The total cost to rewire a house can vary depending on supplier and, whilst you will no doubt want to find the best possible price, it’s more important to make sure it’s done right.
Finding the right electrician for your job can be a long and tiring process. No two rewiring jobs are the same, depending on the current state of your home’s wiring and what it is you’d like to connect, the cost to rewire a house can differ for each company.
Smaller companies and sole traders tend to be able to offer lower prices for all kinds of installation without sacrificing quality thanks to their low running costs. What each company can offer will also differ.
Click To Compare QuotesFor example, there are usually two to three separate costs for a home rewiring.
First of all, there are the electrical installation condition report costs. If you’re unsure of whether or not you need your house rewired, an inspection from a qualified electrician will help put your mind at ease.
A qualified electrician should perform an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) every ten years if you’re a homeowner. If you rent out property, you should do it every five years.
These tests include inspecting the fuse board, the sockets, the switches and additional fixtures in your home. Once that’s done, protective devises are tested to prevent shocks and to check installation polarity.
The prices for these reports depend greatly on the size and type of home you live in.
| Type of property | Number of bedrooms | Estimate |
| Flat | 1 | from £120 |
| Flat | 2 | from £120 to £150 |
| Flat | 3 | from £180 to £210 |
| House | 1 or 2 | from £150 to £180 |
| House | 3 or 4 | from £200 to £250 |
| House | 5 or more | £300 and upwards |
Click To Compare QuotesThen, there is the cost of your actual rewiring work. Whilst these costs will depend greatly on how big your home is, whether or not the property you reside in your home when it’s being rewired, the type and number of fittings you choose and your geographical location, there are average prices for you to use as a guideline.
If you live in a terraced house with two bedrooms, a complete rewire could cost you £2-3,000 without plastering and decorating. This kind of job will usually take around five to eight days.
For a four-bed detached home, you could expect to pay as much as £5,000 for a complete rewire of up to ten rooms. This includes replacing all fixtures and wiring and will take around ten to fifteen days to finish.
The third cost that you may come across is getting plasterers and decorators in. House rewiring involves making holes in walls to access the channels. Some tradesmen will offer post-work plastering and decorating in their rewiring costs to ensure your home looks just as good as before.
However, not all companies offer this as part of their service and you may need to hire a separate company to plaster and repaint. Make sure you ask installers about this when searching for your quotes.
Rewiring your house may not seem like the most glamorous home improvement you can buy but it will deliver big benefits to you. If the electrical wiring within your home is outdated, it can pose a serious fire hazard or even lead to injury or electrocution.
The simple fact of the matter is, most wiring from around twenty or thirty years ago just isn’t built to cope with the demands of modern life. TVs, computers and all kinds of technology have become considerably more advanced in recent decades, and the strain they place on your home’s wiring systems has also increased.
But how can you tell if you need your house rewired?
If you’re considering having your home rewired, whether in preparation for going on the market or in advance of a decorating project, you’ll first need to check that it is absolutely necessary for you.
A good rule of thumb is this; if you know with certainty that no rewiring has been done on a house for more than 25 years, it is very likely that you will need rewiring or a partial rewire at the very least.
If you’re considering buying a house around this age, ensuring the wiring is up to date before you settle in is essential. Or, if you’re thinking about renovating your home in the near future, it is wise to have any rewiring work carried out before you decorate.
Rewiring can be a messy, dusty and time-consuming process so it is vital you get it out of the way before any replastering or repainting work is started.
But, if you’re unsure, it is essential that you have a qualified and competent electrician check this for you rather than mess around with the wiring yourself.
Experts recommend that you have your home electrics inspected by a professional electrician every ten years or so regardless of the age of your wiring just to make sure everything is working as it should.
Click To Compare QuotesTell-tale signs that you need to rewire your house
Rather than calling in an electrician for the simple job of checking, you may be able to tell whether or not your home needs rewiring by looking at it yourself. All you need to do is inspect any exposed parts of the wiring, your electricity meter, and the fuse box/consumer unit.
The good thing about knowing what to look for yourself means you cannot only check whether your own home will need rewiring but also you can check out the wiring in any house you’re looking to buy. All you would need to do is simply ask to check the fuse box whilst viewing a potential new home.
If you see a fuse box with switches made of cast iron, fuses made of ceramic, and its back is made of wood, then it is likely the property will need completely rewiring.
In some cases, a single old fuse box will have two or more sets of circuits. This is a clear sign that it will need replacing, as it can be difficult to ensure all of them have been disconnected before starting works, which is extremely dangerous.
Mismatched sets of circuits should also raise red flags for you, as they are an indicator that the last electrician only carried out a partial rewire. Another key tell-tale sign is that all modern consumer units have built in circuit breakers and residual circuit devices (RSDs).
Then, if you can, take a look at the cabling in your home. You should be able to see these on light fittings and around your fuse box.
Some houses have surface mounted cables running along their skirting boards and walls. Not only can this ruin the appearance of your home, but it also suggests the last rewiring was a partial quick fix job; meaning that it could be inefficient or unsafe.
If any cables around your fuse box or meter are covered in rubber, lead or fabric, your wiring is definitely outdated. In fact, lead insulating cabling was only used until 1955 and fabric was used up until the 1960s, so if you do notice these, your home will need a serious update.
