How to Quote an Electrical Rewiring Job

A full rewire is one of the most complex and highest-value jobs an electrician quotes. Getting it right means visiting the property, understanding the scope in detail, and writing a quote that is clear enough to prevent disputes mid-job. This guide walks through how to quote an electrical rewire - including pricing by house size, what to include and exclude, VAT, and the testing and certification costs that get left out.

Always visit before quoting a rewire

Never quote a full rewire without a site visit. The variables that affect price - number of circuits, consumer unit location, buried vs surface wiring, floor type, ceiling type, extension or garage to include - cannot be assessed remotely. A site visit also gives you the opportunity to identify any existing installation issues that could affect the job.

On the site visit, note:

• Number of floors
• Floor type: suspended timber (easier cable routing) or solid concrete (harder)
• Ceiling type: plasterboard (can be cut and patched) or solid plaster (more disruptive)
• Extension or outbuilding to be included
• Location of consumer unit and whether it needs moving
• Number of circuits required
• Number of sockets, lights, and FCUs per room (confirm with customer)
• EV charger, electric shower, or other high-load circuits needed
• Whether the customer is having any rooms decorated after the rewire (if so, second-fix timing can be deferred)

Pricing by house size

The following are indicative price ranges for a full rewire in Ireland and the UK. They are example figures to sanity-check your own price, not market data - actual prices depend on the specific property, circuit count, and what fixtures are included.

These are illustrative ranges only. Always produce your own quote based on the specific job.

What to include in the quote

A rewire quote should list exactly what is covered. Standard inclusions:

• New consumer unit (specify make, number of ways, RCBOs or RCDs)
• All new cables throughout (specify core and sheath cable to current BS 7671 standard)
• All socket outlets (specify number per room, e.g., double, single, USB)
• All lighting points (specify number and type - pendant, downlight, external)
• All light switches
• Dedicated circuits: cooker, electric shower, dishwasher, EV charger (specify each)
• Smoke and heat detectors (specify to BS 5839-6 grade)
• Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) and scheme notification (UK), or a Completion Certificate (Ireland)
• Testing and inspection on completion

What to exclude from the quote

Being explicit about exclusions is as important as the inclusion list. Standard exclusions for a rewire:

• Making good after rewire (plaster patching, redecoration) - by others
• Furniture moving (customer to clear rooms before work)
• Network/data cabling (if not in scope)
• TV aerial or satellite points (if not in scope)
• External works beyond what is specified
• Any specialist lighting (customer-supplied pendants, fitted furniture lights)
• Fire alarm system beyond standard detection (if a full addressable system is needed, this is a separate quote)
• Anything found once floors and walls are opened up - structural issues, damaged joists - reported and priced before you carry on
• Asbestos, if found - work stops and removal is quoted separately

Don't forget certification costs

Include the cost of the Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) and your Competent Person Scheme notification fee in the quote. This is a genuine cost to you and is often forgotten or bundled vaguely into labour. Being transparent about it avoids any confusion with the customer.

In Ireland, a Registered Electrical Contractor must give the customer a Completion Certificate when the rewire is finished. This is not optional.

VAT on electrical rewiring

The VAT rules for Ireland and the UK are different, so they are set out separately.

Ireland: 13.5%, subject to the two-thirds rule

In Ireland, rewiring a home is one supply of construction services at 13.5% - labour and materials together. The two-thirds rule rarely bites on a rewire, which is mostly labour, but it matters on equipment-heavy jobs: if the VAT-exclusive cost to you of the goods is more than two-thirds of the VAT-exclusive price, the whole job is taxed at 23%. An EV charger install is the classic case.

Revenue's rate listing for electrical work on fixtures excludes wiring beyond sockets, fuse boards and lampholders - such as wiring up an electric cooker - which is standard-rated, so check how you treat that part of the job. Working as a subcontractor for a principal contractor under RCT? The reverse charge applies: you do not charge the VAT, and your invoice says the principal contractor accounts for it.

UK: 20%, with a zero rate for solar and batteries

In the UK, a rewire of an existing home is standard-rated at 20%, and so is EV charger installation - chargers are not on HMRC's energy-saving materials list. Solar panels and batteries installed in a home are energy-saving materials, zero-rated until 31 March 2027 and then 5%, as long as the installation is a job in its own right rather than part of a bigger standard-rated job.

Subcontracting for a VAT-registered contractor who pays you under CIS? The domestic reverse charge usually applies: your invoice shows the VAT but does not charge it, and the contractor pays it to HMRC.

See our VAT guide for electricians in Ireland and the UK VAT guide for tradesmen.

Stage payments for a rewire

For a full rewire, stage payments protect you and help the customer manage cash flow. A typical structure:

• Deposit on acceptance (25-30%): covers materials procurement
• First-fix completion (35-40%): when all cabling is run and consumer unit is installed
• Final payment on completion (balance): after second-fix, testing, and the EIC or Completion Certificate is issued

Build your rewire quote in 30 seconds

Get early access - it's free. Describe the job in plain English and PayReady AI builds a professional rewire quote with itemised line items and your stage payment schedule, with the VAT worked out at the rate you set - ready to send in under a minute. Free during Early Access. No credit card. Ready in 2 minutes.

Or download a free electrician invoice template for Ireland to build it manually.