House rewiring explained properly
There is no honest single figure that applies to every home. The cost depends on the building, the existing wiring, the electrical layout you need and how much work is involved in installing and finishing it properly.
The straight answer
Two homes with the same number of bedrooms can require completely different amounts of electrical work.
One three-bedroom property might be compact, empty and easy to access. Another might have extensions, fitted flooring, difficult cable routes, several alterations and far more sockets and lighting points. They are not the same electrical job.
The amount of wiring depends partly on how you want the finished home to work. Socket positions, lighting points, kitchen supplies, smoke detection and dedicated circuits all need to be considered before an accurate quotation can be produced.
New cables have to travel through the building. Floor construction, existing carpets, fitted flooring, ceilings, walls, furniture and previous alterations can all affect how straightforward those routes are to create.
A quotation should make clear whether related work such as the consumer unit, testing, certification, accessories and making good are included. Comparing only the headline figure can therefore be misleading.
That is why MPS works from the actual job rather than publishing a generic figure that may bear little resemblance to the work required.
What changes the cost?
These are the practical parts of the job that determine how much electrical installation, material, access and finishing work is required.
More rooms usually mean longer cable routes and more electrical points. Extensions, loft conversions, multiple floors and unusual layouts can add further complexity.
The number and position of electrical points directly affects the installation. A home with generous socket provision and more lighting requires more work than a basic layout.
Electricians need routes through floors, walls and ceilings. The construction of the house and how easily those areas can be accessed can make a significant difference.
Existing wiring, earthing, bonding, the consumer unit and previous alterations all need to be considered when deciding exactly what should be replaced.
Concealing new wiring can involve cutting cable routes into plastered walls. It is important to know whether making those areas good forms part of the finished job.
Extra sockets, external power, EV charging, data cabling, alarms or other dedicated supplies may be sensible to consider while access is already being created.
Behind the finished socket
The visible switch or socket is only the end point. Behind it are new cable routes, connections, circuits and protective equipment that need to be planned around the structure of the house.
This is why the condition and construction of the property matters. A quotation needs to account for the work required behind the finished surface, not simply the number of rooms.
Using genuine MPS project photographs also lets you see the sort of installation work that an actual domestic rewire involves.
Does house size matter?
Larger houses generally involve more electrical work, which is why property size remains useful when discussing a rewire.
What it cannot do is tell you the final cost without understanding the actual building and specification.
Discuss Your PropertyA smaller floor area can mean fewer electrical points, but access through solid floors, shared structures or unusual construction may make cable routing less straightforward.
Often a relatively compact installation, although the condition of the existing wiring, flooring, furnishings and required electrical specification still matter.
More bedrooms and living space generally create more socket, lighting and cable requirements. Extensions and previous alterations can also make similar-looking houses very different jobs.
Additional rooms and floor area generally increase the amount of electrical work. Layout becomes increasingly important as the property gets larger.
Large detached, extended and period homes are best considered individually. Multiple floors, outbuildings and more involved electrical requirements can significantly alter the scope.
Comparing quotations
A lower quotation is not necessarily better value if another electrician has included substantially more of the finished job. Make sure you know exactly what each quotation covers.
You should know what circuits, rooms and electrical points form part of the quoted work.
Check whether the quotation includes the equipment needed for the new installation.
Ask what sockets, switches and electrical accessories are included rather than assuming every quotation uses the same specification.
Find out whether making good is included or whether you will need to arrange another contractor afterwards.
A completed rewire should finish as a properly inspected, tested and certificated electrical installation.
If you change the specification, those additions should be identifiable rather than disappearing into an unclear final bill.
Full or partial?
The correct scope should depend on the condition of the installation, what testing reveals and what work is actually required.
A complete rewire replaces existing circuits throughout the property and creates a new electrical installation around the requirements of the home.
Sometimes only defined areas or circuits require replacement. Electrical work that is suitable to remain does not necessarily need to be removed simply because other parts require attention.
