Last Updated: November 5, 2026
Quick Summary
The average cost of electrical rewiring depends on property size, wiring condition and how much making good is needed, so there is no single national figure. We price every job after a proper inspection, because two houses of the same age can need very different amounts of work once the floorboards come up.
- A three-bedroom house typically takes around five to ten working days to rewire, while a flat can be done in three to five days.
- Rewiring must comply with BS 7671, and notifiable domestic work is covered by Part P of the Building Regulations.
- Quotes often exclude plastering, decorating, floor repairs and waste removal, so ask for exclusions in writing.
- A full rewire suits failed cable or missing earthing and RCD protection; targeted repairs suit one faulty circuit.
- Labour is usually the largest single component of a rewire, followed by materials and then making good.
Table of Contents
- What Drives the Average Cost of Electrical Rewiring
- Cost to Rewire a 3-Bedroom House and Other Property Sizes
- Signs a House Needs Rewiring
- How Long Does It Take to Rewire a House?
- Your Rewiring Quote Checklist: What Should Be Included
- Full Rewire or Targeted Repairs? Making the Call
- Request a Rewiring Quote from MDS Electrical
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Drives the Average Cost of Electrical Rewiring
The average cost of electrical rewiring depends on property size, wiring condition and how much making good is needed.
Rewires are best quoted after a proper inspection rather than from a phone description, because that is the most reliable way to price the job.
Rewiring is the full replacement of a property’s fixed wiring, from the consumer unit through to every socket, switch and light point.
Three things move the price most:
- Property size and the number of circuits
- Age and condition of the existing wiring
- Access through floors, walls and ceilings
Property size and the number of circuits
Larger homes need more cable, more sockets and more circuits at the consumer unit. A one-bedroom flat might run on a handful of circuits. A four-bedroom house with a kitchen extension, garden office and electric shower can easily need double that.
Every extra circuit adds materials, labour and testing time. That is why quotes rise in steps by property size rather than smoothly.
Age, wiring condition and access
Older properties throw up surprises. Original 1970s wiring may crumble when disturbed. Lath and plaster walls crack.
Access is the hidden cost. A house with a clear loft and liftable boards is quicker to rewire than one where every cable run means lifting flooring and making good afterwards.
For a fuller breakdown of what each element adds to the bill, our guide to electrical rewiring cost explains the line items in detail.
Cost to Rewire a 3-Bedroom House and Other Property Sizes
The cost to rewire a 3-bedroom house sits in the middle of the range, and it is the job most homeowners ask us about.
A three-bedroom house usually needs a new consumer unit, a full set of sockets and switches, and separate circuits for kitchen appliances, heating and any shower. Flats are cheaper mainly because there are fewer rooms and shorter runs, not because the work is simpler.
| Property type | Typical circuits | Main cost drivers | Relative cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-bedroom flat | 4-6 | Short cable runs, shared access | Lowest |
| Two-bedroom house | 6-8 | Stairs, kitchen circuits | Low to mid |
| Three-bedroom house | 8-12 | More rooms, shower, outbuilding | Mid |
| Four-bedroom house | 12-16 | Multiple bathrooms, extensions | High |
| Five-bedroom house | 16+ | Zoned heating, annexe, EV charger | Highest |
An itemised example quote for a three-bedroom house
Rather than quote a single figure, here is how a total breaks down into the elements you should see itemised on any quote you receive.
- Strip-out and waste removal: removing old cable, accessories and the old consumer unit, then disposing of it lawfully. This is labour-heavy and often understated.
- Consumer unit replacement: a modern board with RCD protection, typically 10 to 14 ways for a three-bed house, including the main switch and circuit labelling.
- First fix labour: running new cable through floors, walls and ceilings, including drilling joists and chasing walls where needed.
- Materials: cable, back boxes, sockets, switches, light fittings, smoke and heat alarms, and the consumer unit itself.
- Second fix labour: fitting accessories, connecting circuits and mounting fittings.
When you add those elements together, the labour share is usually the largest single component, followed by materials and then making good. A quote that looks cheap often excludes strip-out, waste removal or making good, which is why the checklist in the next section matters.
What is typically excluded from a rewire quote
This is the part quotes often leave out, and it is where budgets go wrong. A rewire quote normally covers the electrical installation and its certification, not the decoration around it. Unless your quote says otherwise, assume the following are excluded:
- Plastering and decorating after chases and cable runs are made good
- Floor repairs beyond refitting boards that were lifted
- Waste removal if the electrician has not priced a skip or licensed carrier
- Temporary accommodation if the property cannot be occupied during the work
- Replacing damaged furniture, carpets or laminate disturbed during access
Ask each electrician to state these exclusions in writing. Two quotes that differ by several hundred pounds are often not quoting the same scope at all.
If the consumer unit is part of the job, our guide to consumer unit replacement pricing explains what that element should cost so you can check it appears fairly in the quote.
Signs a House Needs Rewiring
The clearest signs a house needs rewiring are a fuse board with rewireable fuses, blackened or brittle cable, and sockets that crackle or feel warm.
