The True Costs of a House Rewire

Having a house re-wired becomes necessary if the wiring in your home is outdated, non-functional or, of course, a safety hazard. Whatever the case, the cost of a house rewire can vary based on a range of factors. In this brief guide, we hope to give you a sense of what sort of price tag you’ll be looking at. 

A safety notice: Please be aware that working with electrics can be highly dangerous (after all electrocution can kill). So, you should really hire a professional for this work. Technically a regular DIYer can perform electrical work if they know exactly what is involved and all of the safety measures that must be taken such as turning the power off at the mains. And to top it all off, when the work is complete a qualified professional must test and check the installations regardless. So, one way or another, we recommend hiring a qualified electrician to rewire your home.

House Rewiring Prices

The overall average cost of a full rewire for any given property is £4,000 and it generally takes between three and seven days to complete. In reality, prices can vary greatly, perhaps from as little as £2,000 to as much as £10,000.

Here is an idea of rewiring prices for different homes:

• Full rewire of a flat – £2,500 to £3,100
• Full rewire of a 2-bed maisonette – £3,100 to £3,700
• Full rewire of a 2-bed terraced house – £4,100 to £4,700
• Full rewire of a 3-bed semi-detached house – £5,000 to £6,000
• Full rewire of a 4-bed detached house – £7,000 to £8,000

To the above price estimates, please add £225 which is the approximate cost of an electrical installation condition report which would follow the re-wiring work itself. This report would be an analysis of the safety and functionality of the electrical components and wiring in your home. This report would cover things like light, switches, sockets, consumer units and protective bonding.

Other Cost Factors

To give you a clearer sense of what you might pay in your specific situation, you should be aware of other cost-affecting factors aside the size/type of your property.

Further cost factors of re-wiring a house include:

• Where you live*
• Precisely how many rooms your home has
• Whether you have more or less electrics in your home than would be expected
• The quality of the components being installed
• The extent of the waste removal (e.g., hiring a skip)

*Your location matters because electrician labour prices differ from region to region. In general, the southeast of England has higher prices than elsewhere in the UK. In contrast, labour pricing in northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland tends to be above average.

Final Thoughts

You should have your home re-wired once every 25 to 30 years on average or if otherwise deemed necessary. It’s important that you have your home re-wired when needed to ensure both functionality and safety alike.

Photo by R ARCHITECTURE on Unsplash