How Much Does a Full House Rewire Cost in the UK?

A full house rewire is one of those jobs that nobody wants to pay for but everybody needs eventually. If your home was built before the 1980s and the wiring has never been updated, there is a good chance it is overdue. The good news is that once it is done, you will not need to think about it again for 25 to 30 years.

Quick cost summary

For a typical 3-bed house, expect to pay between £4,000 and £8,000 for a full rewire, with most homeowners paying around £5,500. That covers all new wiring, a modern consumer unit (fuse box), new sockets and switches, and full testing with certification.

The total depends heavily on property size, how many sockets and lights you want, and whether you need the electrician to plaster and make good afterwards or if you are handling that separately.

Costs by property size

These prices include labour and materials but exclude decorating. Once the wiring is done, you will have channels chased into walls that need plastering and painting. Budget an extra £500 to £1,500 for plastering and making good, depending on how much disruption there is.

What's included in a full rewire

A rewire is not just replacing cables. Here is what a typical job covers:

• New consumer unit (fuse box) with RCDs and circuit breakers. This alone costs £450 to £1,200 if done separately.
• All new cables run from the consumer unit to every room. The old cables are either removed or left in place (dead) if removing them would cause too much damage.
• New sockets and switches throughout. A 3-bed house typically has 20 to 30 sockets and 10 to 15 light switches.
• New lighting circuits with ceiling roses or downlight connections.
• New earthing and bonding to all metal pipework (gas, water, central heating).
• Full testing and certification. You will receive an Electrical Installation Certificate, which is a legal requirement.
• Building control notification. If your electrician is registered with NICEIC, NAPIT, or a similar body, they self-certify the work. If not, you need to arrange a separate building control inspection.

How long does a rewire take?

A 3-bed house typically takes 5 to 10 working days for the electrical work. Expect the first phase (chasing walls, running cables, fitting back boxes) to take around a week. The second fix (fitting sockets, switches, and lights after plastering) takes another day or two.

There is usually a gap between first and second fix while the plasterer comes in. So the total elapsed time from start to finish is often 2 to 3 weeks once you factor in plastering and drying time.

You can live in the house during a rewire, but it is disruptive. Expect rooms to be without power at different times, dust everywhere, and channels cut into walls. If you can stay somewhere else for the first week, your sanity will thank you.

Signs your house needs rewiring

Not every old house needs a full rewire. But if you spot any of these, get an EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) done (£120 to £300) before making a decision:

• Old round-pin sockets or sockets without switches. These date from the 1950s or earlier.
• Fabric-covered or rubber-insulated cables. Modern cables have PVC insulation. If you see fabric or black rubber, the wiring is pre-1970s.
• A fuse box with rewirable fuses instead of modern trip switches. This is the single most common sign.
• Frequently tripping circuits or blown fuses, especially if different circuits trip at random.
• Scorch marks around sockets or switches. This means connections are overheating and is an immediate safety concern.
• No earthing on the lighting circuits. Common in houses wired before the 1960s.

If the house was last wired more than 30 years ago, the EICR will tell you exactly what condition it is in and whether a rewire is needed or just targeted repairs.

Part P building regulations

In England and Wales, a rewire is classed as "notifiable work" under Part P of the Building Regulations. This means it must either be done by a registered electrician who can self-certify, or you need to apply for building control approval from your local council before the work starts.

Going the building control route adds £250 to £400 in inspection fees and requires the council to inspect the work at various stages. This is why using a registered electrician (NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA, etc.) is strongly recommended. They handle the paperwork, and you get your certificate without the extra cost.

Scotland has its own building regulations but the principle is the same. The work must be certified.

If you sell your house, buyers and solicitors will ask for the electrical certificate. No certificate means either paying for retrospective testing or knocking money off the sale price. It is not worth skipping.

Regional price differences

Labour rates vary significantly across the UK. London electricians charge 20 to 30% more than the national average. A 3-bed rewire in London typically costs £5,500 to £10,000.

Manchester and Birmingham sit close to the national average. Scotland, Wales, and the North East tend to be 10 to 15% cheaper, though you will find variation within any area depending on the electrician's experience and workload.

The materials cost is roughly the same everywhere. It is the labour that drives regional differences. Always get at least three quotes from local electricians to benchmark properly.

How to keep costs down

• Do the plastering and decorating yourself or hire a separate plasterer. Electricians typically charge more for making good than a plasterer would.
• Keep the same layout where possible. Adding extra sockets or moving the consumer unit to a different location adds time and cost.
• Get the rewire done during a larger renovation. If you are already having walls plastered or a kitchen fitted, the making-good cost disappears because the plasterer is there anyway.
• Be realistic about socket numbers. You do not need six double sockets in every room. Plan what you actually need and resist the temptation to add extras "just in case".
• Get three quotes minimum. Prices vary wildly between electricians. One may quote £4,000 while another quotes £7,000 for the same job. Compare like for like.

For detailed pricing on all electrical work in your area, check our full electrician cost guide covering all services across the UK.