How Much Does a House Rewire Cost in the UK? (2026 Prices)
If you’ve been told your home needs rewiring, the first question is almost always how much it’s going to cost. The honest answer is that it depends — on your property size, how accessible the wiring is, and how old the existing installation is. But there are reasonable ranges that apply to most UK homes.
For most properties in 2026, a full house rewire costs somewhere between £3,500 and £9,000. Here’s how that breaks down in practice.
Rewire Cost by Property Size
| Property Type | Estimated Cost | Typical Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1-bedroom flat | £1,800 – £3,000 | 1–2 days |
| 2-bedroom house | £3,000 – £4,500 | 2–3 days |
| 3-bedroom semi-detached | £4,500 – £6,500 | 3–5 days |
| 4-bedroom semi-detached | £6,000 – £8,500 | 4–6 days |
| 4-bedroom detached | £7,500 – £12,000+ | 5–8 days |
| 3-bedroom bungalow | £5,000 – £7,500 | 3–5 days |
These are rough UK averages. Prices in Derbyshire, South Yorkshire, and the East Midlands tend to sit toward the lower end of those ranges compared to London and the South East.
What a Full Rewire Actually Includes
A full house rewire means replacing the entire electrical installation, from the consumer unit outward to every socket, switch, and ceiling rose in the property. That covers:
- All cabling throughout the property (replaced, not patched)
- New socket outlets and light switches
- New consumer unit (fuse board)
- All circuits tested to the current edition of BS 7671 (the IET Wiring Regulations)
- An Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) on completion
The EIC is a legal document. Your insurer and any future buyer will ask for it. It’s not optional, and any electrician who quotes without mentioning it is worth questioning.
What Affects the Final Price
The quotes you get can vary considerably, and it’s not always because one electrician is cheaper than another.
Age of the existing wiring. Rubber-insulated cables (common in pre-1970s properties) or aluminium wiring require more care to remove safely. If the existing cables are particularly degraded, there may be additional work around connections and containment.
Access. A detached house with suspended timber floors and accessible loft space is significantly faster to rewire than a flat with solid concrete floors and no crawl space. Harder access means more labour hours, and labour is the biggest component of the cost.
Number of circuits and sockets. If you’re having the rewire done at the same time as a kitchen renovation, an extension, or an EV charger installation, any additional circuits are included in the scope. More circuits add to the total.
Replastering. Running new cables involves lifting floorboards and chasing channels in walls. Most electricians leave the property at first-fix standard, ready for a decorator. A full redecoration is usually a separate contract. Make sure you agree the finish standard before work begins.
Certification scope. All notifiable electrical work must be certified with Building Regulations. Some quotes don’t make clear whether certification is included. Always check before accepting.
Common Add-Ons
| Add-On | Approximate Cost |
|---|---|
| Consumer unit replacement only | £400 – £650 |
| EV charger installation | £500 – £950 |
| Additional double socket per location | £80 – £150 |
| External security or garden lighting | £120 – £260 per fitting |
| Electric underfloor heating circuit | £200 – £450 |
How to Get a Realistic Quote
The only way to get an accurate price is an in-person visit. Any electrician quoting a fixed price over the phone without seeing the property is estimating, and estimates made blind tend to shift once work begins.
A good quote will set out:
- Labour and materials separately (or confirm materials are included)
- The certification included in the price
- Any assumptions the quote is based on (for example: “assumes accessible floor voids throughout”)
Get two or three quotes. If one is significantly lower than the others, ask what it doesn’t include. If one is significantly higher, ask the same question.
If you’re in Chesterfield or the surrounding Derbyshire area, Jack at JB Sparks offers free quote visits with no obligation. You’ll get a clear, itemised price before any work is agreed.
Need an electrician in Chesterfield?
Jack covers Chesterfield, Dronfield, Staveley, Bolsover, Clay Cross, Matlock and the surrounding area. Free quotes, all work certified and signed off.