A full rewire is not a cosmetic upgrade. It is the electrical work that sits behind your walls, floors and fittings, protecting the people and equipment that rely on it every day. This rewiring cost guide gives London homeowners, landlords and property managers a practical view of what drives the price, what work should be included and where cutting corners can become expensive.
The right figure depends on the property, the existing installation and the level of finish you need. A clear survey and a detailed written quotation matter far more than a low headline price.
What does a house rewire typically cost?
For a standard London property, a full rewire commonly starts from around £3,500 for a small one-bedroom flat and can rise to £15,000 or more for a larger house, high-spec renovation or difficult-access property. Many two or three-bedroom homes fall somewhere in the £5,000 to £9,500 range, but these figures are planning estimates rather than fixed prices.
London labour costs, parking, access restrictions and the need to protect finished interiors can all affect the final total. A vacant property being renovated is usually quicker and less costly to rewire than an occupied home where engineers must work room by room, keep power available where possible and make good around daily life.
A good quote should separate the electrical installation cost from optional decorative making-good work. Electrical engineers can lift floorboards, chase walls and make areas safe, but plastering, painting, tiling and floor replacement may be priced separately unless expressly included.
The main factors that affect rewiring costs
Property size and circuit requirements
More rooms do not simply mean more cable. They usually mean more sockets, lighting points, switches, smoke alarms and dedicated circuits. Kitchens often need several separate circuits for an oven, hob, dishwasher, washing machine, fridge freezer and extractor. Larger homes may also require supplies for showers, outbuildings, pumps, air conditioning or an EV charger.
The consumer unit is central to the installation. A modern board with correctly selected protective devices, labelling and testing is not an optional extra. Its size and specification need to suit the circuits now and leave sensible capacity for future work.
Access and construction type
A rewire in an empty house with accessible floor voids is very different from work in a furnished period flat with solid walls, listed features or tenants in residence. Concrete floors, lath-and-plaster walls, restricted parking, difficult cable routes and occupied rooms all increase labour time.
In some properties, surface containment may be the sensible solution in utility rooms, basements, commercial spaces or areas where extensive chasing would cause unnecessary damage. It is not always the cheapest-looking option, but it can reduce disruption and protect original finishes.
The number and quality of accessories
Basic white plastic sockets and switches cost less than decorative metal accessories, smart controls or bespoke lighting plates. The same applies to downlights, external lighting, dimmers, USB sockets and extractor fans.
There is nothing wrong with choosing premium finishes, but they should be specified before the quote is agreed. Changing from a standard pendant light to multiple recessed LED fittings after work begins can alter both materials and labour.
Safety upgrades and compliance work
A full rewire may uncover other issues that need attention, such as inadequate earthing and bonding, damaged incoming tails, unsuitable meter positions or unsafe communal supplies. Smoke and heat alarms may also need to be upgraded as part of a refurbishment or landlord compliance plan.
These items should not be treated as surprises to ignore. A competent engineer will explain what is essential for safety, what is recommended and what can be planned as a separate phase.
What should a full rewire include?
A proper rewire normally involves removing or safely disconnecting old circuits, installing new cables, replacing the consumer unit where required, fitting agreed sockets and switches, and testing every completed circuit. It should also include electrical installation certification and the information you need to understand the new consumer unit.
Before work starts, confirm exactly how many points are included in each room. “Rewire a three-bedroom house” is too vague on its own. A useful specification identifies sockets, lighting points, smoke alarms, cooker circuits, extractor fans, external supplies and any special requirements such as data cabling or EV charging provision.
Ask whether the quotation includes the following:
- A site survey and circuit design appropriate to the property
- Consumer unit installation and required protective devices
- Earthing and bonding checks, with remedial work clearly identified
- Accessories, light fittings or temporary pendant holders as agreed
- Testing, certification and notification where applicable
- Waste removal, protection of work areas and the expected level of making good
This detail gives you a fair basis for comparing quotes. It also prevents a cheap quote becoming a sequence of extras once walls are open.
Partial rewire or full rewire?
A full rewire is not always necessary. If an installation has been extended over time but key circuits remain sound, a targeted upgrade may be appropriate. This could involve replacing a consumer unit, renewing a kitchen circuit, adding proper earthing or correcting faults found during inspection.
However, partial work needs careful design. Connecting new circuits to ageing cables, unsuitable accessories or an old earthing arrangement can create further problems rather than solve them. The decision should follow inspection and testing, not guesswork based on the property’s age alone.
An Electrical Installation Condition Report, often called an EICR, can identify defects and assess the condition of an existing installation. It is valuable evidence, particularly for landlords and buyers, but it is not a substitute for a scope of works. A report may show that remedial work is needed without automatically meaning the whole property must be rewired.
How to budget without being caught out
Start with a survey from a qualified electrical contractor. Explain how you use the property now and what you expect to add later. A family planning a loft conversion, induction hob or home office has different needs from a landlord refreshing a rental flat between tenancies.
Allow a contingency for hidden building issues, especially in older London homes. The aim is not to give a contractor an open-ended budget. It is to avoid leaving no room for genuine discoveries such as rotten floorboards, inaccessible routes or historic alterations that need to be made safe.
If your property is occupied, ask how the work will be phased. Engineers may need to isolate circuits for periods of the day, and some rooms may be temporarily unusable. Confirm whether you will need to move furniture, remove valuables, arrange alternative cooking facilities or stay elsewhere for part of the work. For landlords, agree access arrangements with tenants early and keep them informed about planned outages.
It is also worth checking whether VAT is included in every figure. A quotation that appears lower may not be comparable if it excludes VAT, testing, certification, parking, materials or making good.
Signs a rewire may be worth investigating
Frequent tripping, burning smells, warm sockets, damaged cables or electric shocks need urgent professional attention. Do not keep resetting a circuit breaker if it repeatedly trips. Isolate the affected circuit where possible and arrange fault finding.
Other signs are less dramatic but still relevant: a very old fuse box, limited sockets leading to overloaded extension leads, fabric-covered wiring, dated accessories, lights that flicker, or major renovation plans that will expose walls and floors anyway. Rewiring during a planned refurbishment is often more cost-effective than reopening finished surfaces later.
For landlords, electrical safety is both a legal and practical responsibility. A safe, well-documented installation reduces disruption, supports tenancy compliance and helps avoid emergency call-outs caused by avoidable defects.
Choosing the right electrical contractor
The cheapest price is rarely the best value if the scope is unclear or testing is treated as an afterthought. Choose a contractor who surveys the property, explains the proposed work in plain English and provides a written breakdown rather than a one-line estimate.
Ask who will carry out the work, how long it is expected to take, how your home will be protected and what certificates will be issued at completion. You should also be clear about aftercare if an issue appears once rooms have been redecorated.
FaultFree Engineering Group approaches rewiring as a safety-critical installation, not a quick cable replacement. Clear scopes, transparent pricing and properly tested work help homeowners and property managers make decisions with confidence.
A rewire should leave you with more than new sockets and a modern consumer unit. It should give you a safer property, capacity for the way you live or let it now, and a clear record of work completed properly.