How to Price a Full House Rewire: Labour Days, Cable Quantities and Margin Guide

Quick Answer: A full rewire of a UK domestic property in 2026 prices £3,500–£5,500 for a 2-bed flat, £4,500–£7,500 for a 3-bed semi, £6,500–£11,500 for a 4-bed detached, and £9,500–£16,000+ for a 5-bed or period property. Pricing is driven by circuit count (typically 8–14 in a 3-bed semi), cable quantity (350–700m T&E for a 3-bed), and labour days (8–18 days for a two-person team). All work must comply with BS 7671:2018+A2:2022 and is notifiable under Building Regulations Part P — issued via a Competent Person Scheme registration (NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA, STROMA).

Summary

A rewire is the largest single electrical job a tradesperson typically prices, and the easiest one to under-price. The headline cable cost is small — £400–£800 in T&E for a 3-bed — but labour, certification, plaster make-good, and Part P notification can swallow the entire margin if not priced separately. The most accurate pricing model treats a rewire as four parallel work streams: first fix (chasing, cable pulls, back boxes), second fix (accessories, consumer unit, controls), test and certification, and make-good. Each stream has its own day-rate cost.

The Amendment 2 update to BS 7671 (effective from 28 September 2022) brought two significant cost-driving changes: AFDDs (Arc Fault Detection Devices) are now recommended on socket circuits in HMOs and care homes, and surge protection (SPD Type 2) is mandatory on most domestic installations. For a full rewire, Amendment 2 compliance adds £150–£400 in protective device cost over a pre-2022 spec. Quotes that don't show this are either non-compliant or absorbing the cost in margin.

The make-good is where rewire quotes go wrong most often. Surface chasing in plastered walls is dust, mess, and 2–4 days of plastering at £180–£260 per day for a 3-bed semi. Some installations now use surface trunking (mini-trunking, oval conduit) on visible runs to skip the plastering — saving 3–5 days of programme but visible to the customer. The trade-off has to be agreed at quote stage, not after the dust starts.

Key Facts

Quick Reference Table

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Property type Circuits Labour days (2-person) Cable cost Total fitted 2026
1-bed flat 6–8 4–6 £200–£350 £2,800–£4,200
2-bed flat / terrace 8–10 5–8 £300–£500 £3,500–£5,500
3-bed semi 10–14 7–12 £450–£750 £4,500–£7,500
3-bed detached 12–16 8–14 £600–£900 £5,500–£9,500
4-bed detached 14–18 10–16 £800–£1,200 £6,500–£11,500
5-bed / period property 16–24 14–25 £1,100–£1,800 £9,500–£16,000+
Listed building (heritage rewire) varies 18–35 £1,400–£2,500 £14,000–£28,000
House + outbuilding (garage SWA sub-main) +2–3 +2–3 +£200–£400 +£900–£1,800
HMO (with AFDDs throughout) 14–22 12–20 £700–£1,300 £8,500–£14,500

Detailed Guidance

Costing the labour first, materials second

The single biggest mistake in rewire pricing is starting from a cable take-off and adding labour as a percentage. For most rewires, labour is 60–75% of the total. Build the labour estimate from circuit count and access difficulty, then add materials.

A typical labour estimate for a 3-bed semi:

Total: roughly 9–15 person-days, which is 5–8 calendar days for a two-person team plus the plasterer in parallel.

Cable quantities — how to estimate from floorplan

Cable take-offs are best done from a floorplan rather than walking around. Rule-of-thumb run lengths per circuit:

For a 3-bed semi, typical totals: 350–500m of mixed T&E. Add 10–15% waste for offcuts and re-pulls. Trade prices fluctuate with copper — at 2026 spot rates, T&E pricing has risen 15–25% over 2023 levels.

Brown / grey conduit and chasing allowance

Cables in plastered walls must be installed in safe zones (BS 7671 Section 522.6) or covered by 50mm of plaster, conduit, or RCD-protected at 30mA. Most domestic rewires use a combination:

Allow £80–£200 per house in capping and conduit materials. The labour to chase is included in the first-fix day rate — but heavily plastered walls (Tyrolean, pebble dash, embossed wall coverings) can double the chase time. Site survey before quote is essential.

