How Much Does It Cost to Rewire a House in London?

A full rewire is one of the bigger jobs you will ever pay an electrician for, so let us not bury the number. In London, rewiring a typical three bed house usually lands between £4,000 and £6,000. Smaller flats can come in under that, big period houses can run well past it. The spread is wide because no two rewires are the same, so here is what actually decides where your job sits.

How much does it cost to rewire a house?

As a rough guide for London property:

• One or two bed flat: £2,500 to £4,000
• Three bed semi or terrace: £4,000 to £6,000
• Four bed plus house: £6,000 to £10,000 and up

The big levers are the number of rooms and circuits, whether the place is empty or you are living in it, and how easy the cabling is to run. An empty house we can move through quickly. A furnished, occupied home with solid walls and finished floors takes longer and means more making good afterwards. Period properties with lath and plaster are slower again.

What a full rewire includes

A proper rewire is not just new cable. It runs in two stages. First fix is the cabling, back boxes and the routes through walls, floors and ceilings while everything is open. Second fix is fitting the sockets, switches, light fittings and a new consumer unit with modern RCD protection. At the end you get an Electrical Installation Certificate, and we make good the chases and holes so you are not left with a building site.

How long does a rewire take?

For a three bed house, plan on roughly five to ten working days. An empty property is faster. Living in it while we work is doable, we just lose a bit of time protecting rooms and turning power on and off in sections. We will always give you a realistic timeline with the quote rather than a hopeful one.

Signs your house needs rewiring

You do not need to guess. These are the things that tell us the wiring is on borrowed time:

• An old fuse box with rewireable fuses and no RCD
• Rubber, fabric or lead sheathed cabling, common in homes wired before the 1970s
• Breakers or fuses that trip again and again
• Scorch marks, a faint burning smell, or warm switches and sockets
• Not enough sockets, so the place runs on extension leads

If you are seeing the tripping or burning signs, do not wait for the quote, that is fault finding territory and sometimes an emergency. Get it looked at.

How often should a house be rewired?

There is no legal interval for your own home, but the cabling in a typical installation has a working life of around 25 to 30 years before it is worth replacing. The honest way to know where you stand is an inspection. The same electrical safety standards that require rented homes to be tested every five years are a good steer for owners too, and most electricians suggest a check every ten years. An EICR tells you whether you need a full rewire or just a few targeted repairs, which can save you thousands.

Frequently asked questions

Can I rewire one room at a time?

Sometimes, yes. A partial rewire makes sense if only certain circuits are failing. We will tell you honestly whether that is false economy or a sensible way to spread the cost.

Do I need to move out?

Not always. Many clients stay put. If the house is empty though, the job is quicker and usually cheaper.

Will the walls be a mess afterwards?

We chase cables in and make good the plaster. You will usually need to redecorate, but you will not be left with exposed holes.

Getting a rewire quote

Every rewire we price comes from an actual look at your property, not a number plucked off a calculator. If your home is showing any of the signs above, or you have just bought a place that has clearly not been touched in decades, see our rewiring service or call 020 3653 2600 for a clear written quote.