Watch for these warning signs:
- Old fuse board with ceramic fuses rather than trip switches
- No RCD protection on socket circuits
- Browning or scorch marks around sockets and switches
- Buzzing or crackling when plugs are used
- Lights that flicker when appliances switch on
- Round pin sockets or sockets with no earth
If several of these sound familiar, check them against our guide to the signs of faulty house wiring before you book anything. Safety comes first: stop using any circuit that crackles or smells hot.
How Long Does It Take to Rewire a House?
A typical three-bedroom house takes around five to ten working days to rewire, depending on access and how much making good is needed. A flat can be done in three to five days. Larger homes with extensions run longer.
The schedule usually breaks down like this:
- Day 1-2: strip out old cable and fittings
- Day 3-6: first fix, running new cabling
- Day 7-8: second fix, fitting sockets, switches and lights
- Final day: testing, certification and handover
Occupied homes slow things down. Furniture has to move, and power goes off for stretches at a time. Planning ahead helps, and our guide on how to prepare for a rewire covers the practical steps.
Expect some disruption to plastering and making good after the cables go in. A good electrician will tell you upfront which walls will need patching.
Your Rewiring Quote Checklist: What Should Be Included
A proper rewiring quote should list every circuit, every fitting and every exclusion in writing. If a quote is one line and a total, ask for detail before you compare it with anything else. The checklist below is designed to be used side by side across quotes, so you can see where the scope genuinely differs rather than where the price simply differs.
Use this checklist when you review each quote:
- Consumer unit make, model and number of ways
- Circuits listed room by room
- Sockets, switches and lighting points counted
- Smoke and heat alarms included or excluded
- Making good and plastering stated clearly
- Testing and certification named, with the standard cited
The compliance framework behind the quote
Rewiring must comply with BS 7671, the IET Wiring Regulations, which set out the requirements for electrical installations (BS 7671). In domestic properties, notifiable work is also covered by Part P of the Building Regulations, which requires the work to be carried out safely and to be certified.
Certification records the test results for each circuit, confirms the protective devices are correctly rated, and gives you a document that matters when you sell or let the property.
How to compare two quotes like-for-like
Put the quotes side by side and work through the checklist in the same order for each.
Watch out: a quote that skips testing and certification is not a cheaper quote, it is an incomplete one, and the cost of putting it right later usually exceeds the saving.
If the consumer unit is part of the job, our guide to consumer unit replacement pricing explains what that element should cost so you can check it appears fairly in the quote.
Full Rewire or Targeted Repairs? Making the Call
A full rewire is the right call when the cable itself has failed or lacks earthing and RCD protection throughout.
Here is how we would decide:
- Full rewire: old cable type throughout, no earth in lighting circuits, repeated tripping across multiple circuits
- Targeted repairs: modern cable, one faulty circuit, a failed accessory or a single damaged run
- Middle ground: partial rewire of the kitchen and consumer unit, leaving sound circuits alone
The deciding factor is the cable, not the age of the decor.
Watch out: a quote for a full rewire when only one circuit has failed is money wasted, and a patch-up on failing cable is a false economy. Get the inspection done first, then decide.
Request a Rewiring Quote from MDS Electrical
MDS Electrical has over 12 years of experience in domestic and commercial environments. Appointments are kept, and quotes are provided as promised.
The full range of services runs from small repairs to full rewires, and our tradesmen treat properties with respect.
MDS Electrical is rated as one of the top three electricians in Peterborough, with a wealth of Google reviews.
Get started with MDS Electrical and request a rewiring quote with a clear scope, a firm timescale and no surprises. Visit our electrician in Peterborough page to get in touch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average cost of electrical rewiring?
There is no single figure because electrical rewiring costs depend on property size, age, access and how much making good is needed. A one-bedroom flat sits at the lower end, while a four or five-bedroom house with complex access costs considerably more. Labour typically makes up the larger share, with materials, testing, certification and VAT on top. Ask for an itemised quote so you can see what is included rather than working from a national average that may not match your property.
How much does it cost to rewire a 3-bedroom house?
The cost to rewire a 3-bedroom house depends on the number of sockets, lighting points, whether the property is occupied, and how easily cables can be run. A mid-terrace with a straightforward layout is cheaper than a period semi-detached home with lath and plaster walls. Always compare like-for-like quotes that list circuits, fittings and making good separately. For a quote tailored to your property, contact MDS Electrical directly.
Does a rewiring quote include plastering and decorating?
Most rewiring quotes exclude plastering and decorating unless stated otherwise. Chasing walls and lifting floorboards leaves marks that need making good, and some electricians include basic filling while others do not. Check your rewiring quote checklist for a line covering making good, and ask whether the electrician will patch plaster or whether you need a separate plasterer. Budget for decoration as a distinct cost so the final bill does not surprise you.
Can you live in a house while it is being rewired?
Many homeowners stay during a rewire, but expect disruption. Power will be off for periods, furniture needs moving away from walls, and floorboards will be lifted. Plan for the kitchen and heating to be affected on the busiest days, and keep valuables and fragile items out of the work areas. If the property is empty, the job usually runs faster. Discuss a phased schedule with your electrician so you know which rooms are out of action and when.
Rewiring is a big spend, and the quotes you receive will vary. The way to control it is to demand detail, compare like for like, and check certification before you pay. MDS Electrical provides clear quotes, full testing and certification, and a reliable service that turns up when promised. Get started with MDS Electrical and request a quote with the scope written down.
