How much does a rewire cost?

A rewire is one of the few home jobs where the price range is so wide it is almost useless on its own. The same three bedroom semi can be rewired for under £5,000 or for several times that, depending on what is in the walls, what you want added and whether anyone is living there. This guide gives you the published UK figures, explains what sits behind them, and shows you how to get a quote you can actually compare.

How much does a full rewire cost in the UK?

The most recent independent figures come from Which?, which asked 19 of its Trusted Traders in November 2025. Prices cover labour and materials and exclude VAT.

Source: Which?, survey of 19 Which? Trusted Traders, November 2025. Labour and materials, excluding VAT. Which? says prices are likely to be at the upper end in London and the South East.

For a second view, the quantity surveyor Tim Phillips gave Homebuilding and Renovating typical figures of £3,000 to £4,000 for a two bedroom house, £4,000 to £5,000 for a three bedroom semi and £4,500 to £6,500 for a four bedroom detached house. Those were published in 2023, so allow for prices having risen since, but they show where a plain, straightforward rewire sits. The top of the Which? ranges is for big, complicated jobs with a long list of extras.

Do not forget VAT

If the electrician is VAT registered, 20 percent goes on top. On a £6,000 quote that is another £1,200, our arithmetic. Many sole traders are not VAT registered, so always check whether a quote includes it before you compare two prices.

What is included in a full rewire?

A full rewire replaces the fixed wiring in the house: the cables in the walls, floors and ceilings, the back boxes, sockets, switches and light fittings, and nearly always the consumer unit. It is normally done in two stages.

• First fix. Floorboards come up, walls are chased out, and new cables are run to every point. This is the noisy, dusty part.
• Second fix. After plastering, the electrician fits the sockets, switches and lights, connects the consumer unit, then tests every circuit.

Several things are often not in the price, so ask about each one:

• Making good. Filling chases, re-plastering and redecorating. Most electricians are not plasterers, and many quotes stop at "chases filled". Homebuilding's cost expert advises adding 10 percent to any quote as a contingency.
• The consumer unit. Usually included in a full rewire, but confirm it.
• Extras you ask for. More sockets, USB sockets, outside power, downlights, data cabling, an EV charger circuit or smart controls all add to the bill.
• Fire alarms. Mains wired smoke and heat alarms are a good time to add, and are worth asking about.

What makes a rewire cost more or less?

• Size and number of circuits. More rooms mean more cable, more points and more days.
• Whether the house is empty. Which? notes it takes longer to rewire an occupied house, because the electrician has to move furniture, keep power on where they can, and leave the house clean and habitable at the end of each day.
• Floors and walls. Suspended timber floors make cable runs easy. Solid concrete floors and hard plaster mean more chasing, more time and more making good.
• Access. A clear loft and an empty under stairs cupboard save hours. Fitted kitchens, laminate floors and boxed in pipes add them.
• The spec you choose. Plain white sockets and a few ceiling roses cost far less than brushed metal fittings and twenty downlights.
• Where you live. Which? says London and the South East sit at the upper end. No published survey gives a separate figure for the West Midlands, so get local quotes.
• Timing with other work. NICEIC points out that rewiring alongside a renovation or extension is usually cheaper and less disruptive, because the walls and floors are already open.

How long does a rewire take?

Which? gives 5 to 8 days for a two bedroom terrace, 6 to 10 for a three bedroom semi and 10 to 15 for a four bedroom detached house. One of its Trusted Traders said a full rewire of an occupied three bedroom house takes around a week, and that it can be much quicker if the family stays elsewhere. Rewiring often needs at least two people on site.

Plan for dust, lifted carpets and some time without power each day. Clear the rooms, the loft hatch and the cupboard with the meter before the electrician arrives, and you will save both time and money.

Does my house need rewiring?

Not every old house needs a full rewire, and a good electrician will tell you if yours does not. NICEIC lists these warning signs, and says to contact an electrician straight away if you notice them:

• burning smells with no clear source;
• buzzing, humming or crackling from sockets or switches;
• brown or scorched sockets and switches, which point to overheating;
• lights that keep flickering;
• plugs that feel hot;
• small shocks when you plug things in;
• fuses or RCDs that keep blowing or tripping.

NICEIC also cites the charity Electrical Safety First: a home over 30 years old that still has its original wiring will likely need updating. Other clues are rubber or fabric covered cable, a fuse box with rewireable fuses or a wooden back, round pin sockets, and sockets on skirting boards in every room.

The reliable way to find out is an Electrical Installation Condition Report. An electrician tests every circuit and codes each problem by how urgent it is. Sometimes the answer is a new consumer unit and a few circuits rather than the whole house, which is much cheaper. Our guide to what an EICR is and how often you need one explains the codes and what an inspection costs.

Partial rewire or full rewire?

A partial rewire replaces only the circuits that are faulty or out of date, often with a new consumer unit. It makes sense when the rest of the wiring is modern PVC cable in good condition, for example when only the kitchen circuits or an old extension were done badly. It does not make sense in a house where all the cable is the same age, because you will be paying for a second visit and a second round of making good within a few years. Ask the electrician to price both, and to show you on the EICR why they recommend one over the other.

Building regulations, certificates and the paperwork

In England and Wales a rewire is notifiable work under Part P of the Building Regulations, set out in Approved Document P. There are two ways to comply:

1. Use a registered electrician. An electrician on a government approved competent person scheme, such as NICEIC or NAPIT, can self certify the work and notify building control for you. GOV.UK explains how competent person schemes work, and you can check any electrician on the Competent Person Register.
2. Apply to building control yourself before work starts, if the electrician is not registered. The council then inspects the work and charges a fee.

In Scotland, NICEIC notes that a rewire needs a building warrant.

When the job is finished you should receive an Electrical Installation Certificate showing the test results, and, in England and Wales, a building regulations compliance certificate. NICEIC warns that missing certificates can cause problems when you sell. Keep both with your house deeds.

How to keep the cost of a rewire down

• Do it before you decorate. Rewiring a freshly painted house means redecorating twice.
• Combine it with other work. If floors are up for a new kitchen, heating or an extension, add the rewire then.
• Move out if you can. An empty house is quicker to rewire, and quicker usually means cheaper.
• Clear the space. Empty cupboards, lift rugs and clear the loft yourself rather than paying for the time.
• Decide your extras up front. Adding sockets after first fix costs far more than adding them on the plan.
• Compare like with like. Get two or three written quotes and check each one for the consumer unit, making good, VAT and Part P notification.
• Keep deposits small and pay the balance when you have the certificates in your hand.

Landlords should keep the Electrical Installation Certificate with the tenancy paperwork, because rented homes in England need the electrics inspected and tested at least every five years and a recent certificate shows the installation is sound. If you also let a home with gas appliances, see what a gas safety certificate is and when landlords need one.

Find an electrician near you

You can find a local electrician and request a rewire quote free, and they can come back to you with a time to survey the house and a price. Say how many bedrooms, whether the house will be occupied, and what you want added, so the quote you get back is a real one. You pay the electrician directly, and nothing is taken online.

Or browse local businesses first: electricians in Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Coventry, Walsall, Dudley or Solihull. Businesses on YourHouseFix show whether they have been claimed by the business or are listed from public records, and we do not check registers or insurance, so check registration either way. For more guides on repairs and costs, see all our home advice.