House rewiring · all 26 counties
House Rewiring in Ireland
Old fuse box, no RCD, flickering lights, or a house you've just bought? See what a rewire costs for your home in six taps, and get a written price from one Safe Electric registered electrician who covers your county.
Free, no obligation. One registered electrician prices it, not five.
- €7,000 to €14,500a full rewire of a 3-bed house
- 4 to 10 dayson site for a 3-bed rewire
- 42%of Irish homes were built before 1981 (Census 2022)
- €10,700the most the council grant for over-66s pays
How it works
From a cost check to a written price
Three steps. You only deal with one electrician.
- 1Answer six questionsThe home, its size and age, any warning signs, full or part, and whether you'll be living in it. You see our price range straight away.
- 2We pass it to one registered electricianOne Safe Electric registered electrician who covers your county. Not a list, not five calls.
- 3They test, then price itThey look at the house, test the wiring and give you a written price. Nothing is booked until you say yes.
Price guide
What a rewire costs in Ireland
Typical prices by size of home. The written price for your house comes after the electrician has tested it.
| Job | Typical cost | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| 1-bed apartment or house | €4,000 to €9,500 | Fewer circuits. Access through the ceiling and floors of a block can be slower |
| 2-bed house | €6,000 to €11,000 | Timber floors that lift are quicker than solid floors and walls |
| 3-bed house | €7,000 to €14,500 | Dublin and bigger houses sit at the top. More sockets and lights add to it |
| 4-bed house | €11,000 to €19,000 | Two bathrooms, an ensuite or a converted attic mean more circuits |
| 5-bed or large period house | €13,000 to €25,000+ | Long cable runs, solid walls, ornate ceilings to protect |
| Partial rewire | €1,200 to €4,000+ | A kitchen, an extension or a few circuits, priced after testing |
| New fuse board (consumer unit) | €350 to €1,400 | A straight swap is the low end. Earthing and faults found push it up |
| Electrical inspection and report | €150 to €350 | The size of the house and the number of circuits. Up to €600 for big houses |
| Earthing and bonding brought up to standard | €100 to €450 | Often needed with a new board in an older house |
| Plastering and painting after a rewire | €2,000 to €4,000 | How many walls were chased, and whether it's done by a plasterer you hire |
Typical prices for the whole job, materials, testing and the certificate included. Most of a rewire is at 13.5% VAT: ask that every written price says it's included. Light fittings, plastering and painting are usually extra.
What's included
- New cables to every socket, switch and light point
- A new fuse board with RCD protection
- Earthing and bonding to the current rules
- Testing of every circuit
- The Safe Electric completion certificate, handed to you when the work is finished
What pushes it up or down
- Up: living in the house during the work (about 15 to 20% more), solid walls and floors, more sockets and lights, an EV charger circuit
- Up: Dublin, a period house, a converted attic, outbuildings
- Down: an empty house, timber floors that lift, a plain spec, doing it with other renovation work so the plastering is done once
- Ask for the price in writing with VAT shown, and with plastering and light fittings in or out
Services
Rewiring jobs we take requests for
Every job is done and certified by a Safe Electric registered electrician.
Full rewireEvery circuit replaced, a new board, tested and certified. €7,000 to €14,500 for a 3-bed house.More on full rewire →
Partial rewireA kitchen, an extension or a few circuits, when the rest tests sound. €1,200 to €4,000+.More on partial rewire →
Fuse board upgradeA new consumer unit with RCD protection. €350 to €1,400.More on fuse board upgrade →
Electrical inspectionA Periodic Inspection Report on every circuit. €150 to €350 for most houses.More on electrical inspection →
Rewiring an old houseRubber cable, ceramic fuses and period ceilings: what changes in an older house.More on rewiring an old house →CertYour completion certificateSafe Electric certOnly a Registered Electrical Contractor can issue it. Keep it with the deeds.More on Safe Electric cert →Irish homes
42% of homes were built before 1981
Census 2022 counted 1,836,728 households in permanent homes. Of those with a known year, 42% were built before 1981 and 22% before 1961. Houses of that age often still have their first fuse board, and some their first cables.
Age alone doesn't decide it. A 1970s house rewired in the 1990s can be fine, and a 1990s house with a scorched socket isn't. What decides it is a test of the wiring, which a registered electrician writes up as a Periodic Inspection Report.
