Cost guide
Dedicated circuit installation cost
What a new circuit costs, when an appliance needs one of its own, and how panel capacity changes the answer.
These are market ranges, not a quote. A circuit is priced by the run: how far, through what, and whether anything has to be opened up to get there. Panel capacity is the other half of the answer.
What it costs
Most dedicated circuits land between three hundred and nine hundred dollars installed. The range is mostly about access: how far the run is, and whether anyone has to open a wall to make it.
| Situation | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Short run, unfinished space | $300 – $500 | Garage, basement or attic access, 120V |
| Finished walls, medium run | $500 – $900 | Fishing cable, patching where needed |
| 240V circuit for an appliance | $500 – $1,200 | Heavier conductors, double-pole breaker |
| Long run or a detached structure | $900 – $2,500 | Conduit, possible trenching |
| Panel is full | add $300 – $2,200 | Sub-panel, or a service upgrade |
What a dedicated circuit is
A circuit that serves one thing and nothing else. Most household circuits are shared: several outlets and lights across a couple of rooms on one breaker. A dedicated circuit runs from the panel to a single appliance.
It matters for two reasons. A large appliance sharing a circuit can trip the breaker when something else starts. And some equipment is sensitive to the voltage dip that happens when a motor starts on the same circuit.
What needs one
The code requires a dedicated circuit for a list of things, and good practice extends it a little further.
- Required: refrigerator, dishwasher, garbage disposal, microwave, electric range, electric dryer, water heater, air conditioning, furnace, bathroom outlets, and at least two kitchen small-appliance circuits
- Sensible: a workshop with power tools, a home office with a lot of equipment, an aquarium, a sump pump, a freezer in the garage
- Always: an EV charger, which is a continuous load and never shares
Signs something needs its own
A breaker that trips when two specific things run together. Lights dimming when the air conditioner or a large motor starts. A warm outlet or cover plate. An extension cord doing a permanent job, which is the most common and most preventable of the four.
If the panel is full
Three routes, in ascending cost. Tandem breakers fit two circuits into one slot, but only where the manufacturer allows them and there is capacity to spare. A sub-panel adds slots and is the usual answer for a garage or workshop. A service upgrade is the right answer where the load calculation, not just the slot count, has run out.
Which one applies is a five-minute question once someone has looked at the panel.
Common questions
Can I run a new circuit myself?
It needs a permit in California, and the parts that catch people are conductor sizing, AFCI and GFCI requirements, and the box fill and support rules. A circuit that works is not the same as a circuit that passes.
How long does it take?
A straightforward run is a half day. Fishing through finished walls takes longer, and a detached structure needing a trench is a day or more.
Will you have to open my walls?
Often not. Cable can usually be fished through existing cavities. Where an access hole is needed we keep it small and put it somewhere that patches cleanly, and we will show you where before cutting.
Is 120V or 240V right for my appliance?
Whatever the nameplate says. Ranges, dryers, water heaters, air conditioning and EV chargers are usually 240V. Most everything else is 120V. Send us a photo of the plate and we can tell you.
Can one circuit feed two appliances?
Then it is not dedicated, and for anything on the required list that is not permitted. For smaller loads it can be fine, provided the total stays within the circuit rating.
Want a real number for your job?
Tell us what you have and we will come back with a written quote.