Electrical — Panels, Wiring, EV Charging & Safety Costs
Electrical is the trade where DIY enthusiasm meets the hardest limits: nearly all of this work legally requires permits, much of it requires licensed electricians, and the failure modes are fires and electrocution. These guides price the work honestly and mark the safety lines clearly.
It's also the trade electrification is transforming: EV chargers, heat pumps, and induction ranges are pushing 1970s panels past their limits, which is why panel capacity shows up in almost every guide below.
Cost guides
| Guide | Typical | Range |
|---|---|---|
| How Much Does an Electrical Panel Upgrade Cost? | $3,200 | $1,800 – $6,500 |
| How Much Does GFCI Outlet Installation Cost? | $210 | $120 – $350 |
| How Much Does EV Charger Installation Cost? | $1,600 | $800 – $3,500 |
| How Much Does It Cost to Rewire a House? | $12,000 | $6,000 – $22,000 |
| How Much Does Generator Installation Cost? | $9,500 | $5,500 – $16,000 |
Calculators
Key decisions
What's actually DIY-legal in electrical?
Like-for-like device swaps (outlets, switches, fixtures) on dead, verified circuits are homeowner territory in most jurisdictions. New circuits, panel work, and service equipment are permit-and-licensed-electrician territory essentially everywhere. The insurance consequences of unpermitted work outlast the savings.
Which old-house wiring demands action?
Knob-and-tube (pre-1950) and FPE/Zinsco panels: replace. Aluminum branch wiring (1965–73): remediate connections or rewire. All three increasingly block insurance coverage at purchase or renewal — timing your fix beats being forced.
Is my panel big enough for an EV or heat pump?
A load calculation answers it in an hour. Many 100A homes can add one big load with load management ($300–$900) instead of a $3,000+ panel upgrade — right-sizing the charger or staging loads often beats brute capacity.
Every figure above is an editorial estimate with published assumptions — see how we estimate costs.