Cost guide
House Rewire Cost 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. Plastering after the work, often €2,000 to €4,000, is usually extra.
What a rewire costs by size of home, what the price should include, and what moves it.
Free, no obligation. One registered electrician prices it, not five.
- €7,000 to €14,500a full rewire of a 3-bed house
- €11,000 to €19,000a 4-bed house
- €350 to €1,400a new fuse board on its own
- €150 to €350an inspection and report
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
By size
Cost and time by size of home
| Home | Full rewire | On site |
|---|---|---|
| 1-bed apartment or house | €4,000 to €9,500 | 2 to 4 days |
| 2-bed house | €6,000 to €11,000 | 3 to 6 days |
| 3-bed house | €7,000 to €14,500 | 4 to 10 days |
| 4-bed house | €11,000 to €19,000 | 6 to 12 days |
| 5-bed or large period house | €13,000 to €25,000+ | 8 to 12 days |
An electrician's day rate in Ireland is about €280 to €450, and a rewire is mostly labour, which is why the days on site drive the price. Size is the big one, but the number of circuits matters more than floor area: a 4-bed with two bathrooms, an ensuite and a converted attic has far more circuits than a 4-bed bungalow.
Getting a fair price
What a written quote should list
- The number of sockets, switches and light points, room by room.
- The new fuse board, its RCD protection and how many ways it has.
- Earthing and bonding to the gas and water pipes.
- Smoke and heat alarm wiring, and any circuit for a shower, cooker, heat pump or EV charger.
- Testing and the Safe Electric completion certificate.
- Whether plastering, painting and light fittings are in or out.
- VAT, shown on the price.
- How many days, and whether it assumes the house is empty or lived in.
Two quotes for the same house can differ by thousands because they price different jobs. The cheap one has often left out the board, the earthing, the plastering or the VAT.
Dublin and the rest
Does it cost more in Dublin?
Usually. Dublin prices sit at the top of our ranges: a 3-bed semi in Dublin is typically €12,000 to €14,500 with VAT, where a 3-bed semi in Kerry is more often €8,500 to €11,500. Rural jobs aren't always cheaper: long cable runs, outbuildings and travel add to them.
Pick your county below for its housing figures and the council that pays the grants there.
Services
Rewiring jobs we take requests for
Every job is done and certified by a Safe Electric registered electrician.
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 →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.
- 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
- 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.
- RCD protectionWhat an RCD does, and how to test yours.
Questions
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to rewire a 3-bed house in Ireland?
€7,000 to €14,500 for a full rewire, with a new fuse board, testing and the Safe Electric certificate. Dublin and bigger 3-beds sit at the top of that.
How much is a rewire for a 2-bed or a 4-bed?
€6,000 to €11,000 for a 2-bed and €11,000 to €19,000 for a 4-bed. A large or period 5-bed is €13,000 to €25,000+.
Is a rewire priced per square metre?
Some electricians quote by floor area, but most price the job: the circuits, the points, the board and the days on site. Compare the full list of what each quote includes.
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.
Is it 13.5% or 23% VAT?
Electrical work on fixtures in a home is at the reduced 13.5% VAT rate, under Revenue's rules for electricians' work on private dwellings. Ask that the written price says VAT is included.
Why is one quote so much cheaper?
Usually because it leaves something out: the board, earthing, smoke alarm wiring, plastering, the certificate or VAT. Ask for each item in writing.
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.