Cost to Rewire a House UK 2026: Prices by Size
What a full or partial rewire costs in 2026 for flats and two, three and four-bedroom houses, the making good most quotes leave out, how long it takes and the signs your wiring is due.
Key takeaways
- A full rewire of a three-bedroom house typically costs £5,500 to £9,000 in 2026, before making good.
- Allow £1,500 to £6,000 more for replastering and redecorating after the cables are chased in.
- An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) costs around £120 to £350 and shows whether you need a full or partial rewire.
- A rewire is notifiable under Part P; a registered electrician self-certifies it and you receive certificates for your sale.
On this page (13 sections)
- Cost to rewire a house at a glance (2026)
- What is included in a full rewire
- Extras that add cost
- Partial rewire and other options
- Signs your house needs rewiring
- How long does a rewire take?
- When to rewire during a renovation
- Regulations and certification
- Rewiring an occupied house vs an empty one
- Rewiring for landlords
- Questions to ask an electrician
- How to keep the cost down
- Rewiring in Southampton homes
A full rewire of a three-bedroom house in the UK typically costs £5,500 to £9,000 in 2026, excluding VAT, and takes five to ten working days. A two-bedroom house costs around £4,000 to £6,500 and a four-bedroom house £7,500 to £12,000. Budget a further £1,500 to £6,000 for replastering and redecorating afterwards, which most electricians' quotes leave out.
Whether you need a full rewire at all is the first question, and an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) costing around £120 to £350 answers it. This guide covers what a full and partial rewire cost, what is included, the signs your wiring is due, how long it takes, the regulations and certificates involved, and where a rewire fits in a wider renovation.
Cost to rewire a house at a glance (2026)
| Property | Full rewire (electrics only) | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| 1-bed flat | £3,000 – £5,000 | 3 – 5 days |
| 2-bed house or flat | £4,000 – £6,500 | 4 – 7 days |
| 3-bed semi or terrace | £5,500 – £9,000 | 5 – 10 days |
| 4-bed house | £7,500 – £12,000 | 8 – 12 days |
| 5-bed house | £10,000 – £15,000+ | 10 – 15 days |
Add £1,500 to £6,000 for replastering and redecorating after the rewire, depending on how much chasing is needed and whether the rooms were due for decoration anyway.
Full rewire cost by property size (2026, electrics only, ex VAT)
What is included in a full rewire
A full rewire replaces every cable, socket, switch, light fitting point and the consumer unit, so the whole installation meets current regulations. A typical scope:
- New consumer unit with RCD and RCBO protection, usually £500 to £1,000 on its own
- New cables to every circuit: sockets, lighting, cooker, shower, immersion heater and any outbuildings
- New sockets and switches, often with more sockets than the original layout
- Mains-wired, interlinked smoke and heat alarms
- Earthing and bonding of gas and water pipes
- Testing and certification, with an Electrical Installation Certificate at the end
Extras that add cost
The most common extras are additional sockets at £80 to £150 each and downlights at £60 to £120 per light; an electric vehicle charger adds £800 to £1,200 fitted.
| Extra | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Additional socket points | £80 – £150 each |
| USB or smart sockets | £20 – £50 more per socket than standard |
| Downlights | £60 – £120 per light |
| Outdoor sockets and lighting | £150 – £400 per point |
| Electric vehicle charger | £800 – £1,200 fitted |
| Data cabling to rooms | £80 – £150 per point |
| Electric underfloor heating in a bathroom | £600 – £1,200 |
Partial rewire and other options
Not every house needs a full rewire. Depending on what an inspection finds, you may only need:
- A consumer unit replacement: £500 to £1,000, often the first upgrade on a 1990s installation with an old fuse box.
- Rewiring one or two circuits: £1,000 to £3,500, for example the kitchen when it is being refitted, or a lighting circuit without an earth.
- Remedial work after an EICR: from a few hundred pounds for a handful of faults.
An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) costs around £120 to £350 for a typical house and is the honest way to find out which of these you need.
Signs your house needs rewiring
The clearest signs are rubber, fabric or lead-sheathed cable, a fuse box with rewireable fuses and no RCD protection on socket circuits.
- Old cable: black rubber or fabric-covered cable, or lead-sheathed cable, all of which date from before the 1970s
- Round-pin sockets or sockets mounted on skirting boards
- A fuse box with rewireable fuses rather than a modern consumer unit with trip switches
- No RCD protection on socket circuits
- Lighting circuits without an earth, which rules out metal light fittings
- Scorch marks, buzzing, warm sockets or a frequently tripping supply
- Not enough sockets, with extension leads in every room
One of these on its own does not always mean a full rewire, but several together usually do.