An Electrical Installation Condition Report identifies defects and their severity. The correct response may be targeted remedial work, partial rewiring or a full rewire depending on what is found.
What actually happens?
It is significant electrical work and there will usually be disruption. Understanding the stages makes it easier to see why a good rewire needs careful planning before anybody starts opening floors or walls.
Decide where sockets, switches, lighting and dedicated supplies are required before the new cable routes are installed.
Floors, ceilings and walls are accessed where necessary so new wiring can reach the required electrical points.
Cabling, circuits, accessories and the relevant distribution equipment are installed as part of the new electrical system.
The installation is tested and the areas opened for cable routes can then be repaired and prepared for subsequent decorating.
MPS electrical work
Genuine project imagery gives a much better idea of the work involved than generic pictures of electricians holding screwdrivers.
The MPS approach
Rewiring is a substantial project, so it makes sense to establish the electrical specification and what is included before the main work starts.
MPS uses a fixed-price approach for the agreed rewire package. If additional work is requested beyond that agreed specification, it can be identified separately.
Ask for a Rewire QuoteBuying a house?
If you are considering buying an older or altered property, electrical condition is worth investigating before assuming everything behind the walls is satisfactory.
An electrical inspection can provide useful information about the condition of the installation and highlight areas that require further attention.
If significant electrical work is identified before completion, you can factor that information into your plans rather than finding out only after moving in.
Think beyond first fix
A rewire is an opportunity to think about where power and lighting should actually be rather than simply recreating an old electrical layout.
Consider how rooms are used, where furniture will sit, how the kitchen is arranged and whether future electrical requirements can sensibly be accommodated while the property is already being worked on.
Good planning at the beginning can avoid adding surface cables and extension leads to a freshly finished room later.
Independent feedback
A house rewire involves trusting a contractor throughout your property. Independent customer feedback is therefore useful when deciding who should carry out the work.
Recent customer feedback displayed through FreeIndex.
Common questions
Straight answers to some of the questions homeowners ask when researching the cost and practicalities of rewiring a property.
There is no single figure that accurately applies to every property. The cost depends on the size and layout of the house, the amount of electrical work required, access for cable routes, the existing installation, the number of sockets and lighting points, making good and any additional work requested. The most useful figure is therefore a quotation based on the actual property and specification.
Bedroom count does not show how easy a house is to work in or how much electrical equipment is required. Extensions, flooring, previous alterations, construction type, socket quantities, lighting and the condition of existing wiring can all make one property more involved than another.
No. The age of the building alone does not determine the condition of its electrical installation. Previous rewiring or upgrades may have taken place. Inspection and testing is the appropriate way to assess what work is actually required.
Older fuse equipment, visibly deteriorated wiring, damaged electrical accessories, recurring tripping, signs of overheating or a mixture of alterations from different periods can all be reasons to arrange professional inspection and testing.
Not automatically. An unsatisfactory EICR identifies defects that require attention. Depending on what is found, the appropriate solution might be individual remedial work, a partial rewire or complete replacement of the installation.
Where new cables need to be concealed, routes often have to be created through walls, floors or ceilings. This is one reason rewiring is disruptive work. MPS has plastering support for making good wall and ceiling chases associated with its rewiring work.
It is worth considering the electrical layout carefully while access is already being created. Think about furniture positions, televisions, desks, kitchen equipment and areas where extension leads are currently relied upon. The aim is to design a practical installation rather than simply copy an outdated layout.
No. The right approach depends on the condition of the existing installation. If suitable circuits can remain safely in service, replacing them simply for the sake of it may not be necessary. Inspection and testing should guide the scope of work.
Compare the specification rather than only the final figure. Look at the number of electrical points, consumer unit requirements, accessories, testing and certification, chasing and making good, and how additional work will be dealt with.
Contact MPS Electrical and explain the property and work you are considering. The requirements can then be discussed so that a quotation is based on the agreed job rather than an arbitrary online estimate.
Want the figure that actually applies to your home?
Discuss the property, establish what electrical work is required and get a quotation based on the actual job rather than a generic online figure.