In this guide our aim is to breakdown the average cost to rewire a house and explain everything you as a homeowner need to know about the rewiring process.
More specifically we’ll cover the following areas:
- What is an electrical rewire?
- When does a house need rewiring?
- What does rewiring a house involve?
- How long does it take to rewire a house?
- Cost to rewire a house
- Cost to rewire a bungalow
- Cost to rewire a kitchen
- Cost to rewire a bathroom
- Cost to rewire a garage
- Cost to rewire a flat or maisonette
- Other house rewiring cost factors
- Do you need planning permission to rewire a house?
- Hiring an electrician to rewire a house checklist
Here at Complete Electricians we think it’s important homeowners know what’s a fair price to rewire a house. From whole house rewire costs to the costs involved in rewiring a single room, by the end of this guide you will be equipped with the most up-to-date knowledge.
If at any point you would like further advice or even explore the possibility of getting one of our qualified electricians to carry out the rewire for you, then please feel more than welcome to visit our electrical rewires page here for more details or to request a free quote.
What Is An Electrical Rewire?
Every home has an electrical wiring system that powers all your appliances, lighting, sockets and any other electronic equipment. As with anything your electrical wiring will gradually experience wear and tear, especially with the high electricity demands in the average modern home.
Over time your electrical system and wiring will need to be replaced to ensure it’s safe, meets the latest regulations and works at maximum efficiency. In a nutshell rewiring a home involves the replacement of all wiring and upgrading the consumer unit.
When Does A House Need Rewiring?
In this section we feel it’s important that homeowners are aware of the warning signs to rewire their house. Here are some signs you need to look out for:
- Electric keeps tripping out regularly – this relates to your consumer unit and could be a sign that your house needs to be rewired. Another sign could be that your lighting dims or you need to replace bulbs regularly.
- Cracking or buzzing noise around your electrical components – this is a clear sign that there is a problem with your wiring. This could also mean that you have blown fuses that need to be replaced or upgraded which can be caused by faulty wiring.
- Outdated consumer unit and fittings – your consumer unit is made of wood, has cast iron switches, outdated or cracked plug sockets, black cabling/old cable colours, no labelling or has no RCD (residual current device) which is a critical lifesaving device to prevent serious injury or in the worse case scenario, a fatal electric shocks.
- Discolouration of wiring or fittings – this could be a serious sign that you need a rewire because discolouration usually occurs due to consistent overheating and burning.
- Your house has not been rewired within 25 years – things move quickly and the same applies to your electrical wiring. If your property has not been rewired within the last 25-30 years then we recommend contacting a qualified electrician as soon as possible.
What Does Rewiring A House Involve?
Our electricians are often asked what’s actually involved in rewiring a house so we thought it would be a good idea to share the process with you. Typically rewiring a house involves:
Planning & Budgeting
Before you rewire your house you need to plan and budget. Rewiring your whole house or even a single room is not cheap and once started will need to be completed properly. You cannot leave an electrical rewire half finished so make sure you can afford to complete the job in full. This includes getting an electrical contractor to estimate how much it costs to rewire a house.
In addition, planning what style of fittings and components you plan on having installed is important. This includes things like deciding on the number of lights, light switches, plug sockets and other power points you want around the house.
Choosing An Electrician & Getting Quotes
When choosing an electrician for house rewiring you must make sure they are fully qualified, trained and licensed. If you are unsure then you should ask for documentation upon meeting them. We cannot stress the importance of this enough. Not all electricians charge the same rates so we recommend getting 3-4 quotes to ensure you getting a fair price for your rewire. Please remember that cheap does NOT always mean good!
Existing Wiring Inspection
When trying to figure out when a house needs to be rewired we always recommend to start by getting an electrician to inspect your existing wiring and installations. This will be far cheaper and could save you the cost of a full rewire if the electrician deems your wiring safe and up-to-date. You can find out more about electrical testing and inspection here.
