How can I compare three-bedroom house rewire prices fairly?

The fairest comparison is between quotes that cover the same work, materials and paperwork. A three-bedroom rewire price means little until each electrician has allowed for the same number of circuits, points, consumer unit, access conditions, testing and making good.

Start with the survey, not the headline price

A reliable quote follows a proper inspection of the house. The electrician should look at the existing consumer unit, cable routes, floor construction, loft access, walls, ceilings and any outbuildings included in the work.

That matters because a rewire in a vacant house with accessible floorboards is different from one in an occupied home with solid floors, fitted units or limited loft access. A remote estimate may be useful as an initial guide, but it cannot identify every factor that affects the final cost.

Ask each electrician to confirm what they inspected and what assumptions they made. If one quote is based on a visit and another is based only on the number of bedrooms, they are not yet comparable.

Compare the electrical scope line by line

Three bedrooms do not define the size of an electrical installation. Two houses with the same number of bedrooms may have very different requirements. Ask for an itemised schedule covering:

• the number and position of socket outlets;
• lighting points, switches and two-way switching;
• smoke and heat alarms;
• the consumer unit, including the type and number of protective devices;
• cooker, hob, oven and extractor supplies;
• shower, immersion heater, boiler and other fixed-appliance circuits;
• external sockets, lighting, garages, workshops and garden buildings;
• telephone, television, data or other low-voltage wiring, if required;
• earthing and bonding work; and
• testing, certification and notification arrangements.

Check whether the quote includes replacing every circuit or only selected parts. A partial rewire can cost less because it leaves older wiring in place, but it should not be presented as equivalent to a full rewire.

Check what equipment the price actually includes

Consumer units can vary in specification, as can sockets, switches, alarms and light fittings. The quote should describe the proposed equipment clearly rather than using a general allowance for materials.

Look for details such as the number of ways in the consumer unit, surge protection, residual current protection and the finish of sockets and switches. A low material allowance may need revising if the house requires more circuits or if a different finish is chosen.

Light fittings are a common source of confusion. Some electricians include only batten holders, while others allow for the existing fittings to be refitted. New decorative fittings may be excluded or charged separately. Ask what happens if fittings need adapting or cannot be reused.

Separate labour from materials and allowances

An itemised quote should make it possible to see where the money is going. It does not need to show every screw, but it should distinguish the main labour, equipment and building-work costs.

Be cautious with vague terms such as allowance, estimate or provisional sum. Ask what could cause that figure to change and how additional work will be agreed. For example, damaged cables, inaccessible routes, asbestos-containing materials or defective existing accessories may not be visible during the first inspection.

Asbestos is particularly important in some older properties. An electrician should not disturb suspect material simply to reach a cable. Ask whether specialist inspection or removal is excluded and who would arrange it if needed.

Find out what making good means

Rewiring involves lifting floorboards, chasing walls, removing accessories and making holes for cables and back boxes. The phrase making good can mean anything from filling small chases to plastering complete walls.

Ask each electrician to state whether the price includes:

• lifting and refitting floorboards;
• cutting and filling wall chases;
• plaster repairs around sockets and switches;
• repairs to ceilings or coving;
• reinstating insulation;
• moving fitted furniture or kitchen units;
• removing waste; and
• final decorating and carpet repairs.

Decorating, extensive plastering, joinery and flooring repairs are often separate trades. That is not necessarily a problem, provided the exclusion is written down before the work starts. An apparently cheaper electrical quote may become more expensive once those repairs are added.

Check the testing and certification included

A completed rewire should be tested before the installation is put into normal use. The paperwork should identify the work carried out, the test results and any limitations or observations.

Ask whether the price includes the Electrical Installation Certificate and the relevant building regulations notification. The electrician should also explain what happens if testing identifies a fault that needs correcting before certification.

For electrical work, NICEIC and ECA registration gives you a way to check that the contractor works within recognised technical and safety procedures. It also helps clarify who is responsible for the certification and notification paperwork. We provide the relevant electrical certificate and explain the results rather than leaving the paperwork unclear.

Compare the working arrangements

The disruption can affect the real cost as much as the electrical materials. Ask how the work will be phased, which rooms need to be cleared and whether the house can remain occupied.

A quote should explain who will move or protect furniture, whether the power will be off for periods, and how the electrician will leave the property at the end of each day. If the house has a solid floor, listed features, exposed beams or limited access, ask how cable routes will be handled without unnecessary damage.

Also check whether the price includes protection for floors and furnishings, daily tidying, removal of old accessories and disposal of waste. These details may not change the electrical design, but they affect the time, inconvenience and additional work involved.

Ask how changes will be controlled

Even a careful survey cannot reveal everything behind a wall or under a floor. The important point is how unexpected work will be dealt with.

Written quotations should state that additional work will be discussed and agreed before it is undertaken, except where immediate action is needed for safety. Ask whether the electrician will provide a revised price or written variation. Verbal changes made while the walls are open are difficult to check later.

Review the payment schedule as well. Check the deposit, stage payments, final payment and any conditions attached to them. The final balance should not depend on paperwork that has not yet been supplied.

Look beyond the total

The cheapest quote may be fair if it covers the same work with the same specification. It may also be lower because it excludes the consumer unit upgrade, smoke alarms, testing, plaster repairs, external circuits or the replacement of unsafe accessories.

Instead of ranking the totals first, make a comparison list with the same headings for every electrician. Mark each item as included, excluded or unclear. Then ask for any unclear points to be confirmed in writing.

Useful questions include:

• Is this a full rewire or a partial rewire?
• How many circuits and outlets are included?
• What consumer unit and protective devices are allowed for?
• Which light fittings and accessories are included?
• What happens if existing cables or accessories are unsafe?
• Who carries out the testing and supplies the certificate?
• Who handles building regulations notification?
• How much plastering, flooring repair and decorating is included?
• What work is excluded because of access, asbestos or other building conditions?
• How will extra work be priced and approved?

We survey the installation before preparing a written quotation, then set out the electrical work, equipment, testing and exclusions clearly. That gives you a like-for-like basis for comparing prices and makes it easier to see what each figure leaves you with when the rewire is complete.