Rewire cost checkCost check

Older houses

Rewiring an Old House

An old house with its original wiring nearly always needs a full rewire: rubber-insulated cable goes brittle with age, and old boards have no RCD. 22% of Irish homes were built before 1961 (Census 2022).

What's different about rewiring a period or older house, and how to protect what you want to keep.

Check my rewire costSee the price guide

Free, no obligation. One registered electrician prices it, not five.

  • 22%of Irish homes built before 1961
  • 154,290homes built before 1919
  • €13,000 to €25,000+a large or period house
  • Since 2022new work is certified to I.S. 10101

Rewire cost check

What will your rewire cost?

Six quick taps. You see our price range for your home and whether it sounds like a full rewire, a partial one, a new fuse board or an inspection first. Want a written price? One Safe Electric registered electrician who covers your county rings you.

Step 1 of 7

What kind of home is it?

Pick the closest.

How many bedrooms?

Size is the biggest thing in the price.

When was it built, or last rewired?

A rough guess is fine. The age of the wiring matters more than the age of the house.

Do you see any of these?

Tick all that apply.

The whole house, or part of it?

A partial rewire only makes sense when the rest is sound.

Will you be living in it during the work?

An empty house is quicker and costs less.

Our price range

€7,000 to €14,500

A full rewire of a 3-bed house: new cables, a new fuse board, testing and the Safe Electric certificate.

Answer the six questionsYou'll see whether it sounds like a full rewire, a partial one, a new fuse board or an inspection first.
  • About 4 to 10 days on site for a 3-bed house.
  • A new fuse board on its own: €350 to €1,400.
  • An inspection and report: €150 to €350.
  • A guide, not a quote. The written price comes after the electrician has seen and tested the house.

Get a written price

Only your county and phone number are needed. Your answers go with it, so the electrician knows the job before ringing.

Free, no obligation. One electrician, not a list. Nothing is booked until you say yes.

What you find

Inside an old installation

  • Rubber or fabric-covered cable. Rubber insulation hardens, cracks and falls away, leaving live conductors exposed. There's no fixing it: it gets replaced.
  • Ceramic or pull-out fuses, sometimes more than one old box, and no RCD.
  • Lighting circuits with no earth.
  • Round-pin or two-pin sockets, or too few sockets for modern life.
  • Old alterations: joints buried in walls, extensions wired off the nearest circuit.

Wiring like this is past its working life whatever the house looks like, and the age of the wiring matters more than the age of the house.

  • Before 19198.6%
  • 1919 to 19456.3%
  • 1946 to 19607.4%
  • 1961 to 19706.8%
  • 1971 to 198012.5%
  • 1981 to 199010.3%
  • 1991 to 200014.9%
  • 2001 to 201025.1%
  • 2011 or later7.9%

Bringing it back to life

A vacant old house?

If the house has been empty for two years or more and was built before 2008, the council's Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant can cover the rewiring as part of the refurbishment: up to €50,000, or €70,000 if the house is derelict. A house disconnected for more than six months needs a completion certificate before ESB Networks reconnects it. See rewiring grants.

Services

Rewiring jobs we take requests for

Every job is done and certified by a Safe Electric registered electrician.

Two new consumer units on a board in an old house mid-rewire, with new cables coiled readyFull rewireEvery circuit replaced, a new board, tested and certified. €7,000 to €14,500 for a 3-bed house.More on full rewire →An electrician levelling a new back box in a tiled wallPartial rewireA kitchen, an extension or a few circuits, when the rest tests sound. €1,200 to €4,000+.More on partial rewire →A modern white consumer unit and a double socket on a plywood boardFuse board upgradeA new consumer unit with RCD protection. €350 to €1,400.More on fuse board upgrade →An old fuse box with pull-out fuse carriers and old cables around itElectrical inspectionA Periodic Inspection Report on every circuit. €150 to €350 for most houses.More on electrical inspection →CertYour completion certificateSafe Electric certOnly a Registered Electrical Contractor can issue it. Keep it with the deeds.More on Safe Electric cert →RCDThe test button that mattersRCD protectionWhat an RCD does, why old boards don't have one, and how to test it.More on RCD protection →

Counties

House rewiring in every county

One registered electrician per county. Pick yours for local housing figures, prices and the council grants.

Guides

Rewiring guides

Questions

Questions people ask

Does an old house always need rewiring?

If it still has its original wiring from before the 1960s, nearly always. If it was rewired later, a test decides.

Can rubber cable be repaired?

No. Once rubber insulation has hardened and cracked, the cable is replaced.

Will a rewire damage period features?

It shouldn't, if the routes are agreed first. Cables can often run from the attic or under the floor to avoid cutting into cornices and old plaster.

How much does it cost to rewire an old house?

Size drives it: €7,000 to €14,500 for a 3-bed, €13,000 to €25,000+ for a large or period house. Solid walls and fragile plaster can add days.

Is there a grant for rewiring an old house?

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.

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.

Check my rewire costSee the price guide