Does my house need rewiring?
Rewiring a house involves several important considerations including cost, how long it will take and how the work will affect your day-to-day life whilst the project is ongoing.
To provide clarity on what is involved during the rewiring of a home, we’ve prepared a comprehensive guide to help answer any questions you may have before proceeding with altering your wiring system.
What needs rewiring in a house?
The main reason for rewiring a house is due to outdated or faulty wiring. Faulty wiring can be very dangerous, causing approximately 12,500 fires and 750 serious accidents in the home each year.
It is therefore essential that, if you spot a common fault, you get it tested and rewired by a qualified electrician. Some of the most common faults for you to check to decide if your house needs rewiring are:
– A consumer unit with wooden backing, cast iron switches, a black electricity cable or lack of labelling. This is evidence that your equipment consumer unit is out of date and you should have it replaced.
– Having less than two plug sockets in each room, broken or cracked sockets or rounded entries as opposed to 3-pin varieties. Hot plugs should be inspected immediately.
– Flickering lights or lights which require frequent light bulb changes are another sign that your wiring may need to be changed. Modern bulbs typically last from months to years; LED lights can last for up to 50,000 hours
– Rounded light switches are an indication of pre-1960s lighting and should be rewired with modern switches.
If you’re going to have repairs made to your electrical systems at home, make sure that all of the wiring in your fuse box is also checked. If it’s outdated, it is slightly out of date, it’s advisable to have it all rewired at once to ensure a safer home environment.
How much does it cost to rewire a house?
The cost of rewiring a house depends on several factors, including whether the house is occupied or vacant, the number of bedrooms, the overall size of the property, the age, where you live in the country and the contractor hired.
The average cost to rewire a 3-bedroom semi-detached house is around £3,200 and can typically take up to 10 days to complete. Generally, prices can typically vary by £1,000 per bedroom.
As always, prices may vary depending on your regional location. The duration of the project by its scope and complexity. So the bigger the job, the longer it’ll take to complete.
Included in the price of your house rewire, you can expect the removal of old fittings and wiring and a new metal clad consumer unit installed. To comply with current regulations, all new installations mandate the use of metal consumer units, due to increased fire safety measures.
How long does it take to rewire a house?
The time required to rewire a house can vary based on the size of the property, its current wiring condition, and the complexity of the installation. Generally, rewiring a standard-sized home can take anywhere from several days to a few weeks. Factors such as accessibility of wiring, any necessary wall repairs, and the number of electricians working on the project can also impact the timeline.
If you’re interested in becoming an electrician or saving on costs when rewiring your home, take our wiring regulations course to gain essential knowledge and certification in compliance with current electrical standards.
Finding the right person for the job
It is essential to hire a fully qualified electrician to rewire your house. Electricians in England and Wales are legally obligated to comply with the Part P building regulations. To ensure you’re safeguarding yourself against potential risks, you need to know what to look for when hiring an electrician. Some key tips include:
– Verify their qualifications before hiring and make sure they are under a competent person with a provider such as NICEIC or NAPIT.
– Have the electrician show you their public liability insurance and a warranty policy to ensure coverage in case of unforeseen issues during the job.
– Once the work is complete, ensure they give you a certificate from Building Control confirming that what they have done is in line with 18th Edition Wiring Regulations. If you’re an electrician, ensure you have taken the 18th Edition Wiring Regulations qualification.
Want to rewire your home yourself?
We offer courses for anyone considering becoming a domestic installer quickly at an affordable price. After completing the course, if you’re only completing a house rewire, you can streamline the process by applying to your local Building Authority. After completing the work, a registered electrician will inspect and certify its compliance with regulations. Alternatively, you can complete our Level 3 NVQ 2357 Package, after which you can join a Government approved Part P scheme (depending on your experience), which will allow you to sign off your house rewire and other notifiable work.
Our intensive electrician courses are designed for individuals from all backgrounds, , from complete beginners to those transitioning from related trades. Take a look at our Domestic Electrician Course today to start learning how to become an Electrician!
Take a look at our History of Wiring Colours to find out what warning signs you should look out for in your home!