All modern electrical installations are now coated in insulating grey or white uPVC. If you can see this, you can rest assured that a uPVC cable is up to current regulation standards.
If you’re still unsure whether or not you need a house rewire, it is always better safe than sorry. Make sure a qualified electrician carried out a full inspection of your electrical installations before anything else.
Building regulations for rewiring
Part P of the 2010 Building Regulations requirements cover the electrical safety of domestic homes. It sets the standard for design and installation of wiring systems to ensure the wiring in all single ‘dwellings’ (that is houses not business premises or lifts in a block of flats) is completely safe and effective.
Whether you’re planning on rewiring your whole home, extending it, or even converting an existing attic or loft, the rules will still affect you.
If you choose to carry out the work yourself, they state that you must make a Buildings Regulations application (including an inspection fee) both before and after the work.
How to rewire a house
When your installer rewires your home, they will begin at the ‘first fix stage’, i.e. before any new plastering is placed. They will also need to lift the floor coverings, floor boards, and potentially your skirting boards too.
This gives the installer access to route-out channels in the wall and ceiling for wires to travel through. Then, they’ll need to fit new back boxes for all of the sockets and switches in your home.
Whilst lights and power may come to mind when you think of rewiring, you could also ask your installer to take this opportunity to rewire any central heating controls, outdoor lighting, telephones. TV aerials, smoke detectors, doorbells and burglar alarms during that visit.
Once all wiring work is complete, the walls of your home will need to be filled or replastered and the flooring put back. In the ‘second fix stage’, all sockets and switch plates, fuse boxes, and any electric fans, cookers, showers and heaters can be connected.
Finally, your installer will ensure all electrical installations are safe. This will include checking the earth bonding of all circuits, particularly in the kitchen and bathroom where areas can become wet more easily.
Click To Compare QuotesGet quotes from qualified electricians near you
Some homeowners choose to use a house rewiring cost calculator before approaching any actual traders. However, prices can vary greatly depending on where you are in the country. That’s why the only way to get a real idea of the cost is by gathering a number of quotes from local electricians to compare.
Choosing the right electrician for you couldn’t be easier. All you need to do is fill in your details above, and we’ll set to work matching you up with a reputable local trader near you who can get your rewiring work done.
With Tradesmen Prices, you can compare quotes from a number of rewiring experts in your area and take your pick. Fill out the form here.
House re-wiring frequently asked questions
What are the main benefits of having your home rewired?
Too often, old wiring is so unequipped for the all the electrical devices we use today that it causes the fuse box to blow. Having your home rewired also makes your home a much safer place, reducing the risks of fire or injury.
What are the downsides of house rewiring?
Brand new wiring does not only make your home safer but it also keeps you within the Building Regulations legislation. So, whilst there are some downside to getting your house rewired, like ruined plaster or paintwork, replacing outdating wiring has very few disadvantages.
Are there alternatives to house rewiring?
If you’re experiencing problems with your home’s electrical installations but either can’t or do not want to pay for a total rewire, you may be able to opt for a partial rewire instead.
This involves simply replacing the specific part of the wiring that is causing or experiencing issues rather than the entire system. Not only does this save you money but, if the rest of your wiring is problem-free, it also saves a great deal of time and upheaval replacing every part.
If you notice when you’re doing your own inspections or if your Electrical Installation Condition Report finds that your home’s wiring has previously has a partial rewire, then you may be able to just replace the outdated sections. It is fairly common for homeowners to have different parts of their wiring replaced at different times.
A partial rewire can also come in handy if your systems are up to date but you’re wanting to add new electrical circuits.
Will I need planning permission to have my home rewired?
Almost all internal home improvement works can be carried out without planning permission, including rewiring.
However, if you’re looking to make any changes to a listed property, or you live within a conservation area, you will need to apply for planning consent with your local planning department before you have the work done.
You can apply for planning permission using Planning Portal, or speak to your local council for further advice.
Should my installer be a member of anything (trade body, government registration scheme, etc?)
Part P of the Building Regulations states simply that all new electrical work carried out in a home must be compliant with the requirements set out, it does not state that the work must be carried out by a qualified electrician.
No matter who carried out the work, they must stay within the regulations or they are committing a criminal offence; for which local authorities can make them remove the work.
That is why experts recommend that you use a reputable and properly qualified electrician for your house rewire. When collecting quotes, keep a lookout for seals of accreditation on company websites, such as:
- The BSI Kitemark
- Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA)
- ELECSA
- National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting (NICEIC)
Before I get my home rewired, what should I ask a potential installer?
When searching for the best price, it is absolutely vital that you gather a variety of quotes from different companies in your area.
Many prices you find online are not accurate since prices differ depending on a wide range of factors. Getting an accurate estimation of your work involves finding an electrician that understands what you need and want from your house rewiring.
Whether you’re looking for an update for safety reasons or to add more installations to your home, any business will need to know the facts before they can give you an accurate quote.
Why should I use Tradesmenprices for rewiring quotes?
With Tradesmen Prices, you can simply fill in all the details of your work on our online form, and we will help match you up with qualified and experienced local electricians who can help you out.
Make sure to ask if you would like replastering and decorating as part of your rewiring service, or if you would need to find a separate trader for this.
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Alan green says
Complete rewire for 2bedroom midterace house in coventry replastering req