How much does whole house rewiring cost in New Brunswick?

Whole-house rewiring in New Brunswick typically runs $8,000–$20,000+, with most homes landing in the $12,000–$16,000 range — though the final number depends heavily on your home's size, age, and how accessible the walls are.

Here's how the pricing breaks down across the spectrum:

• Older homes (pre-1960s, knob-and-tube or early aluminum wiring): $14,000–$20,000+ — these require the most labour, often involve plaster walls that are difficult to fish wire through, and may need a panel upgrade at the same time
• Mid-century bungalows (1960s–1980s): $10,000–$16,000 — very common in Moncton, Fredericton, and Saint John suburbs; generally more straightforward but often need a service upgrade from 100A to 200A
• Larger or multi-storey homes: $16,000–$25,000+ depending on square footage and complexity

The panel upgrade is almost always part of the conversation. If your home still has a 100-amp service (extremely common in NB homes built before 1990), upgrading to 200A adds roughly $2,500–$4,500 to the project. Homes with fuse panels or Federal Pacific/Zinsco panels should treat this as urgent — those panels are a known fire risk.

The permit process in New Brunswick is non-negotiable here. All electrical work must be performed by a licensed electrical contractor — homeowners cannot legally do their own wiring in NB unless they hold a valid electrician's licence issued by the Department of Justice and Public Safety's Technical Inspection Services (TIS). Your contractor must obtain an electrical wiring permit from NB Power (1-800-615-0522) before work begins, and TIS conducts the final inspection once wiring is complete. Working without a permit triggers a special inspection fee on top of the permit cost — and more importantly, unpermitted wiring can void your home insurance and create serious liability if you ever sell.

What's typically included in a rewiring quote: new wiring throughout, updated receptacles and switches, smoke and CO detector wiring (interconnected, as required by code), and panel replacement if needed. What's often not included: drywall patching after wires are fished through walls (budget $2,000–$5,000 extra if significant patching is needed), pot light installation, or EV charger rough-in — though it's smart to add that while the walls are open.

If your home is a Victorian or older heritage property in Uptown Saint John, Fredericton's downtown, or a similar heritage area, factor in extra labour costs — plaster walls and balloon framing make wire fishing significantly more difficult and time-consuming.

One thing worth knowing: NB has some of the highest radon levels in Canada, and if you're opening up walls for a rewire, it's an ideal time to test your basement and address any radon issues before patching everything back up. Test kits run $30–$50 at hardware stores.

Your best next step is to get quotes from at least three licensed electrical contractors. Ask each one specifically whether the quote includes the NB Power wiring permit, TIS inspection fees, and panel replacement if needed — those line items are easy to miss when comparing bids. You can find licensed electricians serving your area through the New Brunswick Construction Network directory.