Materials are a small slice of a rewire. What you are really paying for is the labour of getting cable through a building without wrecking it, and the making-good afterwards. Understanding that makes wildly different quotes much easier to interpret.
The main variables
Property size and circuit count set the baseline. After that, everything is about how hard the building makes the work.
- Solid walls versus stud walls and accessible voids
- Suspended timber floors versus concrete slabs
- Whether the property is occupied during the work
- Number of new accessory positions requested, not just replacements
- Making good: plastering, decorating and flooring reinstatement
Full versus partial
Not every property needs everything replaced. Where testing shows the lighting circuits are sound but the sockets are original, a partial rewire is legitimate and considerably cheaper. We would rather quote what the readings justify than sell a full rewire by default.
Sequencing with other trades
First fix before plastering, second fix after decoration — a rewire only runs smoothly when it is scheduled around the other trades. If you are renovating, tell us the programme early and we will fit into it rather than dictating it.
Common questions
- Can we stay in the house?
- Often yes, working room by room, though it extends the programme and the cost.
- Is making good included?
- We make good chases to a plasterable finish. Final plastering and decorating is usually a separate trade — we say so up front.
- How long does a rewire take?
- See our dedicated guide on rewire timescales; a typical three-bedroom house is measured in days, not weeks, per fix stage.
- Do I get certification?
- Yes — a full Electrical Installation Certificate with all test schedules, plus notification of the work.
Tell us the property age, bedroom count and whether it will be occupied — that is enough for an initial conversation.
Related guides
- How Long a Rewire Actually TakesThe electrical work is only part of the calendar — plaster drying is often the longest single item.
- Rewiring Period and Character PropertiesIn a period property the wiring is the easy part; getting to it without damage is the job.
- Rewiring During a Renovation, How to Sequence ItA renovation is the cheapest time a house will ever be rewired.