How long does a rewire take?
A three-bedroom house typically takes five to ten working days, done in two stages: first fix before plastering and second fix after it.
- 1
Inspection and EICRBefore work
Test the existing installation and agree whether a full or partial rewire is needed.
- 2
Plan the layout1 to 2 days
Mark every socket, switch, light and data point so they land where furniture and appliances will go.
- 3
First fixDays 1 to 5
Lift floorboards, chase walls and run new cables, keeping old circuits live where possible.
- 4
Plastering and making goodBetween fixes
Chases are filled and walls replastered before final fittings go on.
- 5
Second fix, testing and certificatesDays 6 to 10
Fit sockets, switches and the consumer unit, test every circuit and issue the certificates.
The two stages in detail:
- First fix: floorboards lifted, walls chased and new cables run, with the old circuits kept live where possible so you have power at night.
- Second fix: after plastering, sockets, switches and fittings go on, the new consumer unit is connected and everything is tested and certified.
In an empty house that is being fully renovated, the rewire is quicker because the electrician can work freely and the plasterer follows behind.
When to rewire during a renovation
Rewiring belongs early in a renovation: after the strip-out and any structural work, alongside the first fix plumbing and heating, and before plastering. Rewiring after a room has been plastered and decorated means paying to make good twice. Our guide to the house renovation order of works shows where the rewire fits in the sequence.
Regulations and certification
A rewire is notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations. A registered electrician, for example one in the NICEIC or NAPIT schemes, self-certifies the work and you receive:
- An Electrical Installation Certificate confirming the installation was designed, installed and tested to BS 7671
- A building regulations compliance certificate, normally sent within a few weeks
If your electrician is not registered, the work has to be inspected by building control instead, which costs more and takes longer.
Rewiring an occupied house vs an empty one
Rewiring while you live in the house is common, but it takes longer and costs more. The electrician has to keep some power on each evening, work room by room around furniture and clean up daily. In an empty house, especially one being fully renovated, the work is faster and the chasing can be done freely because the plasterer follows behind. If you are planning other work in the next year or two, doing the rewire at the same time almost always saves money.
Rewiring for landlords
In England, the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 require landlords to have the installation inspected and tested at least every five years and to fix any dangerous or potentially dangerous defects within 28 days. An older installation often fails on several items, and a planned rewire between tenancies can work out cheaper than repeated remedial work.
Questions to ask an electrician
- Are you registered with a competent person scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT, so the work can be self-certified?
- Does the price include the consumer unit, smoke and heat alarms, earthing and bonding, and testing?
- Is making good included, or will I need a plasterer and decorator afterwards?
- How will you keep power on while we live here?
- Will I receive an Electrical Installation Certificate and a building regulations compliance certificate?
How to keep the cost down
- Combine it with other work. Rewiring during a kitchen, bathroom or full renovation shares the making good.
- Plan the layout first. Decide where furniture, TVs and desks will go so sockets are in the right places the first time.
- Empty the rooms. Clear floors and loft access save the electrician hours.
- Get an EICR before deciding. It may show that a partial rewire or a new consumer unit is enough.
Rewiring in Southampton homes
Many of the Victorian and Edwardian terraces and 1930s semis across Southampton, Eastleigh, Totton and Portsmouth still have wiring from the 1960s or 1970s, and some older installations further back than that. In a full house renovation, the rewire is part of taking the house back to its bones, done by our own electrician and timed before the plasterer. For lighter updates to a sound home, our house refurbishment service includes partial rewires and consumer unit upgrades. For the wider budget, see our guide to full house renovation costs.
Planning a rewire or renovation?
We assess the existing installation, plan the rewire around the rest of the work and give you a detailed written quote broken down line by line, with VAT stated clearly. Free assessment, no obligation.
Written by
The Pure Renovation & Design team
A Southampton design-and-build company whose team has 18 years of hands-on experience in extensions, loft conversions, full renovations, bathrooms and joinery across Hampshire. Prices are cross-checked against published UK trade cost guides and official fee schedules, and reviewed whenever prices or rules change.
Last reviewed 13 October 2026 · About the team
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Full House Renovations Southampton
Back to the bones and rebuilt properly: structure, rewire, plumbing, heating, kitchens, bathrooms and finishes.