Fitting Your New Wiring & Components
If the inspection has found you do in fact have to undergo a full rewire, then the process typically starts by removing the old wiring and installations from beneath the floor and inside the walls. From here the new wiring and consumer unit will be installed through the same space (in most cases) that the old cabling ran through.
After the new wiring has been installed the electrician will fit new electrical components including things such as sockets, lights, switches and anything else specified. Please note that if you are having new fittings installed this could mean cutting into walls and ceiling spaces.
Post-Installation Tests
When your house has been fully rewired you will then need to have all of our installations tested again. This is also known as an Electrical Installation Condition Report or EICR Certificates. If the test finds nothing wrong then you will be issued with an electrical safety certificate to show you comply with the latest regulations. Make sure you keep this certificate safe. This is especially important for rental properties or if you are planning on selling your house.
How Long Does It Take To Rewire A House?
When giving estimates for how long it takes to rewire a house it depends on the size and how many rooms. For an average house (3-4 bedrooms) a full rewire will on average take up to 7 days to complete. However, the time it takes to rewire a house depends on the size of your property and how many new components you are having installed.
Electrical Rewires Cost Breakdown
In this section we thought it would be useful to include rough cost breakdowns to help you with planning and budgeting. Prices include labour, materials, final sign-off and building control notification, which you should also take into consideration when requesting quotes.
As we’ve said before, please remember that cheap does not mean good when it comes to something as serious your home electrical system and wiring.
Cost To Rewire A House
Have you been trying to figure out how much it costs to rewire your house? Below you will find a full breakdown depending on how many bedrooms your house has. It’s also key to note that the cost to rewire an old house could be slightly higher due to building regulations and the very nature of the property (e.g. if your home is a listed property).
| Size of House | Average Cost (plus VAT) | Job Duration |
| Cost to rewire 2 bedroom house | £1,500 – £3,000 | 3 – 4 days |
| Cost to rewire 3 bedroom house | £3,000 – £5,000 | 5 – 7 days |
| Cost to rewire 4 bedroom house | £5,000 – £7,000 | 7 – 10 days |
| Cost to rewire 5 bedroom house | £7,000 – £9,000 | 10 – 14 days |
| Cost to rewire 6 bedroom house | £9,000 – £15,000 | 14 – 20 days |
Cost To Rewire A Bungalow
The cost to rewire a bungalow is relatively similar to that of rewiring a house so the estimates from above are virtually the same. Please find a full cost breakdown below.
| Size of Bungalow | Average Cost (plus VAT) | Job Duration |
| Cost to rewire 2 bedroom bungalow | £1,300 – £2,800 | 3 – 4 days |
| Cost to rewire 3 bedroom bungalow | £2,800 – £4,800 | 5 – 7 days |
| Cost to rewire 4 bedroom bungalow | £4,800 – £6,800 | 7 – 10 days |
| Cost to rewire 5 bedroom bungalow | £6,800 – £8,800 | 10 – 14 days |
| Cost to rewire 6 bedroom bungalow | £8,800 – £14,000 | 14 – 20 days |
Cost To Rewire A Kitchen
Whether you’re having a new kitchen fitted or need to upgrade your existing kitchen wiring, the cost to rewire a kitchen depends on various factors.
The cost to rewire a kitchen is on average between £1,000 – £1,800 plus VAT.
Kitchens tend to be the one room in the house with the most plug sockets and wiring due to the use of multiple kitchen appliances. As a result, you can expect the price to be slightly higher compared to other rooms in your house.
Cost To Rewire A Bathroom
If you are having a new bathroom fitted or just simply need to upgrade your existing bathroom wiring, then here’s the average cost to rewire a bathroom.
The cost to rewire a bathroom is on average between £800 – £1,500 plus VAT.
The price of bathroom rewiring can vary depending on extractor fans, plug sockets, shaving sockets, lights, electric towel heaters, electric showers, etc.
