Rewiring a house is one of the most critical safety and modernising investments you can make in a property. Outdated or deteriorated electrical installations remain a leading cause of domestic electrical fires and electric shocks across the UK. Whether you have just purchased a fixer-upper, are planning major renovations, or have lived with an old fuse board that trips every time high-demand appliances run, knowing realistic domestic rewiring costs helps you plan your budget without unexpected surprises.

​In this guide, we break down current 2026 house rewiring costs going into 2027 across the UK by property size, outline what influences quotes, explain the exact rewiring process, and detail the certifications required under current BS 7671 (18th Edition) standards.

Average House Rewiring Costs in 2026 (Overview Table)

​The overall price of a residential rewire depends primarily on property layout, number of bedrooms, accessibility of floorboards and walls, and whether the home is occupied or vacant during work.

​The figures below represent realistic UK industry averages for full domestic rewires, including first and second fix, materials, and standard 18th Edition metal consumer unit installation:

The Cost To Rewire A Bungalow

The effort that goes into rewiring a bungalow is similar to a house.

Note: Kitchen-only rewires typically range between £1,000 – £1,800 + VAT, bathroom rewires sit between £800 – £1,500 + VAT, and detached garage supplies average £500 – £1,200 + VAT.

Key Factors That Dictate Rewire Quotes

Rewiring costs are rarely identical between two houses of the same size. Several variables directly affect the labour hours and materials required:

• ​Occupied vs. Vacant Properties: Rewiring an empty property is significantly faster. If you remain living in the property during the rewire, tradespeople must lift and replace floorboards daily, clean work zones, and reinstate temporary power circuits every evening, which increases labour time and cost.
• ​Building Construction & Age: Solid brick or stone internal walls require chasing out channels for cables using heavy dust-extraction cutters, taking considerably more time than modern stud-and-plasterboard walls. Listed buildings or homes with decorative cornices require specialised routing techniques.
• ​Specification & Accessories: Basic white plastic socket outlets and pendants represent standard quotes. Upgrading to brushed chrome, brass, screwless faceplates, USB-C integrated sockets, network cabling (Cat6), or smart home automation increases component costs.
• ​Additional Circuits & Modern Energy Demands: Integrating dedicated supplies for high-demand modern technology—such as an 7.4kW EV home car charger, air source heat pumps, or solar PV/battery storage isolation switches—adds to the overall project scope.
• ​Plastering & Making Good: Chasing walls produces dust and open channels. Unless explicitly contracted as part of a turnkey package, electrical contractors do not include comprehensive plaster skimming or repainting; budgeting for a plasterer to make good chases is essential.
• ​Regional Labour Rates: Projects in London and the South East regularly command 15% to 25% higher labour rates compared to the North West, Midlands, or Wales.

7 Warning Signs Your Property Needs a Rewire

Electrical cabling does not last indefinitely. The Electrical Safety First council recommends domestic installations undergo formal testing every 10 years (or every 5 years for private rented homes).

​If your home exhibits any of the following symptoms, an immediate inspection is recommended:

1. ​Old Fuse Box with Cast Iron or Wooden Backing: Outdated fuse boxes using rewireable fuse wire or lacking modern Residual Current Devices (RCDs) fail to deliver instant shock protection.
2. ​Old Cable Insulations: Fabric-covered, lead-sheathed, or black rubber-insulated cabling indicate installations dating prior to the 1960s/1970s and present immediate fire hazards.
3. ​Persistent Tripping or Blown Fuses: Frequent breaker trips signal overloaded circuits or insulation resistance failure within hidden wiring runs.
4. ​Discolouration, Scorch Marks, or Burning Odours: Brown or melted marks around plug faceplates point to loose connections, high resistance, and dangerous heat buildup.
5. ​Flickering Lights or Buzzing Sockets: Audible crackling or humming from switches and sockets indicates arcing inside terminal boxes.
6. ​Round-Pin Sockets or Skirting-Board Mounted Plugs: Outdated round-pin configurations or sockets mounted directly onto wooden skirting boards confirm historical wiring that does not meet current clearance regulations.
7. ​Overloaded Extension Leads: A lack of wall sockets forcing constant reliance on trailing multi-way adaptors indicates the current setup cannot handle modern household appliances.
   

   ​The Two-Stage Domestic Rewiring Process

   A professional house rewire is executed in two structured phases to allow for plumbing, plastering, and decorating coordination. However we have evolved our methods to from start to finish in one smooth process.

Phase 1: First Fix

​During the first fix, the electrician isolates and strips out dangerous old cabling where accessible. Channels (“chases”) are cut into walls, and floorboards are lifted to route modern low-smoke zero-halogen (LSZH) twin-and-earth cables. Back boxes are installed for all new switches, sockets, and lighting points.

Phase 2: Second Fix

​Once plastering work over cable chases has dried, the second fix begins. Electricians mount all faceplates, switches, downlights, and consumer units. The consumer unit is fitted with modern Type A RCBOs and mandatory Surge Protection Devices (SPD) to protect delicate household electronics from power spikes.

​Testing, Commissioning & Part P Certification

​Following installation, comprehensive dead and live testing is conducted using calibrated multi-function testers. Once passed, you are issued an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) and building control compliance notification under Part P of the Building Regulations—vital documents required when selling or letting your home.

Rewiring vs. Consumer Unit Upgrade: What’s the Difference?

