How much does a house rewire cost?
What a UK house rewire actually costs in 2026, published averages by property size, and the six things that move the number up or down on your house.
How long does a rewire take?
Published UK figures put a three-bedroom house at six to ten days and a five-bedroom at ten to fifteen. Those are working days on site, and they assume a reasonably straightforward property.
The honest answer is that a rewire takes as long as the house makes it take. But the shape of the job is predictable, and knowing the stages helps you plan around it.
| Property | Typical duration |
|---|---|
| 1-bed flat | 4–7 days |
| 2-bed flat | 4–7 days |
| 3-bed house | 6–10 days |
| 4-bed house | 1–2 weeks |
| 5-bed house | 10–15 days |
Source: Checkatrade cost guide, retrieved September 2026. Working days on site, national averages. We give you a programme with dates after the survey. View the source.
What changes the answer
The things that actually matter.
01
First fix is the longest and messiest stage
Lifting floors, chasing walls, running cable to every point and getting the board position ready. This is where the dust is and where most of the days go. Nothing looks finished at the end of it, which people find harder than they expect.
02
Then plastering, if it is part of the job
If walls have been chased, someone has to make them good, and plaster has to dry before decorating. This is often the step that stretches a programme, and it is worth agreeing up front who is doing it.
03
Second fix is quick by comparison
Accessories on, fittings up, board connected. A day or two on most houses, and the point at which it suddenly looks like a finished job.
04
Testing and certification close it out
Every circuit tested, results recorded, and the Electrical Installation Certificate issued. We self-certify under our NAPIT registration, so notification to Building Control is handled by us and there is no waiting on a third party.
05
What actually makes it longer
Living in the house during the work. Solid floors and tiled rooms. A boarded loft. Listed building or conservation area constraints on how cables can be routed. And scope changes agreed halfway through, which are entirely reasonable but do not come for free in time.
Questions
Questions we get asked about this.
Will I have power during the rewire?
Yes, in stages. We work so that you have light and sockets somewhere usable at the end of each day. There will be days when parts of the house are dead, and we tell you which ones in advance.
Can you work around us living there?
Yes, and most of our rewires are done that way. It adds time compared with an empty house, and we build that into the programme rather than discovering it on day four.
Do you tidy up as you go?
Yes. Dust sheets down, mess cleared at the end of each day, and the house left as we found it at the end. It is the thing customers mention most often, which tells you how rare it apparently is.
What if you find something unexpected?
We tell you, in writing, with what it means for the price and the programme, before we do anything about it. No surprises at the end.
Related
Do I need a rewire?
How to tell whether your house needs rewiring or just a new consumer unit, what the age of your property tells you, and when to get it properly tested.
Want a real number for your house?
Published averages only get you so far. We survey the property, write the price down and leave it with you.