Electrical · House rewiring
House rewire in London, planned around the plastering.
A rewire is the electrics and everything the electrics disturb. Our registered electricians replace the wiring, fit a new consumer unit and certify the work, and our plasterers and decorators put the walls back, all on one fixed written quote with one point of contact.
What a house rewire
includes.
Every lighting, socket, cooker and shower circuit replaced with modern cable, run in safe zones and protected where it passes through joists and walls.
A modern consumer unit with RCD protection on every circuit and surge protection where the regulations call for it.
More sockets where you actually need them, USB outlets, outdoor sockets, downlights and lighting circuits planned around how you use each room.
Mains powered, interlinked smoke and heat detection installed as part of the rewire, which suits family homes and rental properties.
Every circuit tested and an Electrical Installation Certificate issued, with the work notified under Part P of the Building Regulations.
Chases filled, walls and ceilings replastered where needed, floorboards relaid and the house cleaned before decoration.
How a rewire
is run.
We inspect the existing installation, often with an EICR, and agree where sockets, switches and lights should go.
Electrical work, plastering, making good and decoration itemised in writing, with a programme.
Floorboards lifted, walls chased, new cables and back boxes installed while the walls are open.
Plastering done, then sockets, switches, lights and the consumer unit connected and tested.
Electrical Installation Certificate and Building Regulations compliance certificate handed to you.
Signs your London house needs rewiring.
Age alone does not decide whether a house needs a rewire. Modern PVC wiring can last for decades if it was installed well, while a house rewired in the 1970s and extended in pieces since may be in poor shape. What decides it is condition, and an electrical inspection will tell you. An Electrical Installation Condition Report, or EICR, tests each circuit and records anything dangerous or in need of improvement.
Old cables and fittings
Rubber insulated cable, lead sheathed cable, fabric covered flex, round pin sockets and switches mounted on wooden blocks all point to wiring that is well past its life. Rubber insulation becomes brittle and crumbles when it is disturbed, which is why even small alterations on old wiring can turn into bigger jobs. Lighting circuits with no earth conductor are also common in older houses and rule out metal light fittings.
An old fuse box
A fuse box with rewireable fuses, or a consumer unit with no RCD protection, does not protect people from electric shock the way a modern installation does. Sometimes a new consumer unit is enough. Often it shows up faults in the wiring that mean a rewire is the right answer. We test the circuits before quoting so you know which it is. Where a new board is all that is needed, see our consumer unit replacement page.
Warning signs
Scorch marks on sockets, warm switches, lights that flicker, frequent tripping, buzzing from sockets and a burning smell all need an electrician to look at the installation. Do not wait for the next inspection. If you have not had the installation inspected for ten years, or five years in a rental property, it is due.
After a survey or EICR
Many of our rewires start with a homebuyer's survey or a landlord's EICR that has flagged the wiring. We can price the work from the report and inspect to confirm.
A rewire is the one time it is easy to put sockets, switches and lights exactly where you want them. We walk through each room with you and plan for how you live now: sockets by the bed and the desk, outdoor power, lighting on separate circuits, data cabling for a home office and capacity for an EV charger or heat pump later. Lighting can be split into scenes, with dimmers and two way switching on stairs and landings, which is far easier to install now than later.
Full rewire or partial rewire, and living in the house.
A full rewire replaces every circuit and is the best time to rethink sockets and lighting. A partial rewire replaces specific circuits, for example the lighting, where the rest of the installation tests well. We tell you honestly which you need. A partial rewire is sometimes a sensible step when a full rewire would mean disturbing new decoration, but it is rarely cheaper in the long run if the rest of the wiring is the same age.
If you are planning a kitchen, bathroom or loft conversion, the best time to rewire is before any of it starts. New circuits and cables go in while walls and floors are open, the kitchen and bathroom get the dedicated supplies they need, and you avoid chasing into freshly plastered and decorated walls a year later. We often combine a rewire with a full refurbishment for this reason.
Staying at home during a rewire
It is possible to stay in an occupied house. We work room by room, keep at least some power and lighting on each evening, and cover furniture and floors. The work is quicker and cleaner in an empty house, so if you are between tenants or before moving in, that is the ideal time. A typical three bedroom house usually needs around one to two weeks of electrical work, followed by plastering and decoration.
Rewiring is messy. Cables have to be chased into walls and run under floors, and ceilings may need opening up for new lights. This is where many rewire quotes stop and the homeowner is left to find a plasterer. Our quote includes the plastering, refixing floorboards and cleaning, and decoration can be added, so the house is finished rather than just rewired.
Landlords must have the electrical installation inspected at least every five years. If an EICR comes back unsatisfactory and the wiring is beyond repair, a rewire between tenancies is usually the cleanest answer. We work with letting agents on access and keys, and issue the certificates needed for the file.
Whatever the property, the electrical work is carried out and certified by registered electricians, and our point of contact keeps you updated through each stage, from first fix to the final test results.
Questions we get
asked most.
Old rubber or lead sheathed cable, a fuse box with rewireable fuses, no RCD protection, scorch marks or frequent tripping are common signs. An EICR will confirm the condition.
Usually yes. We work in stages and restore power each evening. It is faster in an empty house.
Cables have to be chased into walls and run under floors, so some damage is unavoidable. Plastering and making good are included in our quote.
An Electrical Installation Certificate, and a Building Regulations compliance certificate because a rewire is notifiable under Part P.
Yes. Landlords often book a rewire between tenancies after an unsatisfactory EICR, and we coordinate with the agent.
Plastering and making good are included. Decoration can be added to the same quote.
Almost always. A rewire is the right time to fit a modern unit with full RCD protection.
Registered electricians carry out and certify all the electrical work.
All 32 London boroughs, with most of our work in west and south west London.
Tell us about the house
and we will inspect it.
A site visit, an honest view on full or partial rewiring and a fixed written quote including making good.
Often needed
alongside this.
Areas we cover.
We take house rewiring work across all 32 London boroughs. Most of our work is in west London, in Shepherd's Bush, Hammersmith, Fulham, Kensington, Chiswick and White City, and in south west London, in Putney, Wandsworth and Wimbledon. We also work in south east London, in Greenwich, Blackheath and Lewisham.
If your property is outside these areas, call us anyway. We travel across London and will tell you honestly if a job is too far to price properly.