House Rewire

[Mark Roberts]

Hi

Im new here and am not an electrician but a homeowner who needs a full rewire in a four bedroom house.

Ive got a few quotes in and there more than I thought £5500- £6500.

Id like to bring this figure down. Can you suggest ways of cost saving spec wise and labour wise. EG. one guy said the four extractor fans hes fitting in the bathroom, ensuite etc are costing around £50 each as there much better than the £15 fans. All the four rooms have windows with trickle vents so do I really need the higher cost fans.

What labouring jobs could a good DIYer do that would save the electrician time.

Any other hints and tips?

thanks
Mark

 

[GLENNSPARK]

Its like anything else....those fans are probably well known to him and of a good standard.....cheap accessories and fronts etc will soon show themselves up for what they really are......its the old saying isn`t it....."you get what you pay for"...:shades_smile:

 

[telectrix]

without seeing what equipment he has priced for, it's difficult to judge. also the area you live in has a bearing on the cost.

it's always worth getting a second and/or third quote, but then cheapest is not always best. you could end up with a cowboy job that ends up costing you more in the long run.

don't forget that a job of this size has to be notified to your local building control, and this is a £300ish additional cost unless the installer can self-certify the work. ( generally he'd need to be a member of napit, elecsa, or niceic )

 

[MarkieSparkie]

Hi, welcome to the forum.

 

[ackbarthestar]

You have obviously talked about the spec with the various Electricians, Some guys want to do the job wholesale and not share the work with a DIYer. The more you do in this respect the less chance of getting someone to finish it and sign it off.
However, you might be able to negotiate the price down by doing all the menial work such as lifting floor boards, cutting in chases
Does this include lighting, security, alarms, automated control etc or are you buying these separately?
I don't usually quote for this but leave it to the client to find because it will add a significant amount on the estimate.

 

[GLENNSPARK]

When he went around to do a survey did you discuss with him budget constraints and how you could stretch that out and get a good install that will stand the test of time or was it more about extras that you felt you could not live without?........

 

[bugsy]

You could offer to move out / clear the rooms and lift carpets or offer to do the labouring ( although you will earn the saving you make )
One thing not to do is use chaep materials - they,ll come back and bite your bum!

 

[GLENNSPARK]

You could offer to move out / clear the rooms and lift carpets or offer to do the labouring ( although you will earn the saving you make )
One thing not to do is use chaep materials - they,ll come back and bite your bum!

"MARBO"...."PROTIUS".....tee..hee.......

 

[telectrix]

just out of interest, what area are you in?

 

[electromonkey]

Hi Mark

Can you give a break down of what work you're having done. The number of sockets and lights and their type i.e. any chrome or brass fittings, or any downlights maybe etc, are the cables to be put in the walls or is it surface mounted? Any electric showers etc and as Telectrix had asked, where do you live? Each of these variables can effect the price. You may be lucky and have a spark on here who lives/works near by who could offer you a quote.

Cheers

Electromonkey.

 

[Octopus]

Does this figure include garage? shed? loads of downlighters? expensive chrome fittings?

What construction is your house? Who is responsible for the making good?

Too many variables, not enough information.

I'm in the south east and I'd say that the price is about on the money for a basic "job"

 

[Rockingit]

As an extremely loose rule of thumb (no, not that one...) I always reckon that a house rewire splits about 70/30 ish labour to materials, so if you're looking at around £2k's worth of parts then I'd ask to see specifically what is being listed. BUT - remember, I'm saying this from the comfort of my keyboard without knowing the property AND avoid cheap - the difference between a £15 extractor and a £50 one is that the £15 one will be whining inside of the first month and you'll be wanting to rip it out and throw it out the window.

Customers often ask me about doing the chasing etc, and very often it's a false economy as it needs redoing or widening. Clearing floors, bedroom furniture, carpets DOES all save masses of time and therefore money and is all stuff you can do yourself.

 

[mattmoo1974]

As rockingit said, A £15 fan will drive you insane within a month...
without someone see'in the house i think you be limited to the advice you get..
Saying its 3-4 bed doesnt account for the fact you mite have 2 foot thick walls. Old style plaster on the walls etc
There anre many many factors that go into pricing a job..
Get a few quotes to see the average price you get, Then do your homework on the company/person you want for the job.
If there good they ll have no end of ppl singing there prasies..

 

[vernam616]

As above where are you from? Im prepared to travel and can do it for a lot less than that, send me a private message if your interested. Thanks

 

[telectrix]

are we going to have an auction? my hammer style?