How Much Does it Cost to Rewire a House?

In Australia, the average cost to rewire a house is $40 per hour for a licenced electrician. For more complex jobs where accessibility and other factors come into play, you can expect to pay around $75 per hour or more.

Depending on where you live, the hourly rate for an electrician can fluctuate. Below is a cost list of the average hourly rates for electrical tradies in major cities and states throughout Australia.

The cost to rewire old house wiring with upgraded electrical components is essential. It can reduce the risk of an electrical fire occuring. The cost to rewire a home is small in comparison to losing someone you love in a house fire. In Australia alone, more than 40 per cent of all residential fires are associated with some electrical fault or failure.

Many of these unfortunate accidents can be prevented with more careful practices. Some, however, can be directly related to faulty electrical appliances, overloaded electrical circuits, and deteriorated wiring. When meeting electrical requirements in a home, consider safety and efficiency. 

It’s also essential to keep up with Australian Standards because as your home gets older and the demands for electrical devices increases, it can cause an overload on outdated wiring. Most homes that predate 1999 are not wired to meet the requirements of today’s modern technology. If you have an older home or are connecting power to vacant land in Queensland, It would help if you considered consulting a licensed electrician or utility company to reduce your risks of electrical hazards.

Here are some signs that your house needs to rewired:

• Circuit breakers constantly tripping
• Tingling or shocks when you touch switch plates or wall outlets
• Switchplates and wall outlets feel warm to the touch
• Unusual noises, sparking, and odours
• Discoloured areas around switch plates
• Flickering and dimmed lights
  

  A well-maintained electrical box. | Source: MTCO Electrical

The average cost to rewire a house depends on several factors, and it’s certainly more expensive than the average cost for wiring a new house. To rewire an older home, the electrician will have to work around existing wall furnishings and use a variety of techniques to run new wire. It takes more time and planning to rewire a house than it does to drill holes in framing members and pull wires where they need to go to in a new home. 

Other factors impacting rewire entire house cost include:

• Size of project – The size of your home will affect the total cost.
• Location – Depending on where you live, travel expenses may be included in your written proposal.
• Materials – The amount of wire required as well as switchboards and other electrical components.
• Additional services – Electrician Call Out Fee, emergency services or after hours will cost more.

In residential homes, there are many different types of rewiring jobs from rewiring sheathed cables to underground feeder cables, outdoor lighting, coaxial cables, Ethernet wires, new switchboard installation, and more. Depending on what services your home needs will impact your rewire house cost.

Below are a few examples of different rewiring jobs and what you can expect to pay:

• Rewiring an inverter: $90
• Rewiring light sockets: $90
• Rewiring for downlights: $500
• Rewiring for a kitchen renovation: $550
• Fixing powerpoint: $60
• Fault finding: $100
• Repairing a metre box: $250
• Fixing a damaged cable: $120
• Replacing a light switch: $100

The cost to rewire a 3 bedroom house will be more than a 2 bed house rewire cost, due to the extra materials and labour required to do the job. The more bedrooms you have, the more it will cost to rewire a house as well as the number of storeys you have can all impact your rewire house cost. 

Here’s what you can expect to pay your electrician for the rewire entire house cost according to the number of bedrooms that you have in your home:

• 2 bedroom house rewire cost: $1,500-$5,000
• 3 Bedroom house rewire cost: $3,000-$10,000
• 4 bedroom house rewire cost: $10,000-$12,000

Old electrical wires and cable will eventually deteriorate; therefore, they should be replaced with new wiring as they pose many health and safety risks. Peace of mind is most likely the most significant benefit, but it’s also helpful to know your home can handle today’s energy loads and is up to Australian Standards. Some of the other advantages include:

• Safety
• Increases your home’s value
• Convenience
• Separate circuits

There are several ways to hire an electrician from online services to word-of-mouth. The most important aspect is to make sure they’re licenced and they have a valid insurance policy. 

How to Create an Accurate Estimate

The best way to create an accurate estimate is to gather as many written proposals as you can. The more estimates you have, the better. You should also make sure the price given in each proposal reflects the same materials that will be used to rewire your house.

How to Save Money Hiring an Electrician

Since all rewire house jobs in Australia require a certificate from the electrician, you will need to hire a master electrician. Therefore, hiring an apprentice electrician or doing it yourself is not worth the risk involved when trying to save money. However, you can save money by making sure the areas the electricians need access to are free and clear from any obstructions. Additionally, the best way to lower your rewire house cost is to do as much of the deconstruction and refinishing work yourself. 

* The cost data is based on Oneflare and third-party sources