How Much Does It Cost to Rewire a House in the UK? (2026 Guide)

Rewiring a house means replacing the entire electrical system — consumer unit, circuits, cables, sockets, switches, and light fittings — to bring it up to current regulations. In the UK in 2026, a full rewire typically costs between £3,000 and £8,000 depending on the size of the property, its age, and how much making good is included.

This guide breaks down what a rewire involves, what it costs by property size, the factors that push the price up or down, and how long the work takes. There is also a full example quote breakdown for a typical 3-bed semi so you can see exactly where the money goes.

1 What Does a Full Rewire Include?

A full rewire is a significant piece of work. The electrician strips out all existing wiring and replaces it from the meter to every socket, switch, and light fitting in the property. Here is what a standard rewire covers:

• New consumer unit (fuse board) with RCD protection as required by BS 7671 (the IET Wiring Regulations).
• New circuit cables — ring finals for sockets, radial circuits for high-demand appliances (cooker, shower, immersion heater), and lighting circuits for each floor.
• New sockets and switches throughout the property. Most rewires include upgrading to double sockets where singles existed and adding extra sockets in kitchens, home offices, and living rooms.
• New light fittings and ceiling roses, or at minimum the wiring to each point ready for the customer's chosen fittings.
• Smoke and heat detectors — hard-wired and interlinked, which is now a requirement in most situations.
• Earthing and bonding brought up to current standards, including supplementary bonding in bathrooms and kitchens.
• Testing, certification, and notification to Building Control. The electrician issues an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) and, if registered with a competent person scheme like NICEIC or NAPIT, self-certifies the work under Part P.

2 Rewire Cost by Property Size

The single biggest factor in rewire cost is the size of the property. More rooms mean more circuits, more cable, more sockets, and more labour time. These figures are typical UK prices in 2026 excluding VAT:

These prices cover the electrical work itself — new consumer unit, all cabling, sockets, switches, lighting points, testing, and certification. They do not include plastering, decorating, or flooring reinstatement, which are covered separately below.

3 Factors That Affect the Cost

Two identical-looking 3-bed semis can have very different rewire costs. Here are the main variables that move the price:

• Age and construction of the property. Victorian and Edwardian houses with lath-and-plaster walls are harder to chase cables into than modern plasterboard. Solid brick walls take longer than stud walls. Older properties may also have asbestos-containing materials that need professional removal before the electrician can work safely.
• Access to cable routes. If there is a loft space and accessible floor voids, the electrician can run cables vertically between floors without extensive chasing. Properties with solid ground floors or concrete intermediate floors are significantly more expensive because cables need surface-mounted trunking or deeper chasing.
• Number of circuits and points. A basic rewire with the minimum number of sockets costs less than a specification with USB sockets in every room, outdoor circuits for a garden office, an EV charger circuit, and a dedicated home-office ring. Discuss what you actually need before the quote is written.
• Specification and finish level. Standard white plastic sockets and switches cost a fraction of brushed chrome or antique brass alternatives. If the customer is supplying their own high-end accessories, the electrician saves on materials but may spend more time fitting them.
• London and South East premium. Labour rates in London and the Home Counties are typically 20–30% higher than the national average. A 3-bed rewire that costs £5,000 in the Midlands might be £6,500 in South London.
• Additional circuits. An electric shower, an electric cooker, an immersion heater, or an EV charger each require a dedicated radial circuit from the consumer unit. Each one adds £150–£300 to the quote.

4 What's NOT Included in Most Rewire Quotes

This catches a lot of homeowners off guard. A rewire quote covers the electrical work, but the process of running new cables inevitably damages walls, ceilings, and sometimes floors. These costs sit outside the electrician's quote:

• Plastering and making good. Chasing cables into walls leaves channels that need filling and skimming. Depending on how much chasing was required, plastering after a full rewire typically costs £1,000–£2,500 for a 3-bed house.
• Decorating. Once the plaster is dry you will need to repaint. Budget for redecorating any room where cables were chased in — which in a full rewire is usually every room.
• Flooring reinstatement. If floorboards were lifted to run cables, they will be put back, but they may need sanding and refinishing. Carpet may need re-laying.
• Asbestos removal. If the property has asbestos-containing materials in the cable routes (common in artex ceilings and old pipe lagging), licensed removal must happen before rewiring begins. This is a separate, specialist cost.

Tip: When comparing rewire quotes, check whether making good is included. Some electricians partner with a plasterer and include it in the price. Others quote for electrical work only. Neither approach is wrong, but you need to compare like with like.

5 Example Quote Breakdown

Here is what a fully itemised rewire quote looks like for a typical 3-bed semi-detached house. If you are an electrician quoting rewire work, this is the level of detail customers expect — and the level that wins jobs over a vague one-line price.

Tools like VoxTrade let electricians build itemised quotes like this one directly from a site visit voice note — walk through the property, describe the work and the specification out loud, and the app generates a professional, priced document you can send to the customer before you leave.

How Long Does a Full Rewire Take?

A full rewire of a 3-bed semi-detached house typically takes 5 to 7 working days with a two-person team. The work splits into two phases:

• First fix (3–4 days): Stripping out old wiring, chasing new cable routes, installing back boxes, running all new cables from the consumer unit to every point in the house, and fitting the new consumer unit.
• Second fix (1–2 days): After the plasterer has made good the chased walls (usually a 1–2 week gap), the electrician returns to fit faceplates on sockets and switches, hang light fittings, connect the consumer unit, and carry out final testing.

Smaller properties are faster — a 1-bed flat might be done in 2–3 days. Larger 4-bed detached houses can take 8–10 days. The property usually needs to be unoccupied or at least have the power off for most of the first fix phase, so plan accordingly.

Do You Need a Full Rewire or a Partial Rewire?

Not every property needs a full rewire. If the existing wiring is PVC-insulated (the standard since the 1970s) and in reasonable condition, a partial rewire — replacing only the circuits or sections that are worn out or non-compliant — may be sufficient. Common partial rewire scenarios include:

• Upgrading a kitchen circuit to handle modern appliance loads.
• Adding a new circuit for an electric shower or EV charger.
• Replacing a single floor's wiring where the rest is sound.
• Upgrading the consumer unit and earthing while keeping existing circuits that pass testing.

A partial rewire typically costs £1,000–£2,500 depending on scope. The right starting point is an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), which costs £150–£300 and tells you exactly what is and is not compliant. Any reputable electrician will recommend this before committing to a full rewire — if the EICR shows the existing wiring is safe, there is no reason to rip it all out.

For more guidance on pricing electrical work accurately, see our full guide on how to quote an electrical job. And if you are comparing quoting apps for tradespeople, check how each one handles itemised breakdowns — your customers will notice the difference.

Wrapping Up

A full house rewire is one of the bigger investments a homeowner will make, but it is essential for safety, insurance compliance, and the smooth running of a modern home. The cost ranges from around £2,500 for a small flat to £8,000 or more for a large detached property, with most 3-bed homes falling in the £4,000–£6,000 bracket before VAT.

The key to getting good value is to get at least three detailed, itemised quotes from qualified electricians, compare them on a like-for-like basis (check what is and is not included), and make sure the person you choose is registered with a competent person scheme so the work is properly certified. If the quotes are wildly different, ask why — it usually comes down to specification differences or one quote including making good while another does not.