Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Cost of Rewiring A House
Cost of Rewiring A House
Cost of Rewiring A House
Guide)
If we own a house, there will come a time when we need to have some electrical work done.
For some reason, the word ‘rewiring’ usually strikes fear into householders. They imagine
huge bills and months of upheaval in the house as electricians rip up floorboards and knock
the plaster off the walls.
Yes, rewiring a house is a serious job and only qualified electricians should attempt the work.
But the mess and electrical rewiring costs need not be as bad as you imagine.
In this article, we will talk about what is involved in rewiring a house and what inspections
your electrical system needs to be deemed safe. In short, if you are thinking of upgrading the
electrics in your house then this is the article for you.
Main Topics
How Much Does It Cost To Rewire A House?
A rough estimate for rewiring a 3 bedroom house, costs on average somewhere between
£2,500 and £4,500 depending on where you live in the country. In other words, the higher
end will be in places like London and the Southeast where labour always demand a premium.
There are many factors that determine the average cost of rewiring a house.
The house size will determine how much wiring is needed. Similarly, whether your
home is a bungalow or a house; likewise, how many bedrooms it has; and the overall
floor area all have a say. And consequently, if there is a lot of wiring to change, the
labour charges increase too.
The number of light fittings and socket outlets will also determine the amount of
wiring needed. This also determines the amount of work needed to install the fittings.
As light fittings go hand in hand with light switches, one will determine the amount of
the other. Light switches, sockets and the wiring that feeds them can be either easy or
difficult to fit depending on whether the walls are solid or hollow.
Wall material has a lot to do with the amount of work involved and the amount of
mess made when rewiring. Hollow walls made from stud partitions and plasterboard
are often easier to work with than solid brick or block. Hollow walls allow the
electrician to pull wiring through long runs of the wall cavity.
Quality of fittings can vary the cost of a wiring job dramatically. You can either use
the cheap white plastic light switches, sockets and bulb holders or use more expensive
materials such as brass. Which type you use will depend on the décor in your house
and your budget.
Kitchens and Bathrooms need special wiring and fittings depending on what
appliances you have. Bathrooms need special light switches so that wet hands do not
come into contact with electricity. If you have an electric shower, it will need its own
power feed directly from the distribution box. You may also have an electrically
heated towel rail and an electric shaver point. Don’t forget that this applies to en-suite
bathrooms as well as main ones. Rewiring a kitchen is probably one of the most
labour intensive jobs. The kitchen needs the most electrical sockets of any room in the
house, to serve all the electrical appliance found there. Furthermore, an electric oven
and hob will need its own feed direct from the distributor box.
When should rewiring be done?
You don’t need your house rewired just because you feel like it. However, there are certain
situations when it is essential.
Extensions to your house need connecting electrically to the main distributor box.
While you are hiring an electrician, why not have an electrical inspection on the
remainder of the house to check everything is OK?
House Remodelling such as knocking down walls and building new ones always
requires new wiring connected to the original circuits.
Old Wiring has got to go. Modern wiring regulations specify the components you can
have in your electrical circuits and this is often different from the specifications used
many years ago. Electricians follow the new regulations to ensure you have a safe
installation.
House rewiring cost calculator breakdown
If you want to estimate how much to rewire a house, you must take into account the factors
mentioned earlier. Every house is different but you can determine an average minimum cost.
Notice that the cost of rewiring a flat is comparable to a similar sized house.
Electrical cables covered in black rubber, lead or fabric ceased to be used decades
ago.
Older round pin electrical sockets and circular light switches.
Brown or black light switches.
Power sockets mounted on skirting boards.
Braided flex on pendant lights.
Light switches in bathrooms.
Black scorch marks or a burning odour around light switches and power sockets.
An old fuse box with a wooden mounting board, cast iron switches or made up of a
mixture of fuse boxes.
In addition to these, electrical fittings may become damaged or be out of date and no longer
comply. So, ask an electrician to check their condition at least every ten years and when you
move into a new house.
Light switch and wall socket faceplates are usually made from uPVC or a thermoplastic but
can be made from brass, aluminium or stainless steel if needed to match with the room décor.
Remember that metals conduct electricity so they will have to be properly installed and
earthed whereas plastic covers will not.
In addition to the wiring, typical components used in a rewire include:
Junction boxes.
Light switches and fittings.
Wall socket covers.
Cooker and shower switches.
Bathroom pull light switches.
Galvanised metal back boxes.
Other Common Jobs Electricians Can Do
Electricians aren’t only there for rewiring your house. They are qualified to do any other
small domestic electrical work such as:
Replacing old-style fuse boxes with consumer units will cost from £250 to £450 and
take a maximum of half a day unless other non-compliances are found.
Replacing an electrical socket, light switch or light fitting will set you back from £25
to £50 per item and take less than an hour.
Installing outdoor motion sensors and lights will cost between £100 and £200 and
take anything from 2 to 4 hours depending on the number and type of lights.
To replace a light fixture will be from £30 to £40 each and take about an hour.
Inspecting the condition of your electrical system will be between £120 and £300.
Upgrading kitchen lights to LEDs will be £40 to £50 depending on the type.
Get 4 Free Quotes →
House Rewiring FAQ Section
How often should you rewire a house?
You only need to have the house rewired when a qualified electrician has inspected it and
told you it needs to be done. Have the inspection done when you notice something wrong, on
change of ownership or at least every 10 years (more often as the house gets older). As a
general rule of thumb, as long as the wiring is covered with PVC, you have a circuit breaker
consumer unit and the gas and water pipes are bonded then everything should be OK. If in
doubt, have it checked.