Rewires & renovation electrics

A full rewire is one of the bigger electrical jobs in a domestic property, but it is often unavoidable and better done properly than deferred. Properties with original rubber-insulated wiring, aluminium cable, or decades of piecemeal additions often reach a point where patching is no longer the right answer.

When a full rewire is the right call

You should seriously consider a rewire if:

• The property has rubber-insulated wiring (pre-1960s), which has a degraded outer sheath that cracks and exposes live conductors
• The insulation is aluminium rather than copper, which was used in the 1960s and 70s and develops high resistance at connections over time
• An EICR has returned multiple C2 observations across different circuits that would be expensive to address individually
• You are carrying out a major renovation where walls are open anyway
• The property has never been rewired and is more than 40 years old
• The installation has been added to repeatedly with no clear circuit plan and no safe isolation

What a rewire involves

We remove all existing wiring back to the consumer unit and run new cable throughout. Socket and lighting circuits are separated to meet current regulations. All cable is run in appropriate containment and secured correctly. New back boxes and fitting plates are fitted throughout. The consumer unit is replaced at the same time.

On an occupied property, we work room by room to keep disruption to a minimum. On an empty property, the whole house can be done in sequence and the job is faster. We will agree the working pattern with you before starting.

Partial rewires

Not every property needs a complete rewire. If the main wiring is sound but specific areas have problems, we can rewire individual circuits or sections. A kitchen rewire ahead of a refurbishment, a loft extension needing new circuits, or an upstairs ring that has developed a fault are all examples of work we carry out without touching the rest of the installation.

What disruption to expect

Rewiring a house involves lifting floors and chasing walls to route new cable. In a property being renovated anyway, this is straightforward. In a lived-in property, we use existing routes where possible and minimise surface damage. Replastering after the cable is in is not part of the electrical scope, but we can recommend a plasterer and coordinate timing.

A three-bedroom semi typically takes two to three days for a full rewire. A larger property may take up to a week. We will give a realistic timeline when we see the property.

Certification

A full rewire requires an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC), not an EICR. We carry out full testing of every circuit before issuing the certificate. The work is also notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations, and we self-certify, so you receive a completion certificate as part of the job. These documents are essential for property sales and remortgages.