How much does a full house rewire cost in Glasgow?
The short answer
Expect roughly £3,000 to £4,800 for a one-bedroom flat and £4,450 to £8,000 for a three-bedroom house, based on national cost guides. There is no separate Glasgow price index, so use these national figures as a guide. Tenement flats with solid stone walls, high ceilings and lath and plaster can push a quote towards the top of the range. A full rewire usually takes four days to two weeks.
Key points
- A one-bed flat averages about £3,900 and a three-bed house about £6,225 on national guides.
- Most quotes leave out plastering, decorating and carpets, so budget extra for making good.
- Empty homes are quicker and cheaper to rewire than occupied ones.
- Use a SELECT, NICEIC or NAPIT registered electrician and ask for an Electrical Installation Certificate at the end.
Typical rewire prices by property size
There is no official Glasgow price list, so the most reliable guide is the national cost data published by trade directories. The figures below come from the Checkatrade rewire cost guide. They are averages for labour and materials and do not include plastering or redecorating.
| Property | Average | Typical range | Time on site |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-bed flat | £3,900 | £3,000 to £4,800 | 4 to 7 days |
| 2-bed flat | £4,800 | £3,800 to £5,800 | About 1 week |
| 3-bed flat | £5,650 | Not stated | About 1 week |
| 3-bed house | £6,225 | £4,450 to £8,000 | 6 to 10 days |
| 4-bed house | £7,730 | £6,080 to £9,380 | 1 to 2 weeks |
The same guide puts an electrician's day rate at around £320. That is a useful sense check: a two-person team on a one-bed flat for five days, plus a consumer unit, cable and accessories, lands very close to the averages above.
Why Glasgow tenements can cost more
A large share of Glasgow homes are sandstone tenements built before 1920. They are lovely to live in and awkward to rewire. Four things tend to push the price up:
- Solid stone walls. Chasing cable into stone is slow and dusty, so many electricians run cables in surface trunking or through voids instead, which needs more planning.
- Lath and plaster. Old ceilings can crack or drop when disturbed. Some firms price in a contingency for this. Our guide on repairing lath and plaster ceilings explains what can be saved.
- High ceilings and cornicing. Ceiling roses and cornices need care, and 3 metre ceilings slow down lighting work.
- Shared closes. Parking, access and noise in a shared stair all add time, and supplies sometimes run through common parts that need the agreement of other owners.
Newer houses in the suburbs, with timber stud walls and loft access, are usually quicker and sit nearer the middle of the range.
What is included in a rewire quote
A full rewire normally covers new cables to every circuit, a new consumer unit with RCD protection, new sockets, switches and light fittings in the positions you agree, earthing and bonding to gas and water pipes, and testing and certification at the end.
Things that are often not included, so ask about them directly:
- Plastering over chases and patching ceilings (see what it costs to skim a room).
- Redecorating, lifting and relaying carpets, and moving furniture.
- Interlinked smoke and heat alarms, which every Scottish home must have. A rewire is the ideal time to fit mains-wired ones. Our fire alarm rules guide has the details.
- Extras such as outdoor sockets, an electric vehicle charger or data cabling.
- VAT. Check whether the quote includes it, because smaller firms below the VAT threshold may not charge it.
Signs your home needs a rewire
Wiring does not have a fixed expiry date, but most installations from before the 1980s are due a full inspection. Common warning signs are:
- An old fuse box with wire fuses rather than a modern consumer unit with circuit breakers.
- Rubber or fabric covered cables, or black and red cable colours in a mixed state of repair.
- Sockets low down in skirting boards, or very few sockets and lots of extension leads.
- Scorch marks, warm sockets, a burning smell or breakers that trip often.
Before committing to a full rewire, pay for an Electrical Installation Condition Report. It tells you whether the wiring needs replacing or just some repairs. Landlords need one anyway: see do I need an EICR to rent out my flat.
How to keep the cost down
- Rewire while the home is empty. Checkatrade notes that electricians work much faster in empty properties, which can take days off the job.
- Plan the layout first. Decide where every socket, switch and light goes before work starts. Changes mid-job are the most common cause of extra charges.
- Combine trades. If you are replastering or replacing floors anyway, schedule the rewire first so the electrician can work with open walls and floors.
- Get three written quotes that list the same specification, so you are comparing like with like.
- Check registration. A cheap quote from an unregistered installer can cost more later if the work cannot be certified. Here is how to check an electrician is SELECT or NICEIC registered.
Questions
Can I live in my flat during a rewire?
Usually yes, but expect dust, noise and no power for parts of most days. Many electricians work room by room and restore power at night. Living elsewhere for the first few days makes the job quicker and often cheaper.
Does a rewire need a building warrant in Glasgow?
Most domestic electrical work does not need a building warrant, but it must still meet the building regulations. Ask your electrician to confirm for your job and to give you an Electrical Installation Certificate when the work is finished.
How long does a rewire last?
A modern installation with PVC insulated cable should last decades. Plan for an inspection every 10 years in an owner-occupied home, or every 5 years if the property is let.
Is a partial rewire cheaper?
Yes. Replacing the consumer unit and a few circuits costs far less than a full rewire. An EICR will show whether a partial rewire is safe, or whether the older cables need to go too.
Sources
- Checkatrade: rewire house cost guide (opens in a new tab)
- MyBuilder: cost to rewire a house (opens in a new tab)
- SELECT: find a member (opens in a new tab)
This guide is general information about Glasgow and Scotland, checked on 3 November 2026. Prices and rules change, so confirm anything important with the organisation named before you act.
