How much does it cost to rewire a house in the UK?

Updated 19 October 2026 · Reviewed by Steve Wolfe

Rewiring a three-bed house in the UK typically costs £5,300 to £9,600 including VAT, with a new consumer unit, testing and certification, and takes 6 to 10 days. A one-bed flat is about £3,600 to £5,800, and a five-bed house up to about £15,000. Plastering and redecorating afterwards are usually extra.

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Typical costs

Typical UK prices including VAT, for a full rewire with a new consumer unit, standard white sockets and switches, testing and certification.

Type	Typical cost
One-bed flat £3,600–£5,800 On site: 4 to 7 days	£3,600–£5,800
Two-bed flat or house £4,500–£7,000 On site: 4 to 7 days	£4,500–£7,000
Three-bed house £5,300–£9,600 On site: 6 to 10 days	£5,300–£9,600
Four-bed house £7,300–£11,300 On site: 1 to 2 weeks	£7,300–£11,300
Five-bed house £9,000–£15,000 On site: 10 to 15 days	£9,000–£15,000

Based on Checkatrade's prices by property size, with VAT added and rounded. Plastering, redecorating and new flooring are usually extra.

What changes the price

The size of the house. More rooms means more circuits, sockets, switches and lights. Many electricians price by the number of points.
Living in it while it's done. Working room by room around furniture, and restoring power every evening, takes longer than rewiring an empty house.
The building. Solid floors, plastered ceilings and stone walls make it harder to run cables than lifting floorboards in a typical semi.
Extras while the walls are open. More sockets, downlights, outdoor lights, smoke and heat alarms, data cabling or an EV charger supply all add cost, but are far cheaper now than later.
Where you live. Labour is most of the cost, and electricians charge more in London and the South East.

What's usually not in the price

Most rewiring quotes include taking out the old wiring, new cables throughout, standard white sockets and switches, a new consumer unit, and testing and certification. They usually don't include:

Plastering where cables have been chased into walls.
Redecorating afterwards.
New carpets or flooring if they're damaged lifting floorboards.
Somewhere to stay, if you move out, and furniture storage.

Before you get quotes

Get an EICR first if you're not sure the house needs a full rewire.
Decide where you want extra sockets, lights and switches, so every quote covers the same number of points.
Use a registered electrician who can certify the work, and ask what certificates you'll get.
Ask whether making good the walls is included, and who will do the plastering and decorating.
Get two or three quotes for the same specification.

An example Ballpark

What Ballpark gave for this job on 16 October 2026. It’s an example we worked out, not a customer’s price.

Full rewire of a three-bed semi in Birmingham that still has its 1970s wiring, with a new consumer unit. We are living in the house while it is done.

Essential rewire £3,750–£5,250

Full rewire with a new consumer unit, standard sockets and lights, and making good only where cables are chased.
Full rewire, occupiedClosest to the job £4,750–£6,750

Full rewire with a new consumer unit, phased room by room so you can live there, with certification and basic making good.
Rewire plus upgrades £6,500–£9,500

Full occupied rewire with extra sockets, LED downlights, smoke and heat alarms, and surge protection, with some decorating repair.

Based on

Standard three-bed semi, about 90 square metres
Floorboards lift easily, no plastering included
Phased working adds a few days
Prices include VAT

What a trade will ask you

Have answers ready and your quotes (and your ballpark) will be closer to the real price.

How many bedrooms, and is it a house or a flat?
Roughly how old is the wiring, and what's the fuse box like?
Will you be living in the house while it's done?
Do you want extra sockets, new lighting or smoke alarms while the walls are open?
Are the floors boards or solid concrete?
Have you had an electrical condition report (EICR)?

Common questions

Does my house need rewiring?

Age alone doesn't decide it. The way to find out is an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) from a qualified electrician, which Checkatrade puts at about £150 for a one-bed flat to £375 for a five-bed house. Warning signs include an old fuse box with wire fuses, rubber or fabric-covered cables, scorched sockets, and fuses that keep blowing.

Does a house built in the 1970s need rewiring?

Not always. Wiring from the 1970s onwards is usually PVC-covered and can still be safe, but it often has too few sockets, no modern protection in the fuse box and has been added to over the years. An EICR will tell you whether it needs a full rewire or just a new consumer unit and some repairs.

Can I live in the house while it's rewired?

Usually, yes. The electrician works room by room and restores power at the end of each day, but it takes longer and is messy, as floorboards come up and cables are chased into walls. An empty house is quicker and can be cheaper.

Does a rewire need building regulations approval?

Yes. A rewire is notifiable electrical work. A registered electrician (for example with NICEIC or NAPIT) can self-certify it, and you should get an Electrical Installation Certificate and confirmation that it meets building regulations.

How often do landlords need an electrical check?

In England, landlords must have the electrics in a rented home checked at least every five years by a qualified person.

Are your prices including VAT?

Yes. Every price on this page includes VAT. Electricians and most guides often quote before VAT, so check which you're comparing.

What would yours cost?

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Sources

Checkatrade, house rewiring cost (Oct 2026). Prices by property size before VAT, timescales, EICR costs and what's included
Which?, how much do electricians cost (May 2026). Rewiring prices for a three-bed semi from a survey of 19 electricians, before VAT
GOV.UK, electrical safety standards in the private and social rented sectors (Nov 2025). How often landlords in England must have the electrics checked

How we work out a ballpark