What electrical work costs in 2026: real material prices
A duplex receptacle costs $1.50 to $2.25 at the supply house in 2026, and a 200 amp main service panel runs about $230 to $350 before a single wire is pulled. Those are national-average material costs, not installed prices, and knowing the difference is how electricians protect their margin. The table below covers the devices, wire, and panel gear that show up on almost every residential ticket, followed by what full jobs actually sell for.
electrical material costs, national average
| Item | Unit | Typical range | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duplex receptacle | ea | $1.50 to $2.25 | 15A tamper-resistant |
| GFCI receptacle | ea | $19 to $28 | |
| Single-pole switch | ea | $1.80 to $2.75 | |
| 3-way switch | ea | $4 to $6 | |
| Dimmer switch | ea | $19 to $28 | LED-compatible |
| NM cable 14/2 | ft | $0.36 to $0.55 | |
| NM cable 12/2 | ft | $0.52 to $0.80 | |
| NM cable 12/3 | ft | $0.70 to $1.10 | |
| 4/0 aluminum SER feeder | ft | $4.75 to $7.25 | 200 amp service |
| Recessed downlight | ea | $17 to $26 | canless LED, 6 inch |
| Ceiling fan | ea | $125 to $195 | mid-grade, 52 inch |
| Main service panel | ea | $230 to $350 | 200 amp, 40 space |
| Sub-panel | ea | $90 to $140 | 100 amp |
| Standard breaker | ea | $7.50 to $12 | single pole 15 or 20A |
| Dual-function AFCI/GFCI breaker | ea | $50 to $78 | |
| Smoke/CO combination detector | ea | $40 to $62 | hardwired with battery backup |
The material prices on this page are national-average supply-house costs pulled from the pricing dataset inside Staxen, the same starting numbers its AI estimator uses before a contractor tunes them to their own suppliers. They are material only: no labor, no overhead, no markup. The installed job ranges further down are typical contractor totals that do include labor, based on common 2026 US residential work. Every figure moves by region and over time, so treat this page as a benchmark, not a bid.
What typical electrical jobs run installed
200 amp panel upgrade: $2,000 to $4,500
Meter relocation, utility coordination, and whether the jurisdiction requires a whole-home surge protector and AFCI breakers on every reworked circuit push it toward the top.
Whole-house rewire, 1,500 sf: $8,000 to $20,000
Plaster walls, finished ceilings, and occupied homes drive labor way up. An empty house with open attic and crawl access sits at the bottom.
Level 2 EV charger circuit: $600 to $1,800
Panel capacity decides this one. A 50 amp breaker and a short run is cheap; a load calculation that forces a panel upgrade turns it into a different job.
Six recessed lights, existing ceiling: $900 to $2,000
Attic access above the ceiling is the swing. Fishing from below through insulation-packed joist bays doubles the hours.
Dedicated 20 amp appliance circuit: $250 to $700
Distance from the panel and how much finished wall sits between it and the appliance location.
Expect the top of each range in coastal metros like the Bay Area, Seattle, Boston, and New York, and the bottom across much of the South and Midwest. Material prices travel better than labor does: a GFCI costs roughly the same in Boise and Brooklyn, but the electrician installing it does not.
Cost factors in electrical work
AFCI and GFCI requirements
Under current NEC adoption, most habitable-room circuits need arc-fault protection, and a dual-function breaker runs $50 to $78 against $7.50 to $12 for a standard one. On a panel change with 20 circuits, breaker selection alone can move material cost by $800 or more.
Copper price swings
Wire is the line item that moves. 12/2 NM has traded in a wide band over the past few years, and a rewire that needs 2,500 feet feels every nickel of change. Quote wire-heavy jobs from this week's counter price, not last month's.
Access and finish
Open studs are the cheapest wall in the world. Every hour spent fishing cable behind plaster, patching drywall, or working around cabinets is an hour the material table cannot see.
Utility and inspection scheduling
Service upgrades need a utility disconnect and reconnect plus an inspection window. In some metros that means two trips and a day of waiting, which belongs in the price.
Aluminum versus copper feeders
A 200 amp service fed with 4/0 aluminum SER at $4.75 to $7.25 per foot costs a fraction of the copper equivalent. Spec aluminum where code and the panel lugs allow it, and say so on the estimate.
Frequently asked questions
Are these the prices I should charge my customers?
No. These are material costs, which are the floor of a price, not the price. A sustainable rate adds labor at your fully burdened cost, a share of overhead like the truck and insurance, and profit on top. Many electrical shops mark up materials 25 to 50 percent and bill labor separately.
Why is a dual-function breaker six times the price of a standard one?
A dual-function breaker combines arc-fault and ground-fault electronics in one body, and the sensing circuitry is what you pay for. Standard single-pole breakers run $7.50 to $12 while dual-function units run $50 to $78. Current code requires the protection in most living spaces, so a full panel of them is often not optional.
How much wire should I figure per opening on a rewire?
A common rule of thumb is 20 to 30 feet of NM cable per opening once you account for routing up walls, across joists, and drip loops. At $0.52 to $0.80 per foot for 12/2, a 60-opening house carries roughly $700 to $1,400 in branch wire alone before feeders and home runs.
How do I estimate faster with prices like these?
Eddie, the estimator inside Staxen, starts every estimate from these same national averages, and your own prices take over as you edit line items. You describe the job by voice, review the draft, and text the client a link they can e-sign. Staxen costs $59 per month per AI employee, or $149 per month for all three, and your first job is free with no card required.
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