House Rewire London Cost & Timeline 2026 — Real-World Pricing

1-bed flat (40-55m²): £4,500-6,200. 5-7 working days.

2-bed flat (60-75m²): £5,800-7,500. 6-9 working days.

3-bed house (90-110m²): £7,200-9,800. 8-12 working days.

4-bed house (120-150m²): £9,500-13,500. 12-15 working days.

5-bed house (150m²+): £13,000-18,000+. 14-20 working days.

Prices include first-fix, second-fix, fuse board upgrade (Hager or equivalent), certification (EIC + EICR), and waste removal. Exclude making good (plastering, decorating) unless specified.

Solid-floor properties (concrete sub-floor) — cable routing is harder, chasing into walls is more often required. Adds £600-1,200.

Listed building or conservation area — cable runs need to be hidden in conservation-compatible routes; surface conduit is usually rejected. Adds £800-2,500.

Three-phase supply for EV + heat pump — three-phase rewire and DNO upgrade adds £1,500-3,500 over single-phase pricing.

Lath-and-plaster Victorian walls — every cable run risks damaging the lath. Specialist 12mm round-head drill bits help but slow the engineer. Adds £400-900.

Phase 1 — strip-out (day 1-2). All existing wiring removed, walls chased for new cable runs, floors lifted at strategic points. The property is uninhabitable from this point.

Phase 2 — first fix (day 3-7). New cable pulled to every socket, switch and fitting location. Back boxes and conduit installed. Walls re-plastered to a 'paintable' standard if part of the contract.

Phase 3 — second fix (day 8-12). Sockets, switches, light fittings, and consumer unit installed and terminated. Power energised for testing.

Phase 4 — testing and certification (day 13-14). Full BS 7671 testing on every circuit, EIC issued for the new installation, EICR follow-up at 12 months (or sooner if landlord regulations apply).

Phase 1 — no. Power is fully down, walls are open.

Phase 2 — uncomfortable but possible if the work is being done one floor at a time and you can sleep on the other floor. Most homeowners go to family/Airbnb.

Phase 3 — possible with disruption. Power may be on in 'finished' rooms while other rooms are still being terminated. Most people stay for this phase.

Phase 4 — possible. Testing involves brief power-cycling.

Practical advice: budget for 5-10 days of alternative accommodation. London Airbnb £80-150/night for a 1-bed adds £400-1,500 to total cost.

Save: choose Lewden over Hager for fuse board if budget is tight. Saves £100-150 with no functional difference for domestic.

Save: keep existing light positions where possible. Every relocated fitting adds 30-45 minutes.

Don't save: skipping AFDDs in HMOs (mandatory from October 2026 under A4:2026), skipping SPD on the intake, or skipping CAT6 data cabling if you'll work from home.

Don't save: refusing the DNO supply upgrade if the property is hitting capacity. A 60A single-phase supply with EV + heat pump + induction hob will trip the cut-out under load.

If your installation is pre-1970s with rubber-insulated cabling — rewire now. Insurance risk and EICR fail risk are high.

If it's 1970s-1990s with PVC cabling but plastic consumer unit — fuse board upgrade now (£700-1,200), full rewire in 5-10 years.

If it's post-2008 with metal-clad RCBO board — no rewire needed. Focus on Type A RCBO upgrades and SPD addition over the next 3 years.

Landlord MEES context: full rewire is rarely the cheapest path to MEES band C by 1 October 2030. Focus EPC budget on insulation, heat pump, and solar — leave rewires to genuine electrical need.