Cost To Rewire A Garage
When trying to estimate the cost to rewire a garage it depends on several factors. The main factor is what do you intend of using the garage for? If it’s for work or exercise, then you will require more lights and sockets compared to simple storage requirements.
The average cost to rewire a garage is between £500 – £1,000 plus VAT.
In some cases we have seen people attempt to undergo garage rewires themselves because it’s “not in the house” and this is something we strongly do not recommend.
Cost To Rewire A Flat Or Maisonette
When figuring out the cost to rewire a flat or maisonette people tend to think it should be much cheaper than a house. Although in some cases this isn’t true because a flat can still have multiple bedrooms, living space and a kitchen.
The average cost to rewire a 2 bedroom flat or maisonette is between £3,000 – £4,000 plus VAT.
Of course if you have more or less rooms the cost will work out to be slightly cheaper but as a general rule of thumb this estimate is in the region we’ve seen quoted the most.
Other House Rewiring Cost Factors
- House Size – as a general rule of thumb bigger houses have more wiring, plug sockets, power points, lights, bigger consumer units, etc.
- Property Layout – a house with multiple floors is harder to rewire than a single storey bungalow for example. The wiring has to run longer distances which requires more time increasing labour costs.
- Consumer Unit Access – if your wiring and consumer unit is located in a hard-to-reach please then the rewire cost will tend to be higher due to the awkwardness of the job.
- Empty or Occupied – if your house is empty then it will be quicker and easier for the electricians compared to if the house is fully occupied.
- Number of Fittings – if you plan on having lots of new fittings installed then this will take longer to complete. Another key point to make here is the type and quality of fittings where expensive/bespoke ones tend to take longer to install.
- Property Location – if your house is located in the North of England then rewire prices tend to be cheaper than that of the South of England.
- Waste Disposal – your electrician will more than likely be able to take any refuse away but depending on the scope of work to be carried out you could end up paying to hire a skip.
Do You Need Planning Permission To Rewire A House?
We are often asked if you need planning permission to rewire a house by customers. Luckily for you the answer is, no. The only exception to this could be if you live in a listed building. If that’s the case you should reach out to your local authority and check building regulations before carrying out any type of electrical rewiring in your home.
Hiring An Electrician To Rewire A House Checklist
Making sure you hire the right electrician to carry out your house rewiring is arguably one of the most important things to consider. Faulty or badly installed wiring can lead to electrical fires, serious injury/death caused by electrocution or unnecessary and increased costs in having to hire another electrician to put bad work right.
Look for these things when hiring an electrician to rewire your house:
- Qualifications – your electrician should be fully qualified and trained to prove they can undertake electrical work safely. Look out for Level 2 & 3 Diploma in Electrical Installations and Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Electrotechnical Technology.
- Registered & Certified – you should always hire an electrician who holds registration with Electrical Registered Competent Person and certified by bodies such as NAPIT or NICEIC.
- Insurance – make sure they have suitable insurance such as Public Liability Insurance to protect you and your home in the event of an accident or damage to your property.
- Suitable Experience – we recommend finding an electrician who has at least 5 years of experience undertaking electrical rewires. Of course the more experience they have the better but it’s still important to support younger local businesses. If in doubt just ask for customer reviews, references and pictures of previously completed house rewires.
- Guarantees – it’s always a bonus when you have an electrical company who provides guarantees for peace of mind. For example, here at Complete Electricians we offer all customers a full workmanship guarantee where we will fix potential mistakes, free of charge, if they arise after completion and final hand over.
What To Do Next?
Hopefully this guide has given you a better understanding when it comes to figuring out how much is costs to rewire a house. We think it’s important homeowners are given transparent pricing so they can make better decisions, budget and plan more effectively.
If you require any help with estimating the price of rewiring your house then please contact us today for a free quote and consultation. We provide all aspects of electrical rewiring services for any type and size of residential house.
