What Affects the Cost to Rewire an Older Home
Signs your home's wiring is overdue, and the real factors — construction type, access, circuit count — that drive rewiring cost up or down.
Does your home actually need a rewire?
Not every older home needs a full rewire — sometimes a switchboard upgrade or a few new circuits is enough. These are the signs that point to something bigger.
- Fabric-insulated or rubber-insulated (VIR) cabling — common in homes built before the 1960s, and prone to cracking with age
- Two-pin (unearthed) power points still in use anywhere in the house
- Only a handful of power points per room, or extension leads running permanently to cover the gap
- Lights flickering or dimming when another appliance switches on
- A pre-purchase building/pest inspection or insurer flagging the wiring as outdated
- Planning a major renovation anyway — walls being opened up is the cheapest time to rewire
What actually drives the cost of a rewire
Rewiring cost varies more than almost any other electrical job because it depends heavily on the building itself, not just the electrical work.
Wall and ceiling access
A weatherboard or brick veneer home with an accessible roof cavity and subfloor is far cheaper to rewire than solid double-brick construction, where cable has to be chased into masonry.
Number of storeys
Single-storey homes are generally more straightforward than two-storey homes, where cabling has to run vertically between floors.
Number of circuits and outlets
More rooms, more power points, and more light fittings all add to the labour and materials involved.
Making good
Chasing cable into plaster or brick means patching afterwards — whether that's included in the quote (and who's doing it) changes the total cost noticeably.
Switchboard and meter
A full rewire is almost always paired with a switchboard upgrade, since the old board rarely has capacity or RCD protection for the new circuits being added.
Timing around a renovation
Rewiring while walls are already open during a renovation is significantly cheaper than doing it as a standalone job in a finished home.
Thinking about a rewire?
Tell us the age and construction type of your home — we'll assess what's actually needed and quote it properly, whether that's a full rewire or a smaller fix.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my home has old rubber-insulated wiring?
Fabric or rubber-insulated (VIR) cabling is common in homes built before the 1960s and tends to look cloth-covered rather than the smooth PVC sheathing used today. If your home is that age and hasn't been rewired, it's worth having it inspected.
Can I rewire just part of my house instead of the whole thing?
Yes — a partial rewire of specific rooms or circuits is common, especially during a staged renovation. We'll assess what's actually needed rather than assuming it has to be all-or-nothing.
Do I need council approval to rewire my home?
Standard electrical rewiring work generally doesn't need council development approval, but it does need to be carried out and certified by a licensed electrician — we handle the compliance paperwork as part of the job.