Electrical cost calculator: openings and price
Electricians count openings: every outlet, switch and fixture location is one. Material for a standard opening runs $25 to $45 in wire, box, device and plate, and rough-in plus trim-out labor adds $55 to $110 per opening in 2026 with the framing open. Count the openings on your plans, enter the number, and the calculator prices the wiring package.
Worked example: 20 openings total openings
That takes 20 openings (Job size). National-average costs:
| Line | Quantity | Cost range |
|---|---|---|
| Wire, boxes and devices | 20 openings | $500 to $900 |
| Rough-in and trim-out labor | 20 openings | $1,100 to $2,200 |
| Breakers, staples, wire connectors and spare plates | 8% | $40 to $72 |
| Estimated total | $1,640 to $3,172 |
Count every outlet, switch and fixture location on the plans and enter the total. The interactive calculator on this page recomputes these numbers for your dimensions and adjusts for any US state.
How to measure for electrical work
Walk the plans room by room
Mark every receptacle, switch and fixture location and keep a running count. Bedrooms usually land at 8 to 10 openings each, kitchens at 15 to 20 with counter receptacles, pendants, cans and the appliance circuits.
Check the code minimums
NEC spacing sets your floor: a receptacle within 6 feet of any point along a wall, countertop receptacles every 4 feet of counter, GFCI protection in kitchens, baths, garages and outside. If the plan shows fewer, the count is wrong, not the code.
Count fixtures individually
Six recessed cans is six openings, not one lighting allowance. Ceiling fans need a fan-rated box and usually a separate switch leg, so a fan location is honestly two openings once the wall switch is counted.
Add the safety devices
Smoke detectors go in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level, interconnected. On a 3 bedroom house that is 5 or 6 more openings the plans often forget, plus CO detectors where fuel appliances live.
What this calculator assumes
- Rates are national averages for new work in open framing, like new construction or a gutted remodel.
- Each opening carries branch wiring material plus rough-in and trim-out labor.
- The 8 percent allowance covers breakers, staples, wire connectors and spare plates.
- The service panel, meter work, permit fees and utility coordination are separate line items.
- Fixture hardware is excluded because clients supply their own lights and fans.
- Old-work jobs in finished walls can run double the labor number shown here.
Cost factors in electrical work
Open studs versus finished walls
Rough-in with the framing open is drilling and stapling. The same circuit fished through insulated, finished walls means cutting, fishing, patch coordination and triple the hours, which is why remodel work never prices off a new-construction sheet.
Device grade
A duplex receptacle costs about $1.75 and a single-pole switch about $2.10, but the spec sheet fills up fast: dimmers at $22, GFCIs at $22, USB combos at $30. A designer-device whole house can double the material line.
Panel capacity
Every new circuit needs a breaker slot. A full panel forces tandems, a sub-panel at $1,100 to $2,300 installed, or a service upgrade conversation at $3,200 to $5,800, and none of that is in a per-opening price.
Home run distance
Openings near the panel share short runs. A detached garage or a third-floor addition means long feeders, and 12/2 at about $0.60 a foot adds up quietly over a few hundred feet of cable path.
AFCI and GFCI requirements
Current code pushes arc-fault protection across most living-space circuits, and a dual-function breaker costs $58 against $9 for a standard one. On a 20 circuit panel schedule that single code line moves the price hundreds of dollars.
Permits and inspections
Permit cost varies by jurisdiction, but the schedule hit is the bigger factor: rough inspection before cover, final before energize. A failed inspection is a return trip nobody billed for.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as an opening?
Every device location: each receptacle, each switch, each fixture box, each smoke detector. A 3-gang switch bank is three openings because it is three devices to wire and trim, even though it shares one box cutout. Count them off the plans or walk the rooms with a clicker.
What is a fair price per opening in 2026?
For new work in open framing, $80 to $160 installed per opening is the national band, with material making up $25 to $45 of it. GFCI locations, dimmers and 3-way runs sit at the top. Old-work fishing through finished walls is a different trade and prices well past that range.
How many openings does a typical house have?
A common planning number is one opening for every 25 to 30 square feet of living space, which puts a 2,000 square foot house near 70 to 80 once you count smokes, exterior lights and the garage. Code minimums set the floor: a receptacle within 6 feet of any point along a wall, and countertop receptacles so no point is more than 24 inches from one.
Does this include the panel or the fixtures?
No. The service panel is its own line item, and a 200 amp panel swap sells for $2,800 to $4,500 as a job. Fixture hardware is excluded too, since clients pick their own lights and the spread between a $19 can and an $85 pendant would wreck any per-opening average.
What does Staxen cost for electricians?
Staxen is $59 per month per AI employee and $149 per month for all three. Read the opening count off the plans out loud and Eddie the Estimator prices the job, sends it, and collects the signature by text while you are still in the truck. The first job is free, no card up front.
Start free with Staxen: your first job is on us, no card required.