A full rewire is one of the biggest electrical jobs you can have done to a house, and prices vary widely depending on size, access and finish. This guide sets out realistic UK figures for 2026, what pushes the price up or down, and what you should expect from a properly certified job.
As a broad guide, a full rewire in the UK currently costs somewhere between £3,500 and £10,000 or more, with most family homes landing in the middle of that range. In Birmingham and the wider West Midlands, prices tend to sit a little below London rates but above some rural areas, mainly because of labour costs and demand.
These figures assume the property is occupied and furnished, includes a new consumer unit, new cabling throughout, standard white fittings and full certification. They are ranges, not quotes, because no two houses are wired or built the same way.
The single biggest factor is access. An empty house with bare floorboards is far quicker to rewire than an occupied home with laminate flooring, fitted wardrobes and finished ceilings. Chasing cables into solid brick walls, which are common in Birmingham's Victorian and Edwardian terraces, takes longer than running them through modern stud walls.
Specification matters too. Extra sockets, downlights, outdoor power, electric vehicle charger provision, smart heating wiring and brushed metal finishes all add cost. So does making good afterwards: most electricians will fill chases with bonding plaster but leave final skimming and decorating to a plasterer, so budget separately for that.
Age is the first clue. If your wiring dates from before the 1970s and has never been replaced, it is worth having it inspected. Warning signs include a fuse box with rewirable fuses rather than circuit breakers, no RCD protection, rubber or fabric insulated cables, round pin sockets, or sockets mounted on skirting boards.
The sensible first step is an Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR), which typically costs £150 to £300 for a house. It grades any defects and tells you whether you genuinely need a full rewire or whether targeted work, such as a new consumer unit or replacing one or two circuits, would bring the installation up to a safe standard. A partial approach can save thousands where the existing cabling is sound.
A full rewire on a three-bed house usually takes five to ten working days, split into first fix (running cables and fitting back boxes) and second fix (fitting faces, lights and the consumer unit, then testing). Living in the house during the work is possible but disruptive; power is off in stages and floors come up room by room, so many people time a rewire to coincide with a renovation or before moving in.
To compare quotes fairly, ask each electrician for a written breakdown covering the number of sockets and lights, the consumer unit specification, whether making good is included, and confirmation the work will be certified and notified under Part P of the Building Regulations. In England that means using an electrician registered with a scheme such as NICEIC or NAPIT, so you receive an Electrical Installation Certificate and Building Regulations compliance certificate on completion. The cheapest quote is rarely the best value if it excludes plastering or testing, so check like for like before deciding.
Yes, but expect real disruption: staged power cuts, lifted floorboards and dust for a week or more. Many homeowners move out for the first fix stage if they can, or have the work done before moving in.
Almost always. A modern consumer unit with RCD protection is fitted as part of the job, and the whole installation is tested and certified before handover. Confirm it is itemised in your quote.
It rarely adds its full cost to the sale price, but old wiring flagged on a survey can put buyers off or trigger price reductions. New wiring with certificates removes that obstacle and reduces fire risk, which is the real return.