Counties
House rewiring in every county
One registered electrician per county. Pick yours for local housing figures, prices and the council grants.
- Carlow38% of homes built before 1981
- Cavan35% of homes built before 1981
- Clare40% of homes built before 1981
- Cork44% of homes built before 1981
- Donegal33% of homes built before 1981
- Dublin49% of homes built before 1981
- Galway33% of homes built before 1981
- Kerry40% of homes built before 1981
- Kildare29% of homes built before 1981
- Kilkenny41% of homes built before 1981
- Laois33% of homes built before 1981
- Leitrim37% of homes built before 1981
- Limerick44% of homes built before 1981
- Longford37% of homes built before 1981
- Louth42% of homes built before 1981
- Mayo39% of homes built before 1981
- Meath31% of homes built before 1981
- Monaghan43% of homes built before 1981
- Offaly42% of homes built before 1981
- Roscommon39% of homes built before 1981
- Sligo39% of homes built before 1981
- Tipperary47% of homes built before 1981
- Waterford42% of homes built before 1981
- Westmeath39% of homes built before 1981
- Wexford35% of homes built before 1981
- Wicklow42% of homes built before 1981
Guides
Rewiring guides
- House rewire costBy size of home: €7,000 to €14,500 for a 3-bed house.
- Signs you need a rewireThe warning signs, and which ones are urgent.
- Partial rewireWhen part of the house is enough: €1,200 to €4,000+.
- How long a rewire takes4 to 10 days for a 3-bed house.
- Living in the house during a rewireWhat the week is like, room by room.
- The Safe Electric certWhy only a registered electrician can sign it off.
- Electrical inspectionThe Periodic Inspection Report: €150 to €350.
- Fuse board upgradeA new consumer unit: €350 to €1,400.
Questions
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to rewire a house in Ireland?
A full rewire of a 3-bed house in Ireland costs €7,000 to €14,500, and a 4-bed €11,000 to €19,000. A 2-bed is €6,000 to €11,000 and a 1-bed apartment €4,000 to €9,500, with testing and the Safe Electric certificate included. The cost guide breaks it down.
How do I know if my house needs rewiring?
An old fuse box with fuses instead of trip switches, no RCD on the board, black rubber cable, round-pin sockets, scorch marks or lights that flicker are the usual signs. Testing. A registered electrician tests the insulation and earthing of every circuit and writes it up in a Periodic Inspection Report. The age of the house is a clue, not an answer. See signs you need a rewire.
How long does a rewire take?
4 to 10 days on site for a 3-bed house, and 6 to 12 days for a 4-bed. Living in the house adds a few days, because the work goes room by room.
Can I stay in the house during a rewire?
You can, and many people do. Expect dust, lifted floorboards and parts of the house without power for a few hours at a time. It takes longer and costs about 15 to 20% more than an empty house. See living in the house during a rewire.
Do I need a Safe Electric cert after a rewire?
Yes. The law says a Registered Electrical Contractor must give you a completion certificate for almost all electrical work in a home, and a rewire always needs one. Without it, ESB Networks won't connect a new or altered installation. See the Safe Electric cert.
Is there a grant for rewiring?
Not for everyone. The council's Housing Aid for Older People grant pays up to €10,700 towards rewiring for owners aged 66 or over, and the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant covers rewiring as part of doing up a vacant house. See rewiring grants.
Does the price include plastering?
Usually not. Cables are chased into the walls, and filling and plastering those channels is often a separate job: about €2,000 to €4,000 for a typical house. Ask whether the quote includes it.
Why do rewire quotes vary so much?
Because they often price different jobs: one includes a new board, earthing, smoke alarm wiring, plastering and VAT, another leaves half of it out. Ask for every item in writing, with the number of sockets and light points, so you compare the same job.
Who comes out to look at the house?
One Safe Electric registered electrician who covers your county. We pass your request to one electrician only, not a list, and they ring you to arrange a look at the house. Rewiring Ireland is an introduction service run by Bartlomiej Standa, trading as Elevate Ireland: we don't do electrical work ourselves.
Find out what your rewire costs
Six taps for our price range, then a written price from one Safe Electric registered electrician who covers your county. Free, no obligation.