What Affects the Cost of a House Rewire?

No two rewires cost the same. The price you’ll pay depends on several factors specific to your property, and any electrician who quotes without understanding these is guessing.

Property size and number of rooms — A two-bedroom terraced house is a very different job to a four-bedroom detached. More rooms means more circuits, more cable runs, more sockets and switches, and more labour hours. The number of floors matters too — a bungalow is simpler to wire than a three-storey townhouse.

Age of the property — Older homes in Rotherham, particularly pre-1960s properties, often have wiring buried in plaster or routed through unusual paths. This can mean more making good, more time chasing cables into walls, and occasionally unexpected discoveries behind plasterwork. A 1990s property with relatively modern cable routes will be quicker and more straightforward.

Accessibility — Can we get into the loft easily? Is there a crawl space under the floors, or are they solid concrete? Properties with suspended timber floors are significantly easier to rewire than those with solid floors, because cables can be run underneath without disturbing the surface. Limited access adds time, complexity, and cost.

Current wiring condition — Sometimes what starts as a rewire quote turns into something simpler. If parts of the wiring are relatively modern and test well, a partial rewire might be all that’s needed. Other times, we find that what looked like a straightforward job has hidden problems — rubber-insulated cable, aluminium wiring, or circuits that have been extended unsafely over the years.

What you want included — A basic rewire replaces the cables, consumer unit, sockets and light fittings. But most homeowners take the opportunity to add extras while the walls are open — additional sockets, USB charging points, outdoor power, dedicated circuits for electric showers or EV chargers, smart home wiring, or upgraded lighting. These all affect the final price.

What’s Actually Included in a Full House Rewire?

A full rewire is one of the most comprehensive electrical jobs you can have done. Here’s what it typically involves:

New consumer unit (fuseboard) — The heart of your electrical system. A modern consumer unit with RCBOs provides individual circuit protection, meaning a fault on one circuit won’t knock out the whole house.

All new cables — Every cable in the property is replaced with modern twin-and-earth cable that meets current BS 7671 wiring regulations. Old rubber-insulated, lead-sheathed, or fabric-covered cables are removed entirely.

New sockets and switches — All socket outlets, light switches, and ceiling roses are replaced. Most homeowners choose white moulded fittings, but brushed chrome, matt black, or other finishes are available.

New light fittings — Basic pendant fittings are included as standard. If you want downlights, feature lighting, or outdoor lights, these can be added during the rewire.

Earthing and bonding — The main earthing conductor, equipotential bonding to gas and water pipes, and supplementary bonding in bathrooms and kitchens are all brought up to current standards.

Testing and certification — Every circuit is tested and an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) is issued. This is a legal requirement and proves the work meets Building Regulations Part P. The installation is also notified to your local authority through our NAPIT registration.

Making good — Cable chases in walls need filling and the surface left ready for decoration. A good electrician will keep disruption to a minimum, but some redecoration will always be needed after a rewire.

How Long Does a House Rewire Take?

This is one of the first questions homeowners ask, and the honest answer is: it depends on the property.

As a rough guide, a typical two to three bedroom house takes around five to seven working days for the first fix (running all the new cables), then a return visit of one to two days for the second fix (connecting everything up and testing) once plastering and decoration are done.

Larger properties, properties with limited access, or homes where significant extras are being added will take longer. We’ll always give you a realistic timescale before work starts so you can plan around it.

You can usually stay in the property during a rewire, though you’ll be without power to certain rooms at various stages. We work room by room to minimise disruption and always make sure you have lighting and at least one working socket each evening.

Do You Actually Need a Full Rewire?

Not every property needs a complete rewire. Sometimes a partial rewire, upgrading certain circuits while leaving sound wiring in place, is the better option. Other times, all that’s needed is a new consumer unit and some additional circuits.

The only way to know for certain is to have a qualified electrician assess the installation. We carry out a visual inspection and, where needed, testing to establish the condition of the existing wiring. From there, we can recommend whether a full rewire, partial rewire, or targeted upgrades are the right approach.

Common signs that a rewire may be needed:

• Your property still has an old-style fusebox with rewirable fuses
• You can see fabric-covered or rubber-insulated cables
• Sockets or switches feel warm, crackle, or smell burnt
• Your electrics trip frequently for no obvious reason
• You’re buying an older property and the EICR has flagged issues
• The wiring hasn’t been touched in 25+ years

We’ve written a detailed guide on the warning signs that your house needs rewiring if you’d like to check these in more detail.

Why the Cheapest Quote Isn’t Always the Best

A rewire is a major investment in your home, and it’s tempting to go with the lowest price. But there are good reasons to look beyond the bottom line.

Certification matters — Any rewire must be carried out by a qualified electrician who is registered with a competent person scheme like NAPIT. This ensures the work is inspected, tested, and notified to Building Control. An unregistered electrician cannot legally self-certify the work, which means you’ll need to pay for separate Building Control inspection — and if the work isn’t up to standard, you’ll pay to have it put right.

Quality of materials — Not all cable, consumer units, and accessories are equal. We use branded components from reputable manufacturers because they last longer, perform better, and are backed by proper warranties.

Making good — A cheaper quote sometimes means the electrician will chase cables into walls but leave you with channels to fill and walls to repair. We include making good as standard because we believe you should be left with a home that’s ready to decorate, not a building site.

Insurance and guarantees — We carry full public liability insurance and our work is backed by a six-year NAPIT-backed insurance guarantee. If anything goes wrong, you’re covered — even if we’re no longer trading. Not every electrician offers this level of protection.

Getting a Rewire Quote from MP Electrical

We’ve rewired hundreds of properties across Rotherham and South Yorkshire — from Victorian terraces in Masbrough to 1960s semis in Wickersley and modern builds in Waverley. Every quote starts with a proper visit to assess your property, because accurate pricing requires seeing the job first-hand.

There’s no charge for the assessment and no obligation to proceed. We’ll explain what needs doing, why it needs doing, and give you a clear, written quote with no hidden extras.

NAPIT registered — all work certified and notified to Building Control
311+ five-star Google reviews — from real customers across South Yorkshire
Six-year insurance-backed guarantee — on all rewire work
Full public liability insurance