How to Estimate the Amount of

Wire Needed to Rewire an

Average Home
Written by Chris Deziel; Updated September 01, 2015

Peggy Easterly/iStock/Getty Images

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As far as wiring is concerned, there is no such thing as an average home. Not only is each house
a different shape and size, but it has different electrical needs. To get a realistic estimate of the
amount of electrical cable your project is going to require, you're going to need a floor plan
and/or a basic wiring diagram. The accuracy of the estimate depends on the accuracy of the
floor plan.
Importance of the Wiring Diagram
All the electrical circuits in a typical house originate at the main panel, which is usually on the
ground floor at the point at which the electricity drops in from the power lines. An electrical
diagram displays information about each circuit, including each light fixture or outlet that's on
it, and -- most important for the purposes of estimating -- the location of the last device. The
distance from the panel to the last device approximately determines the amount of wire you
need for that circuit. The wire may have to follow a circuitous route to reach all the devices on
it, but for estimation purposes, you can assume it follows the most direct route.
About Wire Gauge
Residential circuits in North America have a voltage of either 120 or 240 V. You need to
differentiate these when estimating wire needs, because they require different wire gauges.
Moreover, you may need need a different gauge wire to service your 240-V stove than you do
for your water heater, and 15-A,120-V circuits require a lighter wire gauge than 20-A circuits.
When studying your circuit diagram, note the voltage and amperage of each circuit so you can
make a list of how much wire of each gauge you need, but reserve 240-V installations for a
professional electrician.You may opt to follow the advice of some builders and use 12-gauge
wire for all 120-V circuits. This simplifies installation and ensures that all your circuits are up
to code, although it's a bit more expensive.
Adding It All Up
Now that you have the electrical diagram, relevant distance measurements of your house and
information about the wire gauge needed for each circuit, you have all you need to make an
wiring estimate. Figure out the length of each circuit, using your home's floor plan, and add this
length to all the other lengths for that wire gauge. Add a 10 percent overage to the final
summation to account for twists, bends and backtracks. You buy wire in rolls, so for safety's
sake always round up to the next highest number of rolls. For example, if your calculations
show you need 7 1/4 50-foot rolls, then buy eight of them.
Specialty Wire Needs
Heavy-gauge 240-V cable isn't the only specialty wire you'll need. If you plan on installing
three-way light switches, which is a system whereby two switches operate the same light
fixture or fan, you'll need 12-gauge three-conductor wire with an extra hot wire. If you plan to
install outdoor lighting, you'll need exterior-grade wire that can be buried. Make an extra list
for these specialty cables to ensure you have them on hand when you need them. If you aren't
sure which wire type you need for a particular application, consult an electrician. You don't
want to install a circuit with substandard wire that can't handle the load without overheating.