Electric motor repair
What does an electric motor rewind cost?
A rewind is priced from the motor in front of the winder, not from a list: kilowatt rating and frame size set the copper and the labour, the state of the stator core decides whether it is a rewind at all, and how fast you need it back decides the rest. The real question is usually rewind or replace, and the answer swings on the price and lead time of a new equivalent. Tell us about the motor and rewind workshops will quote you their actual price.
Core condition
a damaged stator core can turn a rewind into a replacement, so it is checked before the price is fixed
Lead time
when a new equivalent motor is weeks away, rewinding often wins on time rather than on price
The process
- Tell us the motor size, type, what failed and how fast you need it back. Two minutes, no account.
- We pass your details to motor rewind workshops covering your area, and to no one else.
- They quote you directly, usually after stripping and testing the motor. Compare, choose, or walk away.
Motor Rewind Cost is a free introduction service operated by Ellul Solutions Ltd; we pass your details to relevant motor rewind workshops who quote you directly. We may receive a fee from providers; you pay nothing and are under no obligation. We are not a repair workshop and nothing here is engineering advice. We publish cost drivers rather than prices because rewind work is priced from the motor in front of the winder, normally after strip-down and testing.
What drives an electric motor rewind price, 2026
Last updated
Rewind quotes are not comparable until you know what each workshop has assumed. This is the cost-driver table: what moves the price, why it moves it, and the question to put to the workshop so two quotes describe the same job. It also covers the decision that comes before the price, which is whether to rewind at all.
We do not publish rewind prices per kW because a single figure would be misleading: copper content, core condition, insulation class, hazardous-area certification and turnaround each move the same motor by a large margin, and most workshops price only after stripping and testing. This table lists the drivers workshops quote against and the evidence a repair should come back with. Where a claim is about repair practice rather than price it is flagged as such. Get quotes for your actual motor via the form above.
| Cost driver | Why it moves the price | What to ask the workshop |
|---|---|---|
| Kilowatt rating and frame size | Bigger motors take more copper, more insulation material and far more winding hours, and need heavier handling at every stage. This is the single biggest determinant of a rewind price. | Whether the quote is based on the nameplate or on the winding data actually recorded at strip-down |
| Condition of the stator core | Burnt, shorted or distorted laminations mean losses stay high even with a perfect new winding. Core damage is the usual reason a workshop says replace rather than rewind. | A core loss test before and after the old winding is removed, with the readings given to you |
| How the old winding is removed | The burn-off or stripping stage is where a careless workshop damages the core with excess heat. Controlled, temperature-monitored removal costs more time and protects the efficiency of the finished motor. | The controlled temperature they burn off at, and which recognised motor repair standard they work to |
| Insulation class and operating duty | Higher insulation class materials, high ambient temperatures, frequent starting, inverter-fed duty or vacuum pressure impregnation all raise material and process cost. | The insulation class being fitted, and whether it matches or exceeds what came out |
| Winding complexity | Pole count, multi-speed windings, form-wound coils on larger high-voltage machines and unusual connection arrangements all add design and winding time before any copper goes in. | Whether the original winding data was recorded and will be reproduced, or a redesign is proposed |
| Mechanical work beyond the winding | Bearings are near-automatic. Worn shafts, damaged bearing housings, cracked endshields, seal replacement and dynamic balancing are separate jobs that often surface once the motor is apart. | Which mechanical items are included and which are chargeable extras once found |
| Hazardous area (Ex) certification | Repairing a certified motor to keep its Ex status requires a workshop with the right scheme approval and much tighter documentation. This is a different market from general rewinds. | Their certification for Ex repair, and the paperwork that will come back with the motor |
| Turnaround and transport | Priority and out-of-hours work carries a premium. Collection, delivery, lifting and, for large machines, specialist haulage are real costs that are sometimes quoted separately. | The standard turnaround, the priority turnaround, and what each costs, plus who pays for transport |
| Price and lead time of a new equivalent | The rewind decision is always relative. A cheap, in-stock replacement kills the case for rewinding a small motor; a long lead time on a large or non-standard machine does the opposite. | A rewind price alongside the current price and lead time of the nearest new equivalent |
| Test evidence at the end | Testing is what separates a repair you can trust from one you cannot. Insulation resistance, winding resistance balance, no-load running current and vibration checks take time, and that time is in the price. | A written test report with the readings, not just a pass sticker |
- Motor rewind prices are driven mainly by kilowatt rating and frame size, because both the copper content and the winding hours scale with the machine.
- A rewind is only viable if the stator core is sound: core loss testing before and after the old winding is removed is the check that decides whether a motor is rewound or replaced.
- Rewinding done carelessly can leave a motor less efficient than it was, because excessive heat during removal of the old winding damages the core; controlled burn-off and core loss testing are how a good workshop prevents it.
- The rewind versus replace decision is relative, not absolute: it depends on the price and lead time of the nearest new equivalent as much as on the repair price itself.
Cite this page
“What drives an electric motor rewind price, 2026”, Motor Rewind Cost, https://motorrewindcost.co.uk/ (updated 2026-08-14). We do not publish rewind prices per kW because a single figure would be misleading: copper content, core condition, insulation class, hazardous-area certification and turnaround each move the same motor by a large margin, and most workshops price only after stripping and testing. This table lists the drivers workshops quote against and the evidence a repair should come back with. Where a claim is about repair practice rather than price it is flagged as such. Get quotes for your actual motor via the form above.
Related guides
Each one cites where its numbers come from.
Straight answers
How much does it cost to rewind an electric motor?
Rewind prices are driven mainly by kilowatt rating and frame size, because both copper content and winding hours scale with the machine, then by core condition, insulation class, any mechanical repair found at strip-down, hazardous-area certification and how fast you need it back. Most workshops quote only after stripping and testing. We publish the cost drivers rather than a price per kW because a single figure would be misleading.
Should I rewind or replace a failed motor?
Compare the rewind quote against the price and lead time of the nearest new equivalent, and check the core first. Small standard motors with an in-stock replacement usually favour buying new. Large, non-standard, high-voltage, DC or hazardous-area machines usually favour rewinding, often because the replacement is weeks or months away. If the stator core is damaged, replacement is generally the right call.
Does rewinding a motor make it less efficient?
It can, if it is done poorly. The main mechanism is heat: burning off the old winding at too high a temperature degrades the insulation between the core laminations, which raises losses permanently. A workshop that controls burn-off temperature and core loss tests before and after removal is guarding against exactly that. We are not going to quote a percentage, because the honest answer is that the outcome depends on how the work is done.
What information does a rewind workshop need from me?
The nameplate data (kW, voltage, frequency, poles or speed, frame size, mounting, insulation class, enclosure rating, duty), what failed and what the plant was doing at the time, whether the motor is inverter fed, how often it starts, any hazardous area certification, and how quickly you need it back. A photograph of the nameplate covers most of it.
How many times can a motor be rewound?
There is no fixed number. The limiting factor is the condition of the stator core, not the count of previous rewinds, because each removal of an old winding is a chance to damage it. Core loss testing before and after stripping is what tells you whether this motor is still worth rewinding.
Can a hazardous area motor be rewound?
Yes, but only by a workshop holding the right approval for repairing certified equipment, and with documentation that preserves the motor's certified status. This is a narrower market than general rewinds and it prices differently. Ask to see the workshop's certification scope before sending the machine, not afterwards.