Aluminum branch wiring is usually repaired at the connections, not replaced. The cost is driven by how many outlets, switches, fixtures and splices have to be remediated, so it is quoted after a count. Replacing the aluminum with copper is a rewire, typically $6.50–$12.40 per square foot.
This guide is part of our Electrical Repair service in Dallas–Fort Worth.
Aluminum branch wiring is usually repaired at the connections rather than replaced. The price depends on how many connections have to be remediated, so we count the outlets, switches, light fixtures and splices and quote the job in writing. Replacing the aluminum with copper is a rewire instead, which typically runs $6.50–$12.40 per square foot (rewiring cost guide).
The three permanent repairs the CPSC recognizes
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's guidance on aluminum wiring names three permanent fixes. Every one deals with the connections, because that is where aluminum wiring fails (CPSC Publication 516, Repairing Aluminum Wiring):
| Method | What it is | What drives the cost |
|---|---|---|
| Rewire with copper | Replaces the aluminum branch circuits entirely | House size, access, finishes. Typically $6.50–$12.40 per sq ft |
| COPALUM crimp | A short copper pigtail joined to the aluminum with a crimp made by a trained installer using the manufacturer's tool | Number of connections |
| AlumiConn connector | A lug-type connector rated for aluminum-to-copper, joining the aluminum to a copper pigtail | Number of connections |
Two things the CPSC says do not fix the problem: ordinary twist-on wire connectors, which overheated in testing, and simply swapping in CO/ALR-rated outlets and switches, which it calls an incomplete repair. The repair has to cover every aluminum connection in the house, including fixtures, appliances and junction boxes, not just the outlet that failed.
Clements Electric remediates with COPALUM crimps and AlumiConn connectors, or rewires the circuit in copper where that is the better fix (electrical repairs).
Repair or rewire?
If the aluminum wire itself is intact and the connections are the problem, remediating the connections removes the hazard for much less than pulling new copper. A rewire makes more sense when walls are being opened anyway, when the wiring is damaged, or when you want the aluminum gone entirely. Grand Prairie and Irving are where we find aluminum branch wiring most often in single-family homes.
How to tell if your home has aluminum wiring
- Build year. Aluminum branch wiring was installed in many homes built roughly 1965–1973.
- Cable markings. Where cable is visible in the attic, garage or at the panel, aluminum cable is typically printed 'AL' or 'ALUMINUM' on the outer jacket. Please don't pull outlets or switches out of the wall to look.
- Warning signs the CPSC lists: outlet or switch cover plates that are warm, flickering lights, circuits that stop working, and the smell of burning plastic near outlets or switches.
The CPSC also warns that aluminum connections can fail with no warning at all, so the absence of symptoms does not mean the connections are sound. If you notice heat or a burning smell, switch the circuit off and see what to do about a burning smell.
Insurance
Aluminum wiring often comes up when a Texas carrier writes or renews a policy, especially after a home inspection. Carriers differ: some want documented remediation by a licensed electrician, some ask for a specific method, and some want the aluminum replaced. Ask your carrier or agent what they will accept before choosing a method. We give you written documentation of the method used and the connections completed for your agent to forward.
Get your aluminum wiring assessed and quoted.
We count the connections and give you a written flat-rate price.
Aluminum wiring repair FAQs
It is priced by the number of connections: every outlet, switch, light fixture, appliance connection and splice on an aluminum circuit. We count them on site and give you a written flat-rate quote. If you would rather replace the aluminum with copper, that is a rewire, typically $6.50–$12.40 per square foot.
Policies and underwriting rules vary by carrier. Many want to see documented remediation by a licensed electrician; some specify a method or want the aluminum replaced. Ask your carrier what it requires before you choose, and keep the written documentation of the work.
The CPSC lists both, along with rewiring in copper, as permanent repairs. COPALUM is a crimp made by a trained installer with the manufacturer's tool; AlumiConn is a lug-type connector that depends on correct installation and torque. If your insurer specifies one, that usually decides it.
In most homes it can be repaired. The hazard is at the connections, where aluminum can loosen and overheat, so remediating every connection with an approved method addresses it without pulling new wire. Full replacement makes sense when the wire is damaged, you are renovating anyway, or your insurer requires it.
The CPSC reports that homes wired with aluminum wire manufactured before 1972 are 55 times more likely than copper-wired homes to have one or more connections reach fire-hazard conditions, and that aluminum connections can fail without any warning. Warm cover plates, flickering lights or a burning smell mean switch the circuit off and call.
