Answered by a licensed electrician
How much does it cost to rewire a house in Ontario?
Quick answer
Rewiring a house in Ontario typically costs $8,000–$20,000+ in 2026, depending on size and access. A small home or partial rewire may run $6,000–$12,000, while a full rewire of a larger or finished home with plaster walls can exceed $20,000. Pricing works out to roughly $4,000–$8,000 per 1,000 square feet, plus the ESA permit. Knob-and-tube and aluminum-wiring removals are the most common reasons GTA homes get rewired.
Rewiring is one of the larger electrical investments a homeowner makes, and the price range is wide because no two homes are alike. Here's what actually drives the cost, and what to expect for a GTA home in 2026.
Typical price ranges
For most Ontario homes, a rewire lands in the $8,000–$20,000+ range, and it scales roughly with size and access:
- Partial rewire (one floor, specific problem circuits, or removing a section of knob-and-tube): $6,000–$12,000.
- Full rewire, small-to-mid home, good access: $10,000–$16,000.
- Full rewire, larger or finished home with plaster walls: $18,000–$25,000+.
A useful rule of thumb is $4,000–$8,000 per 1,000 square feet, with the ESA permit and inspection on top (always included in our quotes). The spread within that range comes down almost entirely to access.
What drives the cost up or down
Access is everything. Wiring an open, unfinished home — or one being gutted in a renovation anyway — is fast and relatively cheap. Wiring a finished home means fishing cable through closed walls and ceilings, working around insulation and framing, and patching every access hole afterward. Plaster-and-lath walls in older Toronto homes are slower and messier to work than drywall, which raises labour.
Other factors: the number of circuits and devices (more outlets, switches, and fixtures means more terminations), whether a panel or service upgrade is needed to land the new circuits, the home's layout (three storeys and finished basements add runs), and drywall repair — some homeowners have the electrician leave clean openings and bring in their own finisher, others want it turnkey.
Why GTA homes get rewired
The two biggest drivers in this region are old wiring types. Knob-and-tube replacement is common in pre-1950 homes where the original wiring is ungrounded, brittle, and uninsurable — see how to tell if you have knob-and-tube. Aluminum branch wiring from the 1960s–70s is the other; sometimes it's fully replaced, sometimes remediated with approved connections. Renovations, additions, and finishing a basement also trigger partial rewires. Many of these are insurance-driven — and a rewire with ESA documentation typically resolves coverage issues.
How the project works
A rewire runs in stages. The electrician maps the new circuit plan, files the ESA notification, runs new NMD90 cable from an updated panel to every device, and the work is inspected at rough-in (before walls close) and again at final. You receive a certificate of inspection at the end — keep it for insurance and resale. Most full rewires take several days to a couple of weeks depending on size and whether you're living in the home during the work.
Because the range is so wide, the only accurate number comes from a site visit. City Power provides free, itemized rewiring estimates across the GTA — we assess the wiring, the panel, and the access, and give you a fixed price with the permit included. Call 416-837-4038 to book.
Want a licensed electrician to take a look?
Free written quote, usually the same day. ESA permits handled.
People also ask
Why is rewiring so expensive?
Most of the cost is labour and access, not materials. Running new cable through finished walls and ceilings means opening and patching plaster or drywall, fishing wire around insulation and framing, and reconnecting every outlet, switch, and fixture to code — then passing ESA inspection. An open, unfinished home rewires for far less than a finished century home.
Can a house be rewired without tearing out all the walls?
Usually yes. Experienced electricians fish new wiring through existing wall and ceiling cavities, opening only small, strategic access holes rather than gutting rooms. Some patching is unavoidable, but a skilled rewire is far less destructive than homeowners fear — the goal is minimal, repairable openings.
Does rewiring include a new panel?
Often, but not always. If the existing panel is a fuse box, undersized, or full, a panel or service upgrade is usually bundled into the rewire since the new circuits need somewhere to land. A relatively modern panel with capacity can sometimes be kept. A good quote itemizes the panel separately so you can see the cost.