Electrical wiring, fuse boxes and breaker switches: what owners spent in 2021–2023
The typical U.S. owner paid $1,000 for electrical wiring, fuse boxes and breaker switches work; across 9 big metros the typical job ran $1,000 to $2,143.
What owners paid
$1,000
The typical (median) U.S. job: half of owners paid less, half paid more.
The Census table gives no margin of error for the national figure.
Lowest big metro, $1,000: Houston. Highest, $2,143: San Francisco.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Housing Survey 2023, the latest release: work owners did in about 2021–2023. Checked .
What owners paid in each big metro
The typical (median) job in each of the survey's 15 metro areas, highest first. The margin of error is the Census Bureau's 90% range around each median.
- San Francisco$2,143
- Seattle$2,057
- Washington DC$2,000
- Boston$1,800
- Miami$1,714
- Los Angeles$1,500
- Philadelphia$1,500
- Atlanta$1,286
- Houston$1,000
No published figure: Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, New York City, Phoenix, Riverside.
What these figures cover: Wiring, fuse boxes and breaker panels, counted together, from a new circuit to a full rewire.
The figures as a table, with margins of error
Scroll the table sideways to see every column on a small screen.
| Metro area | Typical job (median) | Margin of error (90% confidence) |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $2,143 | ±$315 |
| Seattle | $2,057 | ±$515 |
| Washington DC | $2,000 | ±$296 |
| Boston | $1,800 | ±$647 |
| Miami | $1,714 | ±$645 |
| Los Angeles | $1,500 | ±$495 |
| Philadelphia | $1,500 | ±$709 |
| Atlanta | $1,286 | ±$419 |
| Houston | $1,000 | ±$351 |
| Chicago | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
| Dallas | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
| Detroit | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
| New York City | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
| Phoenix | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
| Riverside | Not published Withheld by Census | Not published |
Source: Census Bureau and HUD, 2023 American Housing Survey, Table 16, category “Electrical wiring/fuse boxes/breaker switches” under “Interior Additions and Replacements”. Updated 2026-09-19. The metro values and margins of error use the survey's metropolitan areas, not city limits. A metro with no published figure stays blank; we never fill it in from its neighbors.
Why do cost guides disagree?
They measure different things. An estimate prices one defined job at today's rates; these figures are what owners actually paid, across every size and kind of job in the category. A full job on a large house can sit well above the typical figure, and a small one well below it. Your own quotes, compared line by line, are the price that counts.
Before you compare quotes
If a quote is well above the typical $1,000, ask what is in it that the typical job is not. Separate a full rewire from new circuits or panel replacement. Compare fixtures, service upgrades, wall opening and repairs, permits and testing.