A standard 3-bed rewire in South Wales is around £6,500 including VAT, and about £8,500 with all the bits — spot lights throughout, an electric shower, cables chased into the walls and designer sockets. A partial rewire usually falls between £2,500 and £4,500. The exact figure depends on the size of the property, how easy the cables are to run, and the spec you choose. Below is the honest range by property size, what moves the price up or down, and how Renovolt quotes it so you get a real number in writing rather than a guess over the phone.
Want a figure for your place? The rewire cost calculator asks six quick questions — full house or just the kitchen, spots or centre lights, electric or combi shower, chased in or trunking — and gives you a range in under a minute.
House rewire cost by property size
| Property | Full rewire: standard to all the bits | Partial rewire |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2-bed flat or terrace | £6,500 to £8,200 | £2,000 to £4,000 |
| 3-bed semi or terrace (most common) | £6,500 to £8,500 | £2,500 to £4,500 |
| 4-bed | £7,100 to £9,500 | £3,000 to £5,500 |
| 5-bed and larger | from £7,700 | — |
| Fuse board (consumer unit) only | from £700 + VAT fitted | — |
How the full-rewire price works: a standard 3-bed is £6,500, and each extra bedroom adds £600. £6,500 is also the minimum for any full rewire, so a smaller home is still £6,500. “Standard” means a new fuse board, centre lights, white sockets, surface trunking, testing and a certificate. Upgrades add to it: an electric shower circuit is £400, and spot lights, cables chased into the walls and designer sockets all cost more.
All figures include VAT and are a guide, not a quote. Access, plaster, floorboards and what is already in the walls all move the number, which is why a site visit is strongly recommended before anyone commits to a price.
These are realistic South Wales ranges, not a headline “from” price designed to get a foot in the door. Your figure lands where it lands based on the property, and you get it in writing before anything starts.
What actually drives the price of a rewire?
When you ask “how much to rewire my house,” the real answer depends on a handful of things an electrician has to see in person:
- Size and layout. More rooms, more floors and longer cable runs mean more labour and materials. A 3-bed semi and a large detached are very different jobs.
- Access to run cables. A property mid-renovation with floors up and walls open is far quicker to rewire than an occupied home where every cable has to be threaded carefully to keep the disruption and making-good down. This alone can move a 3-bed job by £1,000 or more.
- How much you are adding. A like-for-like rewire is one thing. Adding extra sockets, new lighting circuits, outdoor power or a media wall all adds to the scope.
- The fuse board and supply. A rewire normally includes a new consumer unit, and occasionally the supply or earthing needs attention too.
- Making good. Replastering, redecorating and tidying up after the cables are run is part of doing the job properly rather than leaving you with a mess.
Because all of that varies, a trustworthy quote comes after seeing the property, not off the top of someone’s head over the phone.
What is the difference between a full and a partial rewire?
A full rewire replaces all the fixed wiring in the property, every circuit, the consumer unit, and usually all the accessories, sockets, switches and light fittings. It is the right call for older homes with ageing or unsafe wiring, or where an EICR has flagged the installation as no longer fit.
A partial rewire replaces only part of the installation, for example one floor, the kitchen and bathroom circuits, or specific circuits flagged on a report. It costs less because there is less to do, and it is the right answer when the rest of the wiring is sound. The key is being honest about which you actually need. A good electrician will not sell you a full rewire when a partial one solves the problem, and will not patch up a partial job when the whole installation is past it.
How long does it take to rewire a 3-bed house?
Usually five to ten working days for a standard 3-bed, depending on whether the property is occupied and how much making-good is needed. An empty house with floors up is at the quicker end. A lived-in family home, worked room by room to keep you in it, sits at the longer end.
A full rewire is the most disruptive electrical job there is, because cables run through walls, floors and ceilings throughout the house. The way Renovolt approaches it keeps the disruption sensible: dust sheets down, daily updates so you always know what is happening, walls made good afterwards, and full certification on completion.
How do I know if I even need a rewire?
Some signs point towards it, though only an inspection confirms it:
- Old rubber, fabric or lead-sheathed cabling, which dates from before modern PVC wiring.
- An old fuse board with rewireable fuses and no RCD protection.
- Sockets that are sparse, cracked, or warm to the touch.
- An EICR that comes back unsatisfactory with widespread C2 faults.
- A property that has not been touched electrically in 40 or more years.
If you are seeing these, the sensible first step is often an EICR or a survey, which tells you whether you need a full rewire, a partial one, or simply a new fuse board and a few remedials. That can save you thousands compared with assuming the worst.
How does Renovolt quote a rewire?
With a survey and a written quote within 24 hours. Aled comes out, looks at the property, talks through what you want, and gives you a clear scope and price in writing, the same person who will then do the work and sign the certificate. There is no call centre estimate and no vague “it’ll be around X” that creeps up later. You can read more on the rewires page.