​Homeowners often ask if fitting a modern consumer unit avoids the need for a full rewire:

• ​Consumer Unit Replacement (£550 – £900): If an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) confirms your existing PVC cabling and earthing paths are in sound condition, installing a new 18th Edition dual-RCD or RCBO metal consumer unit with surge protection may be sufficient to bring safety up to standard.
• ​Full Rewire (£4,000 – £10,000+): If cables are deteriorated, lack earth conductors, or insulation testing fails, fitting a new board will simply cause it to trip instantly. In such cases, the cabling itself must be fully replaced.

The cost to rewire a house is a financial undertaking and cannot be half done, once a job has begun, it must be seen through to the end. There are a number of choices that need to be made such as how many lights, light switches, sockets and other power points that you would require in the home. Prices can vary on a house rewire, however you do get what you pay for in this industry. Get 3-4 quotes when trying to choose an electrician and also ask to see their registration documents.

There are a number of factors that go into deciding the budget of a house rewire. These include:

• The size of the property: larger properties are likely to use more wire, power points and plug sockets, etc. You will also need to factor in things such as the number of bedrooms.
• The age of the property: an exception to this is where the property is older and therefore might have less electrical power points than a modern house (meaning an installation might also require “modernisation”, i.e. additional power points. If you live in a listed building this will also factor into the cost to rewire your house.
• The layout of the property: if your home has multiple floors (as opposed to a bungalow) this can be more complex in terms of the electrical rewire that is needed to be carried out, as the wiring has to run for longer distances requiring increased labour costs and materials.
• The size of the property: the cost to rewire a house also depends on the size of the property
• Where it is situated (as electrician fees may vary depending on which region you live in – the North of England tends to be less expensive than the South) – but as a general rule, a rewiring on a three bedroom house costs an average of about between £5000-£7500.
• Number of fittings required: if you are planning on having lots of new fittings installed, this will extend the time it takes to complete the electrical work and potentially also increase the costs
• Bespoke accessories: price also depends not only on the quantity, but quality of your accessories (which is not to say you should opt for low quality units, in case these may be hazardous). In general, the better quality of the units installed are, the more they will add to your budget.
• Access to the fuse box: if the unit is in a difficult-to-reach-place, the overall cost of the job may be higher.
• Waste disposal: while your electrician can take any refuse resulting from the job to the tip for recycling, you may need to factor in skip hire, depending on the scale of work carried out.
• The EICR Certificate: the cost of this can range from £150 for a 1-bed flat, up to £375 for a 5-bed house.
• Plastering and redecorating walls afterwards in addition to any fittings and components you might wish to have installed. AGW House Rewire does not offer plastering.

Fitting Wiring & Components

If your house has to undergo a full house rewire then the old wiring will have to be removed from under the floor and in the walls. The new wiring and consumer unit will then need to be put in place – this sometimes uses the same routes that the old wiring took. Your components will then go in such as sockets, lighting etc. and if you have asked for new fittings then walls and ceilings may need to be cut into in order to install these.

Installation Testing

All installations need to be tested to ensure they work how expected and that they are safe – this assessment is known as the intitial verification. When the installation passes the test then you will be issued with an electrical safety certificate which demonstrates that you are complying with the latest regulations. This certificate is important to have when selling your home or trying to rent it out. The installation is then notified to your local building control authority

Frequently Asked Questions

​Do I need planning permission to rewire my house?

​No. Domestic rewires do not require planning permission. However, electrical work is strictly regulated under Part P of the Building Regulations. By employing an electrician registered with a competent person scheme (such as NICEIC, NAPIT, or ELECSA), they can self-certify the work and notify local building control directly on your behalf.

​Can I stay in the house while it is being rewired?

​Yes, but it requires careful coordination. Rewiring creates significant noise, brick dust, and requires lifting floorboards. If you choose to remain on-site, the contractor will need to establish temporary power boards every evening, which can slightly prolong the project duration.

​How do I prepare my home for an upcoming rewire?

​Clear furniture away from walls and move fragile belongings out of rooms where floorboards must be raised. Ensuring electricians have unhindered access to the attic, under-stair storage, and the existing meter box speeds up the job substantially.

​Request Your Detailed Rewiring Quotation

​Whether you are looking to rewire an older family home or need an initial Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) to determine your system’s condition, always choose an accredited, fully insured contractor.

Frequently Asked Questions About House Rewires

Do I Need Planning Permission?

You would need planning permission if you don’t use a registered electrician. But approved contractors are approved to sign off to building control so in mose cases the answer to this question is no.

Hiring an Electrician

To rewire your home safely you need a trained and registered electrician (the Competent Person Electrical Register is a good resource for this). Other factors you need to look for in an electrician include:

• Registration and certification with bodies such as or NICEIC. Qualified electricians are not just qualified, they need to hold current qualifications.
• Qualifications: key qualifications include a Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Electrotechnical Technology and a Level 2 & 3 Diploma in Electrical Installations.
• Insurance, such as Public Liability Insurance to cover your home and yourself in the event of an accident or any damage to your property.
• Suitable experience: ideally a minimum of five years in undertaking electrical-required work (while it’s important to support upcoming businesses, in this case experience is paramount).
• Positive, unbiased reviews and recommendations from customers who have received similar work.
• Guarantees: companies offering guarantees can provide peace of mind, as this demonstrates confidence in their ability to carry out high quality work.

Ensure you hire a fully qualified electrician to rewire your house: as with the Gas Safe Register for boiler engineers, the Competent Person Electrical Register allows consumers to search for registered qualified electricians with proper insurance and warranties.

Contact Us About Your House Rewire

We hope that this article has been helpful to assist you in figuring out how much it costs to rewire a house. We are always happy to have a no obligation chat so why not fill out the form below or contact us on 01744 380 814 today.