Consumer unit and 18th Edition Amendment 2 spec

A current-spec consumer unit for a domestic rewire in 2026:

A typical 3-bed semi CU spec:

Component Spec Trade buy 2026
Metal CU enclosure (18-way) BS EN 61439-3 £80–£140
Main switch 100A or RCBO incomer BS EN 60898 included
RCBO (Type A or AC) per circuit BS EN 61009 £18–£32 each
Type 2 SPD BS EN 61643-11 £80–£180
Henley block (incomer tails replacement) £15–£40
Tails 25mm² double-insulated £8–£12/m
Earth conductor 16mm² £4–£6/m
Total CU package, 12-circuit board £420–£780

Building Regulations Part P and the Competent Person Scheme

A full rewire is notifiable under Building Regulations Part P (England and Wales — Scotland and Northern Ireland have parallel arrangements). Two routes:

  1. Competent Person Scheme (NICEIC, NAPIT, ELECSA, STROMA) — registered electrician self-certifies, notifies the local authority via the scheme's portal, and the scheme issues the Building Regs Compliance Certificate. No separate Building Control fee.
  2. Local Authority Building Control (LABC) — non-scheme electricians submit a Building Notice and pay the council fee (£200–£550 typically), which includes inspection by a third-party electrical engineer.

For a paying customer, route 1 is faster and cheaper. The scheme membership fee is part of the electrician's overheads — not a per-job cost. A non-scheme electrician adding a £400 LABC fee to their quote is competitive with a scheme electrician charging £400 more in margin to cover scheme fees.

Certification deliverables on completion of a rewire:

Surface chase + plaster make-good vs surface trunking

Two construction philosophies:

Chase and plaster — traditional approach. Cables chased into plaster, plastered over by a plasterer. Invisible final finish. 2–5 days of plastering after first fix. Dust and mess across the whole house. Customer paints the walls afterwards (or the rewire price includes redecoration).

Surface trunking — cables run in mini-trunking, oval conduit, or skirting trunking on the wall surface. No plastering. Visible but tidy. Common in tenanted properties, commercial conversions, and where customers can't tolerate plaster dust. Material cost £80–£180 higher; labour 3–5 days lower.

Many rewires combine both — chase in main living rooms (invisible), surface trunking in cellars, garages, and lofts (faster).

Day rates: electrician vs mate

A two-person team is standard for rewire first-fix. Productive split:

A two-person rewire team delivers roughly 1.5× the output of a single electrician — chasing and pulling cable is faster with a mate. For a 3-bed semi, two people for 6 days versus one person for 10 days: similar total cost (£3,800 vs £3,200 in pure labour), but 4 days less programme.

EICR pre-rewire

For older properties (pre-1980s), a pre-rewire EICR is recommended. It catches failures that justify the rewire (rubber/fabric cable, no earth, undersized tails) and provides documentary evidence for insurance and conveyancing. Cost £180–£280.

For properties under 30 years old where the rewire is cosmetic-driven (extension, kitchen renovation), an EICR is overkill — the existing installation is usually compliant.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to rewire a 3-bedroom house in the UK 2026?

£4,500–£7,500 fitted for a typical 3-bed semi, including the consumer unit, all sockets and switches, lighting points, smoke alarms, and certification. Period properties or 3-bed detached homes with awkward access run £5,500–£9,500. Add £400–£800 for redecoration if you want full make-good rather than just plaster.

How long does a house rewire take?

7–12 working days for a 3-bed semi with a two-person team. Programme breaks down: 4–6 days first fix (chasing, cable pulls), 2–4 days plastering in parallel or after, 2–3 days second fix and CU installation, 1 day testing and certification.

Do I have to move out for a rewire?

Most homeowners stay in the house but expect significant disruption. Power is lost circuit-by-circuit during second fix (1–3 hours per circuit). Plaster dust gets everywhere. Many people move out for the first fix week, then return. Rewires of empty properties (between tenants, before moving in) are easier and 1–2 days faster.

What's the difference between a rewire and a partial rewire?

A full rewire replaces every cable in the house. A partial rewire replaces specific circuits (e.g. just the upstairs ring final, just the lighting, just the kitchen). Partial rewires cost £1,200–£3,500 typically — but the existing installation must be tested afterwards and any unsafe work brought up to current standards. Often, a partial rewire turns into a full rewire once existing problems are exposed.

Will the electrician fix all the holes in the plaster afterwards?

Depends on the quote. Some rewires include first-fix chase plus a plaster make-good (the holes filled, not finished). Others include full skim plaster and ready-for-decoration. Always check what level of make-good is included. "Make good as found" usually means filled and rough-skimmed; "ready for decoration" means a flat, paintable surface.

Regulations & Standards