims. A pro who skips them is cutting corners somewhere.
Up-to-date code knowledge. The 2023 NEC brought changes around AFCI, GFCI, and EV circuits. Ask how recent their training is.
Itemized estimates. Materials, labor, permit fees, and any drywall repair clearly listed.
Warranty on labor. One year minimum. Two is better.
Clean job photos. A panel that looks neat inside is usually wired neatly behind the walls too.
Comfortable with your specific job. Service upgrades, EV chargers, and old knob-and-tube each take different experience.

Red flags

No business license listed online. Reluctance to pull permits. Quotes given over the phone without seeing the panel. Cash-only requests. Any whiff of "we'll just bypass that for you."

How this directory helps

We rank electricians using public reviews, verified business info, and response patterns. There's no pay-to-rank, so the names at the top are there because customers gave them strong feedback. The list is a safer starting point than a random search.

Browse electricians in your state above and find someone before the next breaker trips.