DATA-BACKED GUIDE · UPDATED JULY 2026
House rewire cost in the UK by number of bedrooms
A full rewire is one of the more disruptive jobs a home can go through, and the cost scales roughly with the size of the property. A one bed flat is a world away from a five bed house in both time and materials, and the gap widens further once you factor in walls chased open, floors lifted and rooms out of action in turn. The real prices below come from actual jobs, grouped by bedroom count so you can find something close to your own place rather than guessing from a single national average.
The quick version
- Rewire cost rises with the number of bedrooms because there are more rooms, sockets and cable runs to install and test.
- A rewire must meet Part P building regulations and be carried out by a competent, registered electrician who can certify the work.
- Whether you live in the house during the work changes the timeline and the amount of making good needed afterwards.
- Adding extra sockets, downlights, USB points or a new consumer unit on top of the base rewire pushes the total up.
- A period property with solid walls and hard-to-reach voids takes longer, and therefore costs more, than a modern house with easy cable routes.
- The price you are quoted depends heavily on who is doing the work and where you live, not just the size of the house.
What people actually paid
Real prices, in people's own words
- £4,200“I paid £4,200 for 3 bed rewire, including porch light and moving consumer board in 2020 (Somerset)”
- £4,600“I paid 4.6k for a 4 bed detached, including a mains alarm”
- £4,600“I paid 4.6k for a 4 bed detached, including a mains alarm”
- £7,000“the cost for materials and labour is coming in at nearly £7000. (plus the kitchen cost that was over £1700, so nearly £9000 total.)”
Genuine amounts posted publicly. We publish the price and the quote, never the person.
Why the price varies so much
The headline driver is size, because more bedrooms mean more circuits, more cable and more days on site. Beyond that, the age and layout of the house matter a great deal. A period property with solid walls, awkward access and no existing voids takes longer to chase and rewire than a modern house built with cable runs already in mind. The number of new sockets, light points, and any extra circuits for things like an electric shower or outdoor sockets all add to the total, as does a new consumer unit if the old one needs replacing to meet current standards. Plaster making good after cables are chased into walls is a real cost that people forget to budget for until the bill arrives. Every rewire must comply with Part P building regulations and be signed off by a competent, registered electrician, and that certificate matters both for insurance and for when you sell the house. Who does the work matters too. A sole trader or small local firm working out of a van has lower overheads than a national company with a call centre and branded vehicles, and that difference shows up directly in the quote for identical work. Where you live plays a part as well, since labour rates and the cost of getting materials to site both vary by region, so the same job priced in one part of the country will not always match the same job elsewhere.
How to pay less
- Get three quotes from registered electricians and check each one covers the same number of sockets, light points and circuits, not just a lump sum.
- Rewire while the house is empty or line it up with other building work so disruption and making good are shared rather than duplicated.
- Decide your socket and light positions before work starts, since moving or adding points mid job is where costs creep.
- Ask whether a partial rewire is enough if only some circuits are actually at end of life, rather than paying for a full strip out.
- Get quotes from local independent electricians as well as larger firms, since a national name can quote noticeably more for the same scope of work.
- Ask what making good is included in the price. Some quotes cover replastering and redecorating small patches, others leave you to sort it, and that gap can be the difference between two prices that look similar on paper.
Common questions
How long does a full house rewire take?
It depends on size, but a small flat might take a few days while a larger house can run to a couple of weeks. Living in the property during the work usually slows things down because rooms have to be finished one at a time rather than all at once. The real prices below reflect typical jobs, and your electrician can give you a firm timeline once they have surveyed the property.
Does a rewire need building regulations sign-off?
Yes. Electrical work like a rewire falls under Part P building regulations and must be carried out by a competent, registered electrician. They test the finished installation and issue a certificate, which you should keep for insurance purposes and to show a buyer's solicitor when you come to sell.
Do I need to move out during a rewire?
You do not have to, but it is usually easier and quicker if you can. Floors come up and walls are chased open, so rooms are out of action for a time and living around that adds friction. Rewiring an empty house speeds the job up and can reduce both the labour time and the making good in your final bill.
Why do quotes for the same rewire vary so much?
Two electricians pricing the same job can land on very different numbers depending on their overheads, how busy they are, and whether the quote includes making good or just the electrical work. A national firm often quotes higher than a local independent for identical scope. Always check that competing quotes cover the same number of sockets, points and circuits before comparing the headline figure.
Is a partial rewire cheaper than a full rewire?
Yes, generally, because you are paying for fewer circuits and less making good. It only makes sense if an electrician confirms the untouched circuits are safe and have life left in them. Mixing old and new wiring in one property needs to be done properly and certified, so it is not automatically the cheap option once you factor in the extra testing and paperwork involved.
What pushes a rewire quote above the basic price?
Extra sockets, additional light points, outdoor circuits, a new consumer unit, and specifying things like USB sockets or dimmable downlights all add to the base figure. Difficult access, such as solid walls or no loft void to run cable through, adds labour time too. Ask for an itemised quote so you can see exactly what is driving the total rather than accepting one lump figure.