What electrical work costs, and which of it you should not be paying for at all.

Prices vary by region and by how much access the job needs. Where a job has a genuine do-it-yourself version we say so rather than quoting a number for it.

• Federal Pacific or Zinsco panel
• Cloth-covered cable visible in the attic or basement
• Fuse panel, or a 60 amp service
• Knob-and-tube still energised
• No GFCI protection anywhere in the house
• Aluminum branch wiring
• Panel full, with tandem breakers doubled up
• Three-prong outlets on two-wire cable
• Bathroom outlet with no GFCI
• Lights dimming when the air conditioner starts
• Backstabbed receptacles failing
• Recessed cans buried in attic insulation
• Kitchen tripping when two appliances run
• Pool, spa or hot tub with questionable bonding
• AFCI breaker tripping repeatedly
• Adding an EV charger
• Spa or outbuilding added after the build
• Humidity in an outdoor panel or meter base
• Storm shelter power and lighting
• Long service drop or a rural feeder
• Well pump circuit

Things you should not pay for

• Two-prong outlets throughout the house
• Ceiling fan mounted to a standard light box
• Breakers or fuses that are not labeled
• Outlets that no longer grip a plug
• 100 amp service and a growing load
• Extension cords doing permanent work
• Old smoke alarms with no interconnection
• 150 amp panel and a modern load
• No arc-fault protection on bedroom circuits
• Hardwired smoke alarms all beeping at once
• Aluminum still present at the range or dryer
• Outdoor outlet with a flat cover
• Smart switch needing a neutral in the box
• No whole-home surge protection
• Builder-grade devices failing across the house
• Recessed LED retrofit dimming poorly
• Panel has no spare spaces on a new house
• Frequent outages from trees on the lines
• Lightning surge damage to electronics

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Written by Jaylan Jones. I Like To Fix earns a referral fee when a call connects to a contractor. See our business-model disclosure.