Updated April 2026
How Much Does Rewiring a House Cost?
A full rewire is one of the most disruptive but important jobs you can do to an older property. If your home still has the original wiring from the 1960s or earlier, it's almost certainly due for replacement. Even homes wired in the 1980s may need updating to meet current regulations. The good news is that once it's done, you won't need to think about it again for 25 to 30 years.
What you can expect to pay
| Description | Low | Mid | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-bed flat | £2,500 | £3,500 | £4,500 |
| 2-bed terraced house | £3,000 | £4,500 | £5,500 |
| 3-bed semi-detached | £4,500 | £6,000 | £7,500 |
| 4-bed detached | £6,500 | £8,000 | £10,000 |
| Partial rewire (per circuit) | £400 | £600 | £800 |
| Consumer unit replacement only | £350 | £500 | £650 |
Prices include VAT. Domestic electrical work is standard-rated at 20%.
What affects the price
Wall construction is the biggest cost variable. Stud walls (timber frames with plasterboard) are easy to run cables through. Solid brick or stone walls need channels chased with a grinder, which takes much longer and creates more mess.
Floor type matters too. Timber floorboards can be lifted to run cables underneath. Concrete floors mean cables need to go through the walls or ceiling void instead, adding complexity.
The number of sockets and light points you want drives the total. Modern households typically need more sockets than older homes were wired for. Doubling the sockets in a room doesn't double the cost, but it adds noticeably.
Access to roof spaces and under-floor voids makes a big difference. Easy access means the electrician can pull cables through quickly. Limited access means more surface-mounted trunking or more invasive work.
Making good after a rewire is often quoted separately. The electrician will leave chased channels and lifted floorboards. You'll need a plasterer to patch up and potentially a decorator to finish.
How to keep costs down
- 1
Combine a rewire with other renovation work if possible. If you're already stripping a room for plastering or a kitchen refit, the electrician gets much easier access and the disruption overlaps rather than stacking.
- 2
Plan your socket and switch positions carefully before work starts. Moving a socket after the walls have been chased and plastered costs far more than getting it right first time.
- 3
Ask your electrician for an itemised quote that separates the wiring work from the consumer unit and from any making good they include. This helps you compare quotes fairly.
- 4
Consider adding extras while the walls are open: ethernet cabling, outdoor sockets, EV charger wiring, or smart home preparation. The marginal cost during a rewire is much lower than doing it separately later.
- 5
Check whether the quote includes the Electrical Installation Certificate and Building Regulations notification. Both are legal requirements for a rewire.
Frequently asked questions
Warning signs include old round-pin sockets, fabric-covered cables, a fuse box with rewirable fuses instead of MCBs, flickering lights, and sockets that feel warm. If your home was built before 1970 and hasn't been rewired, it almost certainly needs doing. An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) will tell you definitively.
A 2-bed house typically takes 5 to 7 working days for the first fix (running cables) and 1 to 2 days for the second fix (fitting sockets and switches) after plastering. A 4-bed house usually takes 7 to 10 days first fix. You'll need to allow time for plastering between the two stages.
Yes, but it's not comfortable. You'll lose power to rooms being worked on, there will be dust everywhere, and floorboards will be lifted. Most people stay if they can, but if you have young children or work from home, it's worth considering alternatives for the first-fix phase.
The rooms where cables run through the walls will need plastering where the chases were cut. This means redecorating those areas. If the electrician can route cables under floors and through loft spaces, wall damage is minimised. Discuss routing options before work starts.
A partial rewire replaces the wiring in specific circuits or rooms rather than the whole house. It can make sense if most of the wiring is in good condition but one area needs replacing, for example after a loft conversion. However, if the majority of wiring is old, a full rewire is usually better value and safer.
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