House Rewire

barrowvian · 6 October 2016 at 3:45PM

Hi,

We live in Essex and have a three bedroom semi with adjoining garage from the late 1950s/early 1960s.

The house needs rewiring as it is using older aluminium based cables.

We have a big lengthy quote for the house which includes a full rewire, additional sockets and downlights. The full quote is;

Hallway
3 x downlights
1 x 3G 2 way switch -(hall/porch/upstairs)
1 x single socket
1 x smoke alarm
1 x porch light

Living room
Move but point from the hallway to inside the living room and also below the work desk
7 x Double sockets (tv socket high level)
Carbon monoxide near the fire place
Chase and insert 50 x 50 trunking into the wall from the tv to the unit
1 x 2g 2way switch
1 x chandelier (switched separately ) 2 way
4 x downlights (switched separately 2 way
1 x 2 gang 2 way switch (to the right of the French doors)

Dining room (extension)
1 x double socket
Keep existing centre light
Keep existing light switch

Utility room
Keep existing sockets (remove later)
Keep existing lighting point (switched separately to kitchen light ) also 2 way with additional switch
Relocate existing light switch to other side

Kitchen
Keep existing sockets on partition wall and add 1 x double socket
1 x double sockets in cupboard for ignition and w/m
1 x light
1 x 2 gang 2 way switch
1 x heat detector

New consumer unit
Main bonding to water and gas

Landing
3 x downlights
1 x 2 gang 2 way switch
1 x smoke detector
1 x single socket

Bedroom 1
3 x double sockets
4 x downlights
1 x switch

Bedroom 2
3 x double sockets
1 x light
1 x switch

Bedroom 3
2 x double sockets
2 x downlights
1 x switch

Bathroom
1 x towel rail supply
4 x downlights
1 x pull cord
1 x shaver point

Loft
1 x Batton holder
1 x surface switch (next to loft hatch)

Garage
1 x boiler supply
2 x double sockets
Wire to 2 x existing lights
1 x light switch

18 x downlights in total.

We have been quoted £4400 for the work and would need to supply the material for sockets/downlights etc. Initially this seems a bit steep to us. What do you think of this? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

BusyBargainz · 7 October 2016 at 3:35PM

That does seem like a lot, maybe get a few quotes and then a better idea of an average price?

I’m from Norfolk and have just had the following done for just under £2k – 3 bed 1960’s semi. I did not supply any materials but we did have a completely empty house, took up our own floorboards and didn’t ask him to ‘make good’ afterwards which may have made a difference to the cost.

Hallway
3 x downlights
1 x double socket
2 x light switches
1 x smoke alarm
1 x porch light

Living room
3 x Double sockets
Carbon monoxide
Smoke alarm
2 x downlights
2 x light switches

Kitchen
1 x down lights
2 x double sockets
1 x new consumer unit
Main bonding to gas
New cooker point
Smoke alarm

Landing
2 x downlights
1 x smoke detector
1 x double sockets

Bedroom 1
3 x double sockets
1 x downlights
1 x switch

Bedroom 2
3 x double sockets
1 x light
1 x switch

Bedroom 3
3 x double sockets
1 x downlights
1 x switch

Bathroom
2 x downlights
1 x pull cord
1 x shaver point
1 x shower point

Risteard · 7 October 2016 at 3:55PM

BusyBargainz wrote: »

I’m from Norfolk and have just had the following done for just under £2k

LOL. That is not a sensible price so no point thinking anyone else will get such a ludicrously low price.

FreeBear · 7 October 2016 at 4:21PM

barrowvian wrote: »

Chase and insert 50 x 50 trunking into the wall from the tv to the unit

Unless you have very thick walls, you do not want to be chasing in 50mm trunking. Building regs state chasing should be no more than one third the thickness of the wall skin for vertical chases and one sixth for horizontal. This means that for a single brick wall (or cavity wall), you will be limited to 33mm deep plus the thickness of any plaster - Not deep enough for a 50x50 conduit.

If the wall in question is double thickness brick or block (as many chimney breasts are), then you can go in 66mm for the vertical and 33mm for horizontal.

See: http://www.eden.gov.uk/planning-and-development/building-control/building-control-guidance-notes/wall-chases/

barrowvian · 10 October 2016 at 1:18PM

We had three other quotes done with the highest coming in at £2400. That includes supplying all materials and in an occupied house.

We tweaked things around a bit too .. so instead of getting the 50x50 trunking we decided to go for a HDMI/USB socket instead.

brightontraveller · 10 October 2016 at 6:22PM

Occupied house, Assuming reinstating supply daily, moving furniture etc Add to that Garage, loft and Utility room number of lights you are to an extent making it wiring equivalent of 6 /7 bedroom house (with the exception of £500-£100 in materials) So £2400 or less then something’s iffy….. Either cowboy or so desperate for work that minute you pay for materials there off or filling for bankruptcy

I also don’t understand “keeping existing “ its unlikely to meet regs etc, Is the cable surface mounted ? Given location, works required then I’d say 4 k ish original is more near the mark and less is just bull or a disaster waiting to happen

Risteard · 10 October 2016 at 7:09PM

brightontraveller wrote: »

Occupied house, Assuming reinstating supply daily, moving furniture etc Add to that Garage, loft and Utility room number of lights you are to an extent making it wiring equivalent of 6 /7 bedroom house (with the exception of £500-£100 in materials) So £2400 or less then something’s iffy…..

Completely agree.

House Rewire

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