Can I live in the house during a rewire?

Partial possible — electrician works floor-by-floor, isolating circuits in turn. Power + lighting reinstated each evening via temporary leads. Disruptive — dust, chased walls, intermittent power. Most clients vacate 5–10 days. Total vacation usual for Victorian solid-wall chase-heavy projects.

Do I need a building notice for rewire?

No if installer is NICEIC/NAPIT/NICEIC Domestic Installer/NAPIT Domestic Installer registered — Part P self-certification covers Building Control notification. Notice required only if DIY or non-registered installer. Certificate posted to Building Control automatically by competent person.

RCBO vs RCD consumer unit — which?

RCBO (Residual Current Breaker with Overcurrent) per circuit is current best practice — one fault trips one circuit only (kitchen ring trips, lights stay on). RCD per block (older standard) trips multiple circuits on one fault. RCBO premium £250–£450 over RCD-per-block CU. BS 7671:2018 Amendment 2 (2022) effectively mandates RCBO for new + altered installations.

Full House Rewire Cost London 2026 | Builderr

How Much Does a Full House Rewire Cost in London?

Full London house rewire 2026: £4,800–£6,800 small flat (1–2 bed); £7,500–£11,500 typical 3-bed terrace; £12,500–£18,500 large 4–5 bed Victorian/Edwardian. Covers new 18th Edition consumer unit (RCBO per circuit), all sockets + switches replaced, separate lighting + power + appliance circuits, main + supplementary bonding, smoke + heat alarm Grade D, EICR + Part P certification. 5–14 days install. NICEIC/NAPIT registered electrician mandatory.

What's included

Strip-out of existing wiring (rubber-sheathed pre-1970, fabric-sheathed pre-1950, PVC 1970s–today). New 17th/18th Edition compliant install: BS 7671 compliant cable (LSF — low-smoke + fume — preferred in domestic), new BS EN 60898 RCBO consumer unit (one residual-current breaker per circuit replaces older RCD-per-block), separated ring final circuits + radial circuits per room/zone, dedicated radials for cooker, oven, EV charger, immersion, ASHP, electric shower. Sockets: 2-gang minimum per wall (Approved Document M accessibility minimums in new + altered work); USB-A + USB-C integrated sockets premium. Lighting: separate circuit per floor + zone; ceiling-rose drops for pendant or downlight pattern; switch-drop ducting for retrofit dimmer + smart-switch capability. Bonding: main earth to incoming gas + water + structural steel + lightning protection where present; supplementary bonding kitchen + bathroom. Smoke + heat detection: BS 5839-6 Grade D Cat LD2 minimum (interlinked mains-wired with battery backup); enhanced LD1 for HMO + flat. Part P self-certification via NICEIC/NAPIT installer registration — building notice avoided.

Cost drivers + extras

Property size + age: Victorian solid-wall harder to chase + harder to retrofit (lath + plaster pre-WWII, hard mortar joints) — 30–60% premium over modern plasterboard. Heritage finish: original cornice + skirting + plaster moulding retention requires careful surface-mount or first-fix-before-decoration sequencing — adds £1,500–£4,500. Listed Building: surface-mount conduit (brass or polished steel) sometimes required by Conservation Officer to avoid chasing — £25–£85/m premium. Smart home: KNX or Loxone bus wiring £8,500–£28,500 above standard; less ambitious Hue + Sonos retrofit £1,800–£6,500. EV charger + dedicated radial + load management £950–£1,800 (see [[ev-charger-installation-cost-london]]). Solar PV pre-wire (consumer unit position + cable route to roof): £350–£850. Bathroom-zone IP-rated fittings + IP44 lighting + isolator: +£185–£385 per bathroom. ASHP install adds dedicated radial £450–£850. Granny annexe sub-mains: £1,800–£4,800 separate consumer unit + meter. Underfloor heating manifold + wiring centre: £450–£950.

Process + sequence

Survey + design: 1–2 days electrical engineer site visit + EICR pre-rewire diagnosis (existing wiring assessment £185–£385) + load calculation (existing 60–80A typical inadequate for modern home — upgrade to 100A often required, free via DNO Notification for UK Power Networks). First-fix (3–7 days typical 3-bed): chase walls, route cables, install backboxes, drop CU cables, route smoke-alarm wiring, supplementary bonding. Plastering + decoration follow first-fix. Second-fix (2–4 days): install sockets + switches + light fittings + CU + smoke alarms + ironmongery; energise; full commissioning. Test + certification: BS 7671 Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) issued; Part P self-certification via NICEIC/NAPIT; Building Control informed via competent-persons scheme. Insurance + valuation: certificate adds value to property (RICS valuers increasingly check EICR + EIC date); pre-1980s wiring devalues by 2–8% in